In the next two years, Mercedes plans to launch four new electric models on the market: CLA, CLA Shooting Brake, EQA and EQB. The CLA is the first of them to reach the market, and during testing on the Nardo (Italy) test track, this model covered 3,717 kilometers in 24 hours, which is a record for electric cars.
The CLA is built on Mercedes’ MMA platform and will use a newly developed 800V electric architecture combined with a new generation of electric motors, heat pumps and the MB:OS operating system introduced last year.
During the track testing, two test cars were used and engineers from Mercedes’ Electric Software Hub in Sindelfingen (Germany) used real-time data to monitor the CLA’s progress and telemetry, and also assisted in planning the timing and duration of battery charging stops. The CLA prototype completed 40 charges in a 24-hour period, each lasting about 10 minutes. This resulted in a total stop time of about 400 minutes.
The short but regular stops allowed the Mercedes to take advantage of the boost function, which allows a high initial charging rate on the DC system compared to the average achieved over longer charging periods.
The speed of the car was limited to 210 km/h, because the goal was not a speed record, but still with an average speed of 154.9 km/h they managed to surpass the Taycan’s record set in 2019 by 12.2 km/h.
It is still not known which battery the new CLA will use, and some speculate that it could be an 89.6 kWh lithium-ion battery that should ensure a range of 785 km. Also, the charging capacity of this model is not known, but it was previously hinted that it will support 250W charging, while an additional 50W boost function will allow it to reach 300 kW in short periods and ensure that a 15-minute charge using a high-power charger will be enough for the crossing 400 km.
The test car was equipped with a single rear-mounted electric motor and a two-speed gearbox that sent power to the rear axle. Although not confirmed, the new sedan will offer from 205 hp (151 kW) to 545 hp (400 kW) in the AMG version with two engines and four-wheel drive.
Mercedes will also offer the new CLA with a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine and a 48V mild hybrid system with an integrated engine starter mounted in the gearbox.
Source: Mercedes