To prove the theory in the real-world, the very first example of the new Mercedes E 300 BLUETEC HYBRID to arrive in the UK set out on an economy run rom the most southern airport in the UK to the most northern.
Driving duties were handed over to ex-rally driver Mick Linford. He started E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID economy run on the main runway at Newquay Cornwall Airport, the most southern active airport in mainland Britain. Here the car accelerated from rest to 62 mph in a little over seven seconds before achieving a peak speed of 136 mph.
After that, the diesel-hybrid drove normally 830-miles north to the most northern airport in the UK, Scotland’s Wick Airport. On arrival at Wick Airport the E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID achieved a maximum speed of 120 mph down the runway.
In the end, the engineering team behind the E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID aimed to strike a balance between delivering everyday economy and performance. Over a distance of 830-miles and two days, the car achieved a peak speed of 136 mph returning an economy of 67.3 mpg. The entire trip was carried out on a single tank of fuel, of which a quarter remained on its arrival in Wick. In this situation, the car could have carried on driving a theoretical range in excess of 1770 km.
The new E 300 BlueTEC HYBRID is available to order in Uk in both saloon and estate form. It produces a total of 204 hp and 500 Nm of torque. Prices start at £39.645 for the saloon and £41.435 for the estate.
