Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic SUV

Up to this point, we have covered approximately 6000 miles in the EQE (Code name Edelweiss) and I have recharged the battery several dozen times up to September 0f 2024.

I had initially been quite impressed how the GOM range went up to 302 miles range @ 95% charge after charging it a few times in the summer months of 2023.

In late December 2023, when the winter cold set in, the GOM was showing a full charge range of 292 miles, as anticipated in colder weather, and it has gradually decreased to an average of 279 miles.

It doesn't really want to charge beyond 95% anyway - it actually slows down significantly from 92% charge onwards.

Typically, the 100% charge scenario occurs when we connect the vehicle at 11 PM and then refrain from using it for a day or two, during which time it remains connected to the charger to receive a gradual final charge.

Exploring the semi-free chargers at Electrify America or the Fast chargers in the EVGO network offers an exciting opportunity to experience DC fast charging.

DC fast chargers vary in their charging behaviors across different fast charge companies.

All of this pertains to the KVA rating of the chargers and the opinion of the GOM in Edelweiss regarding the power quality she is drawing from the Fast charger.

Edelweiss consistently controls the charging rate and is always in charge.

Just so you know, the Mercedes charger network (Electrify America) only provided me with 20 minutes of fast charging instead of the expected 30 minutes.

Having used several of these newer 350 KW charging units, I can confirm that if the charging session exceeds 30 minutes, you will be charged only for the additional time beyond that initial period.

I connected to some of the latest Electrify America 350 KW super chargers and found it to be a quick charging experience on these new chargers! In my opinion, they have improved significantly!

However, in the colder periods I have observed that the DC Fast charging antics delivers a constant to a 279-mile range; for the maximum distance, you must use the slower Level 2 AC chargers with these battery cells to get a few miles more.

Back in August of 2024, when the temperature was 95 degrees Fahrenheit, I received a reported range of 349 miles from an overly optimistic GOM.

With that said, while I was charging the Ioniq 5 recently, I entered the garage and noticed the flashing red LED on the lower 3 indicating faults, charging issues, and similar problems. From this, I concluded that it had reached a critical square root of 5 state (Sion Speak for being dysfunctional).

The frustrating issue of encountering charging cutoffs and errors around the 21-minute mark at multiple Electrify America Fast Chargers has not recurred with the newer charging units.

By the way, the fast charging provided by Electrify America for those 21 minutes was quite impressive, especially if the charger could consistently deliver 150-350 kW/h!

To achieve the optimal Fast Charge experience with the EQE and Ioniq using the EVGO chargers, make sure to locate the shorter, squat chargers.

I have been experiencing problems with the Ioniq at Electrify America charging stations, and am having trouble with the vehicle failing to engage in drive after 25-32 minutes of charging on the darn things.

This does not happen at the EVGO charging stations or any other similar ones, just so you know.

Most of the large EVGO charging stations do not exceed 75 kW/h, resulting in a lengthy wait of up to an hour to obtain a sufficient charge, which may not be worth the time and effort.

I have heard that the latest generation EVGO chargers are similar to the newer Electrify America charging units, but I have not been able to find one of them to date!

I always program my Waze GPS to locate the Electrify America chargers, even if it means going 5 miles out of my route, as I can finish charging there in about 30 minutes for some unknown reason.

Mercedes' ability to store kinetic energy and convert it into electric power stored in the battery cells is still quite impressive, especially when in regenerative braking mode.

I am both annoyed and concerned by the fact that there is proprietary technology in the vehicle that only Mercedes service personnel can access and maintain.

Having coolant topped up by only Mercedes garage staff is not my idea of self servicing your own vehicle.

To activate Max regenerative braking on the EQE, you need to press the minus paddle located on the left side of the steering wheel. Remember that this setting needs to be adjusted each time you drive the vehicle as it does not save the preference.

This mode is referred to as "Max Recuperation" by Mercedes.

Setting the Max Recuperation paddle has consistently led to a noticeable improvement in the range every time I drive the vehicle.

According to Mercedes' USA website, the EQE range is listed as 253 miles. However, I believe this figure is based on the assumption that you purchase the 60 extra horsepower upgrade for $1950, a decision we do not intend to make.

As I mentioned, after a few summer charges when it was new it informed me the range was 302 miles with a 95% charge.

Despite the literature stating 279 miles of average range, I consistently achieved 329 miles on one occasion after nine charges, which has left me feeling perplexed.

I did some aggregate math on this range thang and it actually seems that the aggregate is almost exactly 279 miles range - this is combining both uphill and downhill destination legs from Brentwood CA 94513 to Mediterranean drive Hayward and back, so maybe the wild marketing claim is not as crazy as it first seems to be.

I took 160 to Highway 4, to 242, to 680 to 24 to 980 to I880 and return was via I880 to 238, to 580 to Vasco Road to Highway 4 and the branch off to 160 exit at 18th Street.

I did touch 103 Mph twice but was on cruise control set to 67 Mph outbound and just floored it when safe homeward bound in the express lane.

This EQE 350 4Matic SUV drives and handles like a slick smooth machine that impresses every time you drive the darn thang.

