Mercedes-Benz Concept CLA Class has massive range, super-fast charging | Mashable.
Mercedes-Benz Concept CLA Class has massive range, super-fast charging
 |
| Everything is illuminated. Credit: Mercedes-Benz |
It seems everyone is gunning for the crown of best compact electric sedan.
Just days after Tesla launched a refreshed Model 3, followed by BMW's Neue Klasse concept, Mercedes-Benz is here with a new concept electric sedan, the Concept CLA Class EV.
Unlike the Neue Klasse, the Concept CLA Class EV is not a radically different design compared to current models. Instead, it's a fancy four-door sedan with massive, 466-mile range, and new 800-volt architecture that should enable rapid charging; fast enough to get 248 miles of range in 15 minutes, Mercedes-Benz says. That range figure is according to European, WLTP standards; in the U.S., the figure will surely be a little lower, but likely still impressive.
On the outside, the Concept CLA Class looks unmistakably Mercedes, with a sleek, curvy figure, a massive dotted (excuse us, starred) grille on the front, and elements of the Mercedes-Benz logo repeated everywhere. It's all underpinned by a lot of LEDs. Reader, we're talking copious amounts of LEDs; fortunately, Mercedes says it's all "very-low-energy LED lighting," so it probably won't drain the car's battery as fast as it seems.
Other notable details include light bands that nearly wrap around the entire car, 21-inch wheels with star-shaped spokes, and (again) the illuminated logo on the rear.
Inside, the car has even more LED lighting and ridiculous amounts of shiny and/or illuminated surfaces. There's a massive mini-LED display that extends through the full width of the cockpit, offering infotainment both for the driver and the passengers. Fortunately, there's no way all that luminous bling makes it into cars aimed for the mass market, which should make the experience of being inside...well, bearable.
One tech highlight: the car's Mercedes-Benz Operating System (MB.OS) software and the hardware that powers it, along with the accompanying sensors (LiDAR included), are all ready for Level 3 autonomous driving. However, the cars based on this concept will likely launch with Level 2 autonomy, offering partially automated driving on "virtually all types of roads."
The Concept CLA Class is "close-to-production," meaning we should see cars with similar figures from Mercedes-Benz fairly soon. It's also a forerunner for a new electric segment of entry-level Mercedes cars, with the full range comprising four new models; a four-door coupe, a shooting brake, and two SUVs.
There's no word on the price, but Mercedes-Benz's press materials mention words such as "entry-level", meaning that cars based on this concept should actually be cheaper than most Mercedes cars. Whether that price can come close to $40,000, which seems to be the magical number for compact electric sedans these days (see under Tesla Model 3, Volvo EX30), is another matter.
Topics Cars
.webp)
Another?
ReplyDeleteWhich was the first one?
The Benz logo needs to be bigger 👀
ReplyDeleteHow many times has this headline been written in the past 5 years only to be not even close to true?
ReplyDeleteThey always fail or never get made!
DeleteInn3-4 year 🤣
ReplyDeleteI’m guessing $120,000 is their “entry level” for this.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Deleteprobably 90K MSRP. 110K out the door.
DeleteOh another Tesla killer.
ReplyDeleteThis time a concept, ready in 2028, and it will get the «full EQS concept treatment» (cool concept and boring production version).
🐜📿🤗🌸 Keep calm and carry on.
Deletehttps://islamabad-six.vercel.app/
Pas aussi jolie que la nouvelle Tesla M3.
ReplyDeleteLeurs plus grand enjeux sera d’essayer d’avoir des profits avec. Ils viennent de perdre en cours pour avoir un modèle de vente similaire à Tesla sois 100% sur internet.
Les manufacturiers traditionnels n’auront pas le choix de partir une nouvelle entreprise pour s’exclure des concessionnaires (et syndicats) à ce que je peux comprendre. Comme Ford a fait!
At 2x the price 😂
ReplyDelete🦊🏀😛⛄ Weekend getaway.
Deletehttps://librevilleape.vercel.app/
It’s a Minion born as a car ! 🤣
