If you live in American and want a Mercedes EV, there's only choice (for now): the B-Class Electric Drive. And it's a much better EV (it's offered with gas or diesel engine options overseas) and overall car than you may have thought. We were surprised by its overall greatness, too. Greatness? Yes. How come? Because it's an excellent EV with a respectable all-electric range of 87 miles, comfortable seating for five, and the typical build quality and luxury we've come to expect from every new Mercedes.

Oh, and it also has Tesla guts. We'll explain: its lithium-ion battery pack buried under the floor powers an electric motor with 177 hp and 251 lb-ft of instant torque. That drive system comes courtesy of Tesla, who Mercedes previously had a partnership with.

Even better is that the B-Class EV costs a heck of a lot less than either the Model S or Model X (the upcoming Model 3 will be a different story). So, how much? Try a base price of $41,450. Our tester came pretty well equipped with bits like the $2,690 Premium Package, helping to bring the grand total to $48,675. Oh, don't forget to toss in thousands of dollars' worth of tax credits. Kind of a shame not enough people know about this five-seater EV. Special thanks to Mercedes-Benz of Walnut Creek for letting us film the car.