It does over-steer which is surprising for such a heavy vehicle and it's turning circle is fairly miraculous.

When turning, I frequently had to readjust due to being led towards barriers and curbs, so it's important to be mindful of the oversteer at lower speeds.

When you drive the EQE, you are enveloped in a luxurious embrace that feels like a glove of sublime comfort, immersing your senses in opulence as you bumble along like a smug Mr Magoo.

The entertainment system seamlessly integrates with Apple CarPlay wirelessly and works flawlessly for 47 minutes, after which it inexplicably disconnects.

Scheisse!! This problem still exists going into September of 2024.

On 7/22 I activated the T-Mobile internet system from the Mercedes system in the car and this seemed to have temporarily solved the BlueTooth dropping from the iPhone in Apple CarPlay mode but it started doing it again almost immediately.

This makes no sense whatsoever and is sans logic but I drove 140 miles on 7/23/23 and since I did the T-Mobile activation the Apple CarPlay dropout problem had gone away but came back August 1 2023, randomly.

It also cuts out parallel to a water treatment plant on Highway 4 and none of my other EV vehicles does this.

I got somewhat of a clue from a Danish EQE owner from Aarhus on the interwebs thang but it did not check out.

Good job I can read me some Danish but I as stated, I had to report this is in fact not the answer.

The Android phones do not have this problem with the Mercedes Electric line up by the way so this is most likely a license Mercedes declined to pay Apple for.

After further investigation, I have come to the conclusion that all Mercedes vehicles are affected by certain frequency transmissions within the Bluetooth transmitting range they utilize, unlike any other car I have driven.

The entertainment system in the I-Pace HSE was a serious joke by the way, in case you were wondering about comparisons between the I-Pace and the EQE 350 4Matic.

Unlike the Jaguar though, the Navigation system in the EQE is actually pretty slick but there is no beating what Waze does there IMHO, so I drive with Waze on the screen and switch between Danish or Dutch as the default language in Waze.

When Carplay disconnects after 47 minutes I switch to the onboard GPS pretty seamlessly.

I have yet to explore the various Mercedes screens and settings or language options tied to my profile because my wife can only manage German and me no like German GPS speaks and prefer Dutch or Danish as my default language..

Anyhew, I will update my Mercedes EQE electric adventures as I go week by week!

By the way, the Obsidian Black Paint job on this SUV is vastly superior to the Jaguars Santorini Black custom paint job, by a very wide margin.

I hated the paint job on the Jaguar HSE with a passion.

In fact, IMHO ALL Jaguar cars have very sub-standard paint on them, they need to go see how Mercedes does paint IMHO.

Even the plush seats in the EQE put the fine Jaguar seating and Upholstery to shame which was a shocker for me to process, truth be told.

I don't even miss the Jaguars egregious power much......In my opinion the Hungarian made twin electric motors in the EQE are vastly superior to the Polish ones found in the Jaguar I-PACE EV400 HSE in terms of refinement.

I did discover you can pay $60 a month to boost the electrical power in the EQE 350 4Matic SUV by 60HP to take it to 348 ponies or a lifetime payment of $1950 to make it a forever deal.

However, be aware the battery range using this extra power cuts the range to 185 miles and also be aware that at 5364 lbs curb weight plus passengers and luggage that this thing takes some distance stopping from 130 Mph track antics.

The extra HP does not impact top speed by the way, just how it gets there.

The 400 HP those Polish motors in the I-PACE deliver though are RAW and magnificent in their vicious and blunt brutal glory.

The Mercedes electric motors are made in Hungary and the Hungarians have been building these things since Nicola Tesla roamed the area in person.

To complement my driving experience with the EQE, I purchased an Alpine hat. "She who must be obeyed" is not pleased with my Green Bavarian Hat! All I need now is a pair of glossy black lederhosen to complete the ambiance!

At month 5 with 2,546 miles on the odo, the GOM range reported dead on 302 mile range after a fullish charge to 95% fairly consistently.

They (Mercedes Factory) set it to charge to just 80% by the way, citing battery preservation as the reason.

If Mercedes techs juggle the active cells with software like they do on the Bolt and Jaguar I-PACE (both LG Chem batteries) they can achieve the same sort of effect without sacrificing range, so me no like that development! It be a crock of shite IMHO!

We went to Hayward over the weekend of 7/23 to visit our Grandson Chuckles again and we had 164 miles range left on our return and it seemed to be that way deep into November of 23 at any rate.

The second time we did the same trip we had less power left (52%) but the GOM displayed a claimed 164 miles range to go and I was aggressive with the ol hoof on the return leg of that particular trip as well.

Somehow this EQE manages to put a lot of power back into the battery system in Max Recuperation mode.

One difference on this thing compared to other EV's is the way this thing brakes.

It's like a normal ICE vehicle with braking and it is very heavy at some 5364 odd pounds empty.

I have yet to discover one pedal driving mode on this EQE thing. The Bolt and Jag were awesome with this aspect.

In fact I waded into one pedal driving with the EQE these past few months and have concluded this is in fact a swift way to die.

