Tag Archives: Mercedes-Benz

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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

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Mercedes will not abandon the S-Class with ICE

Mercedes is definitely not giving up on the S-Class with internal combustion engines, although an all-electric version of Mercedes’ most luxurious sedan is expected to arrive soon, in 2026.

According to the statements of the Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Ola Källenius, the company has already invested a lot of money in the development of new internal combustion engines that will come in the new generation. He also announced the arrival of an all-electric version that will be built on a new platform that is also used by the EQS model.

“Given that the S-Class represents the top of our offer and the best that customers can get for their money today, we have invested more, because we are not ready to make the compromise that we would have to make if the conventional and electrically powered versions were based on the same platform, which would ultimately had a negative impact on the offer of cabin and engine space,” says Källenius.

In August, Mercedes announced that it will put EQS and S-Class under one name. The reason is lower demand for these cars. “In the future, there will be two S-Classes, one with ICE and one with electric drive,” said Mercedes director Ola Kallenius. This means that buyers will have more choice, as with the G-Class which is offered with internal combustion engines and as all-electric.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

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Mercedes designer Bruno Sacco passed away at the age of 90

A few days ago the world of automotive design lost one of the most important automotive designers ever, Bruno Sacco. For four decades he was one of the main designers of Mercedes-Benz, where he created a series of iconic models of this brand.

He was born in 1933 in Italy and after completing his studies in mechanical engineering, his first job was at the renowned Ghia and Pininfarina carrozzerie (coachbuilders). Unfortunately, he was not successful, so he moved to Germany and got a job at Daimler-Benz in 1958, where he stayed for 41 years. He worked on body development before being appointed head of body design and dimensional concepts. During this period some of his works included the 600 (W100) and the 230 SL aka “Pagoda” (W113). In addition to production cars, this talented designer also experimented with concepts that had rotary engines and “gullwing” doors such as the C 111 and C 111-II models.

In 1975, he was appointed head of the design department, and his first project was the W123 T-Modell, the predecessor of the E-Class station wagon. It was the brand’s first station wagon, and Sacco also created the S-Class W126 and its elegant derivative the C126 coupe. Also, during the 1970s, he was responsible for the design of the famous G-Class.

Neig’s work also helped the company attract a younger generation of buyers primarily with the 190 (W201), the forerunner of the C-Class. He is also responsible for the A-Class that arrived on the market in the late 1990s. Before retiring on March 31, 1999, the last cars he designed were the W220 S-Class and the C215 CL.

In his long career as a designer, he remained attached to one car in particular, the Series 126. “The Model Series 126 in all its design forms is the best thing I have done for Mercedes-Benz,” said Bruno Sacco.

Source: Reuters