Life Expectancy of 48V battery
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 77
Likes: 24
2021 GLE450
Life Expectancy of 48V battery
I have been reading up on the 48V issues on this forum and I have a question for the members. Setting aside the failures, what is the life expectancy of the 48V battery? As it gets older, do you see a gradual deterioration of performance or is it sudden? Is this a future maintenance issue costing $$$? After all it is not like swapping out a 12v battery. Has Mercedes published anything pertaining to the batteries longevity?
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 3,391
Likes: 1,040
From: Boise
2024 GMC Canyon Denali..... 2018 Audi SQ5
There hasn’t been anything specific to Mercedes that I’ve seen…but the Automotive application of Lithium batteries have a long life while retaining most of the charging capacity. Someone posted that they are required to have an 8 year warranty in the US? Instead of one battery Mercedes packages dozens of small units (like an oversized AA battery), spaced and cooled to maintain ideal temperatures. Theoretically one might just change out the battery parts at some future date, 8-10 years, maybe? It seems to be the Controller or something other than the battery causing the problem. There is a mini “computer like” Controller card that manages the battery so that it doesn’t over charge, under charge, etc.
I’m surprised that there hasn’t been something from the Auto Mag’s or Stock Analyst’s yet outlining more detail on the cause of failures. It’s certainly newsworthy!
I’m surprised that there hasn’t been something from the Auto Mag’s or Stock Analyst’s yet outlining more detail on the cause of failures. It’s certainly newsworthy!
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 356
Likes: 103
2021 GLE 450
I asked this question last spring and Mercedes came back with this comment.
Depending how well the battery is maintained by charging from time to time or after sitting for extended periods of time, the battery should last between 6-8 years.
The cost of replacement in Canada right now is $2850.00 plus 6 -7 hours labor at $179.00/ hour. Could cost upward of close to $4000.00 plus any taxes.
This is NOT covered by extended warranty as we have discussed before.
Toban
Depending how well the battery is maintained by charging from time to time or after sitting for extended periods of time, the battery should last between 6-8 years.
The cost of replacement in Canada right now is $2850.00 plus 6 -7 hours labor at $179.00/ hour. Could cost upward of close to $4000.00 plus any taxes.
This is NOT covered by extended warranty as we have discussed before.
Toban
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 14,663
Likes: 4,567
From: unbegrenzt
2017 GLE350 4MATIC
Until a good sample size (thousands of vehicles) pass 100k miles and 6-8 years in service there is no data to answer the question.
In think the W213 E-Class with inline 6 was the first to debut the 48v tech. Maybe 2019 model year.
So set your clock for year 2025-2027 and read the W213 forum. It would be a weak moment for me to buy a preowned V167 with 48V battery in the mid-2020s.
I like the GLE vehicle concept but MB has utterly failed with the 48V system and other things on this platform, so staying away and my recommendation is “do not buy”.
In think the W213 E-Class with inline 6 was the first to debut the 48v tech. Maybe 2019 model year.
So set your clock for year 2025-2027 and read the W213 forum. It would be a weak moment for me to buy a preowned V167 with 48V battery in the mid-2020s.
I like the GLE vehicle concept but MB has utterly failed with the 48V system and other things on this platform, so staying away and my recommendation is “do not buy”.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 6,987
Likes: 2,184
From: Colorado
'21 AMG53 wDPP & ARC, 19 GLC300 - Former-03 C240,2 ML BlueTecs,20 GLE450 E-ABC,15 Cayenne D,17 Macan
Is it the internal BMS that gave grief? Or is it the onboard car system.
If it's the onboard system(s), they can probably be cured with software updates. If it's the battery BMS, it's likely that, once built, they are cast in stone.
But Tesla's strategy of buying the battery co-developer and contracted builder/supplier for BMW and M-B, likely caused them to spec batteries that were built by a different 3rd Party, and either the specs were premature (a possibility since Tesla broke the development contract) or some percentage of the batteries were faulty.
