This electric blue (forgive the pun) B-Class is more than just a battery-powered concept version of Mercedes-Benz' mid-sized MPV - it introduces a new model designation across the Daimler group.
Starting at the Paris motor show at the end of this month - which is where the Electric Bee will buzz into the public domain - the words Electric Drive will adorn the boot lids of all battery-powered electric passenger cars from Mercedes-Benz, AMG and Smart.
The B-Class, says Mercedes-Benz, lends itself to battery-power because there's a section under the floor of the passenger compartment (Stuttgart refers to it, rather pretentiously, as the Energy Space) that provides a safe place to put the lithium-ion battery pack without stealing any space from either the passengers or the boot, while at the same time keeping the centre of gravity low.
‘ATTRACTIVE DRIVING DYNAMICS’
The B-Class Electric Drive concept is actually a runner; it has a 100kW/310Nm electric motor at the front that provides what Mercedes-Benz terms 'attractive driving dynamics' over a range of up to 200km.
The battery can then be charged from any standard domestic 220V socket or, much more quickly, from a 380V, three-phase terminal.
The B-Class is Mercedes-Benz' most versatile platform, suitable for almost any drive from combustion engines to batteries or fuel-cell drives, which is why it is the trailblazer for the brand's alternative energy programme.
In fact, the B-Class Electric Drive (to give it its new official title) is almost ready for production, with its market launch planned for 2014.
And it's not alone: this year's Paris motor show will also see the world premieres of the production versions of the SLS AMG Coupé Electric Drive and the Smart Brabus Electric Drive - giving Mercedes-Benz arguably the widest range of battery-powered cars on the market.