Mercedes E 400 e 4MATIC W214 vs BMW i3s I01: which is truly faster?

Off the line, the E 400 e 4MATIC hits 100 km/h in 5.31 s versus 6.81 s for the i3s. At this point, the E 400 e 4MATIC leads by 1.51 s and sits roughly 18 m ahead.

At 200 metres, the E 400 e 4MATIC is doing 135 km/h against 124 km/h for the i3s. The gap is 1.02 s. The challenger starts to claw back ground.

At 400 metres standing start, the E 400 e 4MATIC crosses the line in 13.57 s versus 15.05 s. The 1.48 s gap represents roughly 61 m of track - a gap visible to the naked eye.

Past 400 metres, the E 400 e 4MATIC continues to build its lead. At 600 metres, it runs at 190 km/h versus 160 km/h. At 1,000 metres, the E 400 e 4MATIC finishes in 24.58 s versus 28.59 s, with a 4.02 s lead.

The E 400 e 4MATIC features all-wheel drive (AWD) against the i3s’s RWD. At low speeds (0-30, 0-50, 0-80 km/h), AWD doubles the driven contact area: all four wheels transmit torque to the road, virtually eliminating wheelspin at launch. This traction advantage is decisive in the range where the motor delivers peak torque, before power and aerodynamics take over.

Both rivals are electronically governed, but not at the same level: the E 400 e 4MATIC is capped at 250 (i.e. 155 mph - industry threshold) km/h, the i3s at 160 km/h. This isn’t a physical engine limit - it’s a manufacturer choice, usually for tyre safety or homologation reasons. Neither car reaches its true aerodynamic top speed.

With two plug-in hybrid powertrains, the difference comes down to power-to-weight ratio (5.89 kg/hp vs 7.01 kg/hp) and transmission (Unknown vs Automatic).

In European road use (130 km/h max), both vehicles reach the legal speed limit in under 10.76 seconds. The 1.51 s difference in 0 to 100 km/h is mostly felt in motorway merging and overtaking.