48V is the future of ICE cars, and it's a good thing that M-B is on board. (BTW they were an early adopter of Hydrogen fuel cells, in the early 90's I believe, so they have a long-term H2 fleet in Europe, but I haven't heard much about it for a few years.)
But blaming M-B for a bad batch of batteries, after the dirty pool played by Tesla, is unfounded at this point.
I can understand being cautions until more is known, though.
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 14,663
Likes: 4,567
From: unbegrenzt
2017 GLE350 4MATIC
I don't think we know about the "system." There are 48v systems in the auto, and each battery has its own BMS - Battery Management System.
Is it the internal BMS that gave grief? Or is it the onboard car system.
If it's the onboard system(s), they can probably be cured with software updates. If it's the battery BMS, it's likely that, once built, they are cast in stone.
But Tesla's strategy of buying the battery co-developer and contracted builder/supplier for BMW and M-B, likely caused them to spec batteries that were built by a different 3rd Party, and either the specs were premature (a possibility since Tesla broke the development contract) or some percentage of the batteries were faulty.
48V is the future of ICE cars, and it's a good thing that M-B is on board. (BTW they were an early adopter of Hydrogen fuel cells, in the early 90's I believe, so they have a long-term H2 fleet in Europe, but I haven't heard much about it for a few years.)
But blaming M-B for a bad batch of batteries, after the dirty pool played by Tesla, is unfounded at this point.
I can understand being cautions until more is known, though.
Is it the internal BMS that gave grief? Or is it the onboard car system.
If it's the onboard system(s), they can probably be cured with software updates. If it's the battery BMS, it's likely that, once built, they are cast in stone.
But Tesla's strategy of buying the battery co-developer and contracted builder/supplier for BMW and M-B, likely caused them to spec batteries that were built by a different 3rd Party, and either the specs were premature (a possibility since Tesla broke the development contract) or some percentage of the batteries were faulty.
48V is the future of ICE cars, and it's a good thing that M-B is on board. (BTW they were an early adopter of Hydrogen fuel cells, in the early 90's I believe, so they have a long-term H2 fleet in Europe, but I haven't heard much about it for a few years.)
But blaming M-B for a bad batch of batteries, after the dirty pool played by Tesla, is unfounded at this point.
I can understand being cautions until more is known, though.
c’mon @mikapen MB produces garbage. Yes, I paint the company with the broad brush of multiple failures that reach customers. Too many recent and egregious ones to list. Read all the forum sections of this site and make your own list. MB dealers are atrocious, on average. MB corporate support is nonexistent or outright bad.
You saw this yourself during your working career.
MB vehicles are handsome and comfortable. And expensive garbage.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 3,391
Likes: 1,040
From: Boise
2024 GMC Canyon Denali..... 2018 Audi SQ5
c’mon @mikapen MB produces garbage. Yes, I paint the company with the broad brush of multiple failures that reach customers. Too many recent and egregious ones to list. Read all the forum sections of this site and make your own list. MB dealers are atrocious, on average. MB corporate support is nonexistent or outright bad.
MB vehicles are handsome and comfortable. And expensive garbage.
MB vehicles are handsome and comfortable. And expensive garbage.
The Mercedes is junk, the Dealers are no good, bla bla bla. I’ll offer you the same advice you give others….don’t buy another Mercedes, sell what you own and go buy a vehicle that you think is better.
Trending Topics
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 6,987
Likes: 2,184
From: Colorado
'21 AMG53 wDPP & ARC, 19 GLC300 - Former-03 C240,2 ML BlueTecs,20 GLE450 E-ABC,15 Cayenne D,17 Macan
c’mon @mikapen ......You saw this yourself during your working career......
You also don't know your cars.
Please crawl away.