It is way too heavy for that sh1t!

I have also noticed my original 2016 based Clipper Creek level 2 charger takes a long time to charge this beast to 95% as well.

I bought it in December 2016 and am wondering how long these charger thangs actually last?

Simple circuitry should make it near Immortal actually......

I did notice the warranty dipped from 5 years to 3 years on the newer ones though.

I like Clipper Creek stuff because they do not futz with the Smart Circuitry remote access bollocks that is the Achilles heel of all of these EV chargers that offer remote app access and control shenanigans from a smart phone.

Enphase bought Clipper Creek a few years ago and I suspect the Money Bunny of this new company has resulted is lesser components being acquired but I will need to rip the new one apart when I get one to confirm my suspicion there.

Do not use the cheapie Clipper Creek EV charging systems in cold climes by the way, their Cable is not freeze friendly at all.

If you live in California or Arizona them thangs was designed for you!

Last week I called Enphase to go over the time to charge experience.

The LCS30-P can only deliver 5.7 KWh charging rates, I need to upgrade to the HCS40 where I will get 9.6 KWh charge rates to bring the charge time down.

This means a hard wired HCS40 on a 60Amp circuit breaker with 6 AWG wiring upgrades though I think the wiring may already be 6 AWG.

While we are at home base work wise I will try find a Suitable Free Charger from Electrify America or pay for an EVGO Fast Charge to 85% and do the rest at home.

I also learnt the Enphase folk upgraded all the cables on these units to be Freeze friendly which is why those units all cost $821 upwards with 5 year warranties.

If you are paying less than $600 for your LCS it is not ruggedized BTW.

Some more electrical details to worry about for your EV experience!!

On 8/31 I took it to the EVGO Fast charging setup close to Bev Mo on Lone Tree Way and was amazed how fast it sucked up electrons but it is the same story I found on my Bolt in terms of ramping stages.

When I plugged it in it was charging at 132 KW/h per the GOM in the vehicle, 15 minutes later it ramped down to 123 KW/h, did that for 6 minutes then stepped down to 102 KW/h then 92 KW/h and on down to 42 KW/h by the time my endurance was reached.

This has nothing to do with the DC fast charging system by the way as the Vehicle dictates to the charging system what it wants.

Of course if the DC Fast charging system cannot deliver 200 KW/h it will not charge at 200 KW/h even for a short ramp so it is important.

Most of these EVGO and Electrify America DC Fast chargers only serve up 150 KW/h max anyways so while they are better than a level 2 charger it is only marginally better.

I used to have to charge for 57 minutes with the I-Pace HSE on them thangs.

I stopped charging when it got to 90% charge but would suggest letting it go down to 10% and charging it to 83% when you want to use the DC Level 3 Fast charging.

This could be tricky on a long trip between LA and the Bay area so trip planning to know where DC Fast chargers lurk on your route is a must do exercise.

For me Highway 5 and 99 has plenty of Electrify America DC Fast chargers which are free for Mercedes owners for 2 years 2 30 minutes a pop if you buy a new EQ series electric vehicle from them, so I can hurtle between destinations in my sales territory at high speed and rapidly charge to 87% before moving on with 30 minutes charging done.

This charge to 87% by the way seems to also give you the claimed 279 miles range though 5 miles down the 99 it was depleting faster than usual.

I am starting to think level 2 charging is more charge efficient than level 3 Fast DC charging and they do indeed not work the same way at all.

In November she who must be obeyed took it to Scarymento for a drive and the tire pressure warning lights came on with all sorts of low fluid levels in the battery system when she got to Rancho Cordova.

I took it in to Mercedes of Pleasanton and they replaced the sealant water bottle and there was a recall on the brake system that they also fixed molto-pronto.

They gave me a white loaner of the same model as ours and I was stunned how much nicer it was to drive than our EQE chariot.

Fortunately, when we got it back Edelweiss was also driving like the loaner EQE 350 4Matic and it has been pretty smooth since then and I have driven to Monterrey and up to Petaluma and it was a real joy to drive.

In fact on the way back from Monterrey I drove it pretty hard in the dark and was impressed at how it did not radically drop the power vs how the Jaguar HSE bled power with a heavy foot.

Having said that the EQE is comfortable at 90 Mph all day long whereas the Jag HSE wanted to sit at 120 Mph all day long.

The power at 120 Mph obviously does not last that long in that I-PACE or in fact any EV.

It's like that Bugatti Veyron one of the Saudi princes owns that has a tire life of 90 minutes at 200 Mph.

On the subject of tires, the ones shod to our chariot are the R02 20" items as we got the 20" Rim upgrade on ours and they seem pretty darn good.

The breaking system bedded in after the brake recall fix was done so it does not feel quite as suicidal as it did when new, but having said that, we got heavy rain in northern California this week (12/20) and you do not want to drive this thing over 90 Mph in the wet either.

Fortunately it is pretty solid in Mr Magoo fuddy duddy rain weather mode!

Things to worry about as we go!

Bisher ist alles sehr verdammt pfirsichfarben!