text: Mercedes-Benz is staging a live, 12-hour commercial today, highlighting the latest plug-in hybrid E350e sedan.
  Themed around the phrase “Now has arrived”, the Mercedes-Benz Now Experience “demonstrates that electric mobility bearing the three-pointed star is already a reality.”
  According to Mercedes, the commercial is a world first, constantly changing over its half-day length. It combines live music, spoken word, and dance performances, data vizualization, and live cameras showing off details around the E350e.
  The commercial is being streamed via a dedicated website and Youtube. At the time of writing, it has been running for eight hours and is oddly compelling. It concludes at 9 pm CET (3 pm EST, 12 pm PST).
  The E350e is powered by a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder turbo engine combined with an electric motor. Together, they produce 286 horsepower (213 kilowatts) and 406 pound-feet (550 Newton meters) of torque. That translates to surprisingly sprightly performance; the 0 to 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) sprint passes in 6.2 seconds, and top speed is pegged at 153 mph ( km/h).
  As ever with a plug-in hybrid, though, it’s the economy numbers that sell the E350e. On the official European economy test, it returns combined fuel consumption of no less than 134 miles per gallon (2.1 liters per 100 km), and carbon dioxide emissions of 49 grams per kilometer. Mercedes claims range on electric power only is 20 miles (32 km).
  Of course, in the real world the E350e’s economy would probably be bettered by the cheaper, diesel-powered E220d, and without too much of a performance penalty. But company car drivers in Europe are taxed on Co2 output, so the hybrid offers huge savings.
  The E350e isn't currently sold in the United States, however the same powertrain is available in the smaller C Class.
  Mercedes has yet to branch out into pure EVs, but recently announced a production version of the Generation EQ electric SUV concept, seen at the Paris motor show earlier this year, will go into production by the end of the decade. Indeed, the automaker is planning an EV onslaught, with no less than ten models slated to go on sale by 2025.