MB World Stories
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Verdad Gallardo
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine
Verdad Gallardo
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction
Verdad Gallardo
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping
Verdad Gallardo
10 Most Reliable Mercedes-Benz Models You Can Buy Used
Verdad Gallardo
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 77
Likes: 24
2021 GLE450
Warranty
4 Basic Years / 50,000 Basic Miles
4 Drivetrain Years / 50,000 Drivetrain Miles
4 Corrosion Years / 50,000 Corrosion Miles
8 Hybrid/Electric Components Years / 100,000 Hybrid/Electric Components Miles
4 Roadside Assistance Years / 50,000 Roadside Assistance Miles
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 6,987
Likes: 2,184
From: Colorado
'21 AMG53 wDPP & ARC, 19 GLC300 - Former-03 C240,2 ML BlueTecs,20 GLE450 E-ABC,15 Cayenne D,17 Macan
Warranty
4 Basic Years / 50,000 Basic Miles
4 Drivetrain Years / 50,000 Drivetrain Miles
4 Corrosion Years / 50,000 Corrosion Miles
8 Hybrid/Electric Components Years / 100,000 Hybrid/Electric Components Miles
4 Roadside Assistance Years / 50,000 Roadside Assistance Miles
I hope so, but expect that it isn't.
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 50
Likes: 24
ML 350
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 3,391
Likes: 1,040
From: Boise
2024 GMC Canyon Denali..... 2018 Audi SQ5
Here’s some info. The question is….does the Mercedes Mild Hybrid fall into this mandate. I’m not going to dig through the regulation definition but it might only apply to a true Hybrid like a PHEV. Dealers aren’t necessarily a good source that you can bank on…the fact that it isn’t specifically mentioned as warranted makes me believe it’s only a 4 year warranty. But it’s built like the other Hybrid batteries so it should last. I’m leaving on a trip tomorrow or I would try to get a straight answer out of Mercedes Customer Service.
J D Power
Some of the main points of consumer resistance against hybrid vehicles include perceptions that the costly high-voltage battery packs in these vehicles are unreliable and prone to frequent or premature failure. However, the truth is that all manufacturers of hybrid vehicles in the US domestic market are legally required to warrant high-voltage hybrid battery packs for at least eight years or 100,000 miles of use. However, ten-year warranty periods of ten years or 150,000 miles of service are now the norm on some Japanese-made hybrids, one example being late-model Toyota Prius vehicles.
Moreover, manufacturers in the U.S. domestic market are legally obliged to transfer and honor the balance of hybrid battery warranties. This requirement means that if you buy, for instance, a three-year-old hybrid vehicle with 40,000 miles on the odometer, the dealer must transfer the balance of the original battery warranty to you. It also means that the dealer must honor the remaining warranty balance if the battery fails within the remaining time period.
J D Power
How Long Do Hybrid Batteries Last?
Dustin Hawley | Feb 03, 2021Some of the main points of consumer resistance against hybrid vehicles include perceptions that the costly high-voltage battery packs in these vehicles are unreliable and prone to frequent or premature failure. However, the truth is that all manufacturers of hybrid vehicles in the US domestic market are legally required to warrant high-voltage hybrid battery packs for at least eight years or 100,000 miles of use. However, ten-year warranty periods of ten years or 150,000 miles of service are now the norm on some Japanese-made hybrids, one example being late-model Toyota Prius vehicles.
Moreover, manufacturers in the U.S. domestic market are legally obliged to transfer and honor the balance of hybrid battery warranties. This requirement means that if you buy, for instance, a three-year-old hybrid vehicle with 40,000 miles on the odometer, the dealer must transfer the balance of the original battery warranty to you. It also means that the dealer must honor the remaining warranty balance if the battery fails within the remaining time period.
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 421
Likes: 57
2021 V167
I have been reading up on the 48V issues on this forum and I have a question for the members. Setting aside the failures, what is the life expectancy of the 48V battery? As it gets older, do you see a gradual deterioration of performance or is it sudden? Is this a future maintenance issue costing $$$? After all it is not like swapping out a 12v battery. Has Mercedes published anything pertaining to the batteries longevity?
The cost to replace the 48v battery is another factor for me and the fact you have to have it to operate the 12v side of the car. I may be too old school but enjoy keeping it simple when you can..
