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News

Mercedes CLA EV covered 3,717 km in 24 hours

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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

News

Mercedes-AMG announces its first all-electric SUV

Mercedes-AMG has released a teaser announcing the arrival of its first all-electric SUV. It will be developed on the AMG.EA platform and will arrive on the market in 2026.

The car will have a completely new design and will not be sold as a version of Mercedes’ high-performance SUV. The car is intended to be an AMG rather than an electric car, which in some ways calls into question the current capabilities that a high-performance electric SUV can deliver.

What do we know so far? Judging by the teaser, the all-electric SUV will have a more muscular body, a longer hood and a roof line similar to that of the Ferrari Purosangue. With a length of about 5.1 meters and a wheelbase of more than three meters, it will be similar to the Vision concept that was revealed in 2022. Also, it will have a wheelbase close to the all-electric flagship EQS SUV.

It will use the 800V architecture, a lightweight axial electric motor developed for AMG by the British company Yasa. It will be equipped with four electric motors with a total power of 1,014 Khp (746 kW), drive on both axles, active suspension and a battery specific to AMG cars.

More information coming soon.

Source: Mercedes-AMG

News

Mazda is developing a new Skyactiv-Z engine

In 2012, Mazda revealed its first model with the “Kodo” design language and the first fully developed with a range of technologies branded as Skyactiv, the compact crossover SUV CX-5. Four years later, the second generation arrived on the market, and now the Japanese company announces the new third generation of this model.

What do we know so far? The redesigned crossover will play a central role in Mazda’s Phase 2 plan, which includes a transition to full electrification by 2027. This means that the new generation CX-5 will get a new hybrid powertrain, but it will also be 60 percent less complex than the current model.

The Japanese company will introduce a new electric vehicle based on a new platform currently under development in three years, which could help the company at a time when electric vehicle adoption is weak.

Mazda also confirmed the development of the new Skyactiv-Z engine as a four-cylinder successor to the Skyactiv-G and Skyactiv-X engines, with better combustion and improved environmental and driving performance, which should arrive in the next three years. It will use the lambda one combustion method, which enables high thermal efficiency by realizing super lean combustion over a wide range from low to high revs. This combustion technology will also be introduced in the 6-cylinder engine.

Source: Mazda