The Mercedes Benz CLA EV is a much-awaited electric sedan with 800-volt architecture for fast charging and a range of up to 792 km (WLTP).
It has a new permanent magnet motor, which is likely to be mated to a two-speed gearbox and offers both rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive options.
Mercedes Benz CLA EV
First previewed by a concept in September 2023, the Mercedes-Benz CLA has now been officially revealed as the brand’s new entry-level sedan with both EV and hybrid power trains.
The CLA EV and CLA Hybrid will share the same model name, marking an end to Mercedes’ strategy of developing fully custom EVs alongside their combustion-engine counterparts.
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Feature and Tech
On the other hand, the all-wheel-drive CLA 350 4Matic with EQ technology is claimed to offer a range of 770 km. Note that these figures are still pending homologation under the WLTP cycle.
The CLA EV line-up starts with the entry-level 250+ with EQ Technology, which is claimed to offer a range of 792 km.
However, what’s really interesting is that the rear-wheel-drive CLA outperforms Mercedes’ own flagship EQS 580, which manages 770km of WLTP range from a 118kWh battery.
This remarkable range figure is the result of Mercedes’ efforts to reduce the CLA EV’s energy consumption: it has just an 85kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) battery.
This means the CLA EV has an efficiency of more than 9.0km/kWh.
Design and Style
The CLA EV’s new rear-mounted permanent magnet motor is also key to its efficiency. It delivers more output in a smaller package, is lighter, and has higher torque density.
The motor also features a Porsche Taycan-style two-speed gearbox instead of the usual single-speed reduction gearing.
The power train produces 272hp, which enables the CLA 250+ to complete the 0-100kph sprint in 6.7 seconds.
The four-wheel-drive CLA 350 4Matic with EQ technology has an additional 108hp motor mated to a single-speed gearbox on the front axle, giving a combined output of 354hp.
This reduces its 0-100kph sprint time to 4.9 seconds.
This additional motor is disconnected from the front axle when not needed, reducing energy loss due to friction by up to 90 percent.
Braking relies mainly on the regenerative effect of the motor (which can provide up to 200kW of stopping power), helping to keep the battery topped up.
The CLA EV can be fast-charged at a rate of up to 320 kW, thanks to its 800V electrical architecture, allowing a 300 km top-up in just 10 minutes.
In addition to the 85kWh battery, a 58kWh lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) pack will also be offered later.
Engine and Performance
The new CLA will also be offered in hybrid form. Specifically designed to fit in the same space as an EV’s front motor, its power train consists of a new 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine paired with a smaller, 1.3kWh battery and a 27hp electric motor.
- Together they send 136hp or 163hp through the front wheels or, in the range-topping 4Matic model, 191hp to all four wheels.
- Mercedes claims the new hybrid power train gives the CLA “diesel levels in terms of fuel efficiency.”
- Mercedes CEO Ola Kallenius also announced that hybrids would be priced at par with EVs to bring greater parity between EV and combustion models.
Price and Variants
The upcoming Mercedes-Benz CLA EV is expected to be priced around Rs 65 lakh and will be launched in 2025.
It will be based on the Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture (MMA) and is expected to have a range of over 750 km.
The CLA EV will be available in multiple variants, with the focus being on offering long range and fast charging capability.
While specific variant names are not yet available But the CLA EV is expected to be offered in multiple configurations, likely varying based on battery capacity, range, and performance.