Mean temperature gradients of solar wind electrons between 0.3 and I AU are determined from Helios observations. Electrons are found to cool more slowly than adiabatically, with flattest temperature profiles in high-speed streams. These in situ observations are used to estimate the radial gradients of Te inside 0.3 AU under the constraint of matching coronal temperatures. Electrons in high-speed streams are inferred to cool more strongly closer to the Sun than with the Helios orbital range. For low-speed wind, no significant breaks in the temperature profiles have been found, while for intermediate-speed structures the results are somewhat ambiguous. These results are discussed in the context of solar wind generation and modeling. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1989