Mercedes is electrifying its compact car range by adding a plug-in hybrid powertrain to the A-Class hatchback, A-Class sedan, and the B-Class minivan. The trio, which will be known as the A250e, the B250e and the EQ Power, will feature the same design as the standard models but will include an extra fuel cap on the other rear fender that will charge the 15.6-kWh battery pack.

According to the automaker, “For the first time on a Mercedes-Benz vehicle, the combustion engine is started by the electric motor - the compact hybrids do not have a separate 12-volt starter.”

The 250e models will feature the same turbocharged four-cylinder 1.33-liter gasoline engine found in a standard A-Class or B-Class. The engine, which delivers 158 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque, will work alongside an electric motor with 101 hp and 221 pound-feet of torque. The PHEV system will produce a total of 215 hp and 332 pound-feet of torque and will be connected to an eight-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The five-door hatchback promises 0 to 62 mph in 6.6 seconds, while the sedan will need an extra tenth of a second. Meanwhile, the B-Class will take 6.8 seconds. In terms of top speeds, the hatchback and the minivan reach 146 mph while the sedan manages 149 mph. In electric mode, all three reach 87 mph.

The water-cooled battery pack, which weighs roughly 331 pounds, can be charged from 10% to 100% within 1 hour and 45 minutes with alternating current (AC), while direct-current charging (DC) charges the battery from 10% to 80% in about 25 minutes.

Mercedes says the extra hardware has only “slight limitations on the trunk volume” as a result of its innovating casing. The exhaust system, for example, ends in a centrally mounted outlet underneath the floor, while the rear silencer is located within the transmission tunnel. Also, the gasoline fuel tank is housed in the axle installation space, allowing space for the battery pack beneath the rear seats.

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Mercedes is currently taking orders for the electrified A-Class models and will take orders for the B250e in the coming weeks. According to the automaker, “By the end of 2019 Mercedes-Benz will have more than ten plug-in hybrids in the range – an attractive portfolio from the compact car to the flagship Mercedes-Benz S-Class. The aim is to be able to offer customers well over 20 model variants in 2020.”