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New Mercedes B-Class Electric Drive goes in to production

The first Mercedes B-Class ED (pictured) rolls off the production line in Rastatt With the BMW i3 grabbing headlines – and flying out of showrooms – as BMW’s first electric car, Mercedes need to play catch-up with a convincing EV of their own, and that’s the new B-Class Electric Drive – an EV version of the regular B-Class – which has now gone in to production in Germany. Built alongside regular ICE versions of the B-Class at Mercedes’ Rastatt Plant, the B-Class ED (Electric Drive) looks practically the same as its more conventionally powered siblings – although the front bumper does look a bit different – and has an electric motor good for 177 bhp and 250 lb/ft of torque, can manage a scoot to 62 mph in 7.9 seconds and has a range of up to 124 miles. The range – at least the quoted range – is a chunk better than the BMW i3′s and on a par with the latest Nissan LEAF, thanks to EV technology provided by Tesla, and the wrapping of an EV drivetrain in a conventional series production car could appeal to more buyers than the ‘statement’ design of the BMW i3.

W.W.J.D. (What Would Jay-Z Drive?)

Since Maybach got the axe last month, there has been a hole 6.2 meters long in the hearts of rappers and ball players everywhere. Florida rapper Rick Ross, whose label name is Maybach Music, may even have to find another marque to follow. Shawn Carter, aka Jay-Z, who recorded several songs singing the praises of Maybach, will have to find a new ride in which to be chauffeured.

Name game: Analysis predicts vehicle brand based on first name

Here's something to fill your mid-afternoon break. MoneySupermarket.com, a site in the U.K. that compares everything from insurance to travel, analyzed 17 million car insurance searches on its site to come up with a list of cars people are most likely to drive based on their first name.