Sector: Compact MPV Price: €39,151 Electric range: 200–230km CO2: 0g/km

It’s just over two decades since Mercedes-Benz first showed the potential of its sandwich floor design with the Vision A Concept car, hinting that the space between its two layers would be ideal for batteries or hydrogen fuel cells. In the B-Class Electric Drive, that concept has finally come to life.

The first Mercedes-Benz with an electric drivetrain isn’t entirely new, though. This is essentially the same car which has been available to North American customers since May. It joins the European B-Class range as part of a mid-life refresh, swapping petrol or diesel power for a 180hp electric drivetrain developed as part of an ongoing partnership with Tesla Motors.

That’s enough to make the Electric Drive the second most powerful B-Class, after the 184bhp B200 petrol. Yet with that familiar silent surge of off-the-mark torque, it feels even quicker than the claimed 7.9-second sprint to 62mph suggests. So not only is it ideal for picking through urban traffic, but it’s got plenty of power for motorway use too.

Although the sandwich floor has been abandoned, some of the thinking has been carried forward. Natural gas and electric versions of the B-Class feature a partial double floorpan under the rear bench to accommodate tanks or batteries. In turn it means there’s no loss of boot space, and the rear bench still slides fore and aft as in a conventionally powered car. It also means that this drivetrain won’t slot straight into an A-Class.

Fully charged, the lithium-ion battery promises a 200km range, largely dependent on which of the three driving modes are used. While Sport unlocks full performance, Economy and Economy Plus modes progressively soften the throttle sensitivity, restrict top speed and cut power output, though both are overridden by the kickdown switch. There’s also an optional Range Plus function, an overcharge mode which adds another 30 kilometres, but which can shorten battery life if used regularly.

Regenerative braking is completely adjustable and the car defaults to an automatic option, which uses the collision avoidance systems to monitor speed limits and other traffic then sets the strength to suit. Drivers can also manually select between three modes, allowing the car to coast freely or to brake aggressively when the throttle is lifted. Otherwise, it drives just like a very quiet, automatic B-Class.

There is a downside, though. With a maximum charging speed of 11 kilowatts, it takes a minimum of three hours to fill the relatively large 28kWh battery. Although this has a long enough range for mainly urban drivers, the inability to reach an 80% charge in half an hour means this really is confined to shorter routes than many of its direct rivals.

However, that’s still where most electric vehicles are deployed and the B-Class has a lot going for it. Compact, flexible and very refined, it may have taken 20 years to come to market, but it’s an interesting option in the growing battery-electric sector.

Verdict:

Volumes in Europe are likely to be small, but this is a very versatile, very comfortable option for drivers who don’t need to cover longer distances.