Mercedes E 300 e and E 300 de EV Charging Cable

One of the better plug-in hybrids to own a cable for

The 2019 to 2023 E 300 e and E 300 de carry 13.5 kWh gross and about 32 to 35 miles of electric range. What makes them worth writing about is the charger: 7.4 kW and genuinely single phase, so a British house delivers the car its whole rating rather than a derated share of a three phase number.

Mercedes quotes ninety minutes for a full charge on a 7.4 kW wall box, and that figure is real rather than a workplace one. A 32A cable earns its price here, because a 16A lead would take about three hours instead.

The 2023 car is a different machine, and one figure is missing

The E-Class that arrived in 2023 nearly doubles the battery to 25.4 kWh gross, takes electric range to about 73 miles on the E 300 e and 69 on the E 300 de, and adds 55 kW DC rapid charging, which almost no plug-in hybrid has. The charge flap also moved from the rear offside to the rear nearside.

Its AC charger is quoted at 11 kW and labelled three phase, and no single phase figure is published anywhere we could find. That matters because Mercedes has a confirmed case of exactly this shape on the facelift A 250 e and CLA 250 e, where the three phase upgrade leaves a British house on 3.7 kW. We are not saying the E-Class does that; we are saying nobody publishes the number, so we will not invent one. If you have the 2023 car and the cable price difference matters, ask a dealer for the single phase rate.

How long a full charge takes

Each figure is the pack size divided by the power actually drawn, with 13 per cent added for charging losses and the result rounded to the quarter hour. Columns are the 2019 to 2023 car and the 2023 one. Our calculated ninety minutes for the first matches Mercedes's own published figure exactly, which is a reasonable check on both.

On the 2019 to 2023 cars there is no DC socket at all, so the Type 2 lead is the only way the battery ever refills.

Which length for an E-Class plug-in

Rear offside on the 2019 to 2023 car and rear nearside on the 2023 one, which is a genuine change rather than a data error. Both readings come from German market technical data and neither is confirmed for a right hand drive car, so if 5 metres would be marginal, look first.

The E-Class is 4.95 metres as a saloon and a little more as an estate. That is long enough that 5 metres only works when everything lines up, and 10 metres is the size that covers the rest. The measurement that counts is the one taken with the car in its usual spot, plus a margin for the slack the lead needs.

How these cables are built

Construction is to IEC 62196-2 with CE marking, IP55 weather protection and a -30C to +50C operating range.

The three pin unit is IEC 62752 compliant, CE marked, IP67 against water and rated -30C to +60C. Two year warranty from the manufacturer, free next day delivery in the UK, 30 day returns.

Looking at another Mercedes? Start with the Mercedes EQA EV Charging Cable, or browse every model in Mercedes charging cables.

Mercedes E-Class plug-in hybrid charging cable questions

Which cable does an E 300 e or E 300 de need?

A 32A Type 2 to Type 2 lead for a 2019 to 2023 car. Its 7.4 kW charger is genuinely single phase, so a British house gives it the full rate and a 16A lead would double the time.

How long does the 2019 to 2023 car take to charge?

Ninety minutes from empty on a 7.4 kW home point, which is Mercedes's own figure and matches our arithmetic on the 13.5 kWh pack.

What about the 2023 E-Class?

Bigger battery, about 73 electric miles and 55 kW DC rapid charging. But nobody publishes what its 11 kW charger does on a single phase, so we cannot honestly tell you whether 32A helps. Ask a dealer.

Can the older E 300 de rapid charge?

No. There is no DC socket on the 2019 to 2023 cars, so the Type 2 cable is the only way to charge them.