[EV SPARKS]

As my 250e is coming up to year 3. Mercedes wants to charge for the ME service Should I just pay up or is there a free remote app that works just as bad as ME works?

 

[rez_p]

As my 250e is coming up to year 3. Mercedes wants to charge for the ME service Should I just pay up or is there a free remote app that works just as bad as ME works?

I (do note that I live in NL!) could choose between two services after the first three years: one or the other or both or none. One included remote locking and switching on the airco/heating (which I liked and got), the other one (where's my car? and a few other things) which I didn't.

And no there's no third party app that will do instead as it's the wireless access from Mercedes that you need to enable services like this...

 

[CasperStorm]

No interest in an app.

I charge the car, I remember what its charge level is, I drive the car.

It's a car.

 

[Thomas carter]

Ive been meaning to read up more into it, but something like the AutoPi could be an alternative with a free 3 mobile sim with 200mb free data a month

AutoPi - IoT platform for your car, built on the Raspberry Pi

Ive seen someone get this up and running with an EV to track charging
Receive charging alerts on your phone ( and smart watch )

 

[proddick]

No interest in an app.

I charge the car, I remember what its charge level is, I drive the car.

It's a car.

When you park in London and plug it in and come back at 11pm to find it wasn't charging and get serious grief from SWMBO (we had her niece with us too) you might think otherwise. Or maybe you just don't go anywhere out of range? And never use destination chargers?

Our B250e was a short term lease and we didn't have access to app. After that experience, I wouldn't have a BEV that didn't have remote monitoring as a minimum. Ideally I also want remote precondition. I am prepared to pay for that once it expires on Zoe - and Model 3. I think only free for a year on Model 3?

 

[CasperStorm]

When you park in London and plug it in and come back at 11pm to find it wasn't charging and get serious grief from SWMBO (we had her niece with us too) you might think otherwise. Or maybe you just don't go anywhere out of range? And never use destination chargers?

Our B250e was a short term lease and we didn't have access to app. After that experience, I wouldn't have a BEV that didn't have remote monitoring as a minimum. Ideally I also want remote precondition. I am prepared to pay for that once it expires on Zoe - and Model 3. I think only free for a year on Model 3?

If you need to know the charging status of your car at all times you probably have the wrong car.

 

[proddick]

If you need to know the charging status of your car at all times you probably have the wrong car.

Eh? What gives you the right to make that judgement?

We don't have the B250e now but I still want to know if my Zoe stops charging on a destination charger, so I can resolve or make alternative plans. When SuperCharging our Model S we are often in a cafe and monitor the charge to see when it has enough range for us to continue our journey.

If you are happy not knowing that a charge stopped and you need to charge on way home (at 11kW) then that is fine, good luck. Or maybe you don't take actually take your B250e out of range and have no experience of public charging?

For people who only charge at home (or drive a PHEV) then I agree monitoring/notification isn't necessary!

 

[CasperStorm]

Furthest I tend to go is 50-60 miles one way.

I use public chargers frequently* but certainly don't rely on them for time-sensitive travel.



* just checked my chargeplacescotland account: 6949kWh in past 2 yrs, 18,600 miles. Only got a home charger in Jan for the wife's 225xe.

 

[proddick]

Furthest I tend to go is 50-60 miles one way.

I use public chargers frequently but certainly don't rely on them for time-sensitive travel.

Fair enough, but that doesn't mean people who use a destination charger (for example) in London and want to check all is OK, so they don't have to stop on way home to charge, are wrong...

 

[CasperStorm]

Fair enough, but that doesn't mean people who use a destination charger (for example) in London and want to check all is OK, so they don't have to stop on way home to charge, are wrong...

Of course you're right, but even if you find you're charge has failed halfway through it's still likely to be a big pain in the bum with having to find another 3.6 or 11kW charger!

 

[Thomas carter]

I’d agree although an app isn’t essential there’s been enough times with the PHEV charging at work where something’s gone wrong and I hadn’t realised till going home time that I’d say it’s a huge plus

All of the faults have been fixed by unplugging and replugging, except one time when it was the cable that had broken in which case I’d admit you’d be pretty stuffed then, but st least you’d realise and be able to call roadside assistance earlier

 

[proddick]

Of course you're right, but even if you find you're charge has failed halfway through it's still likely to be a big pain in the bum with having to find another 3.6 or 11kW charger!

