Mercedes diesel hybrid travels from Africa to the UK on one tank

E300 BlueTec Hybrid makes it 1,223 miles with fuel to spare

The team drove from Tangier in Morocco up to Chichester, in West Sussex in the UK. Photo by Mercedes-Benz.

A Mercedes-Benz E300 BlueTec Hybrid drove all the way from Africa to the U.K. on just one tank of diesel. Driven by British journalist Andrew Frankel and one relief driver, the original plan was to take the ferry from Tangier and then cover the distance up to the Chunnel along European autoroutes just to be able to reach the U.K., a distance of just over 1,200 miles. But, upon arriving in the U.K. after 27 hours on the road, the team decided to continue on to the Goodwood Festival of Speed since they still had some fuel left.

Not only did the duo make it Goodwood in West Sussex, but the E300 BlueTec Hybrid still showed a remaining range of about 100 miles.

The car selected for the drive, a 2014 E300 BlueTec hybrid, features a 2.1-liter, 204-hp diesel engine and a 27-hp electric motor that generates 184 lb-ft of torque, all mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission. The overall torque generated by the two powerplants is 368 lb-ft. That's enough to give it the ability to make the sprint to 62 mph in 7.5 seconds, though the crucial figure on this drive was the 61.2 mpg the car was able to achieve. This E300 was also equipped with a larger 21-gallon fuel tank, a popular $170 option on this model.

Mercedes-Benz 

The E300 still had a range of about 100 miles remaining even when it reached Goodwood. 

The route chosen wasn't necessarily aimed at hypermiling -- after all, there aren't that many options when traveling from North Africa up to the U.K. The team encountered traffic jams, heavy rain, and very intense heat throughout the 27-hour journey, in addition to dramatic changes in elevation. The E300 BlueTec Hybrid covered two continents and four countries, driving through three time zones, with the final distance clocking in at 1,223 miles -- approximately the distance from New York City to Kansas City.

Before you head to your local Mercedes dealer, remember the E300 BlueTec Hybrid is not currently available in the U.S. We do get the E250 BlueTec however, and it features the same 2.1-liter twin-turbo diesel inline-four good for 195 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. That car is officially capable of 28 mpg in the city and 42 mpg on the highway.