Agreed, but "forewarned is forearmed". In that London case I would have been able to pop back and move to another post while SWMBO showed her niece the sights. There are plenty of posts in London, albeit the Source London ones are expensive!

London range isn't an issue now we have Zoe and i3, the latter while we are waiting for Model 3. However, we have been using those for longer journeys and keeping an eye on range is handy when patiently waiting in a Holiday Inn charging Zoe at 22kw

 

[CasperStorm]

London range isn't an issue now we have Zoe and i3, the latter while we are waiting for Model 3.

Waiting for white to become the free paint...

 

[proddick]

Waiting for white to become the free paint...

Flat white will make it look like a cheap Zoe

 

[CasperStorm]

Model S looks good in flat white... one can always hope!

 

[EV-Runner]

As my 250e is coming up to year 3. Mercedes wants to charge for the ME service Should I just pay up or is there a free remote app that works just as bad as ME works?

I don’t see how we can have a sensible discussion - unless we have some numbers? I assume Mercedes prices are standard and we can all expect the MB ‘begging bowl’.

My warranty comes to an end soon - but nothing has been communicated - so far.

Frankly I would rather pay a ‘fair price’, than be without ‘Me’. However, with it based on a 3/4G network connection, that is cost that is reasonable for them to recoup. However, many services are advantageous to MB and others quite superfluous to my needs. I feel sure that MB want me ‘in the loop’ and I therefore would expect the charge to be reasonable!

Enlighten me!

 

[EVinNJ]

I don’t see how we can have a sensible discussion - unless we have some numbers? I assume Mercedes prices are standard and we can all expect the MB ‘begging bowl’.

My warranty comes to an end soon - but nothing has been communicated - so far.

Frankly I would rather pay a ‘fair price’, than be without ‘Me’. However, with it based on a 3/4G network connection, that is cost that is reasonable for them to recoup. However, many services are advantageous to MB and others quite superfluous to my needs. I feel sure that MB want me ‘in the loop’ and I therefore would expect the charge to be reasonable!

Enlighten me!

I just signed up on Saturday and was quoted $270 for two years. I'm in the US so the only thing this seems to do is provide roadside assistance and lock /unlock my doors.

 

[EV-Runner]

I don’t see how we can have a sensible discussion - unless we have some numbers? I assume Mercedes prices are standard and we can all expect the MB ‘begging bowl’.

My warranty comes to an end soon - but nothing has been communicated - so far.

Frankly I would rather pay a ‘fair price’, than be without ‘Me’. However, with it based on a 3/4G network connection, that is cost that is reasonable for them to recoup. However, many services are advantageous to MB and others quite superfluous to my needs. I feel sure that MB want me ‘in the loop’ and I therefore would expect the charge to be reasonable!

Relates to Mercedes Me, in UK

Well my time for paying-up came quite quickly.

On Tues last, I got invitation to extend my Mercedes Me - the offering came in 3 x packages with an ‘opt in’ for up to 3 years.

I really have no idea why Mercedes priced it in this manner - I couldn’t see why anyone would want to ‘shave’ the price and have lower functionality?

I swithered for all of 5 minutes and decided to pay for the maximum functionality, over the maximum time- a total of £197 (for the 3 years). However, having parted with cash - I am looking more critically at the functionality. For example Find Charging Stations - shows NO charging stations? Further, the ability to setup for Day/Night Charging didn’t seem to work. Is anyone having the same issues?

 

[EV SPARKS]

Relates to Mercedes Me, in UK

Well my time for paying-up came quite quickly.

On Tues last, I got invitation to extend my Mercedes Me - the offering came in 3 x packages with an ‘opt in’ for up to 3 years.

I really have no idea why Mercedes priced it in this manner - I couldn’t see why anyone would want to ‘shave’ the price and have lower functionality?

I swithered for all of 5 minutes and decided to pay for the maximum functionality, over the maximum time- a total of £197 (for the 3 years). However, having parted with cash - I am looking more critically at the functionality. For example Find Charging Stations - shows NO charging stations? Further, the ability to setup for Day/Night Charging didn’t seem to work. Is anyone having the same issues?

I had lots of issues MB need to fix it before charging for it,

 

[EV-Runner]

I had lots of issues MB need to fix it before charging for it,

I hope you are not simply ‘muttering’ online? I thing we need a concerted effort to ensure we get value-for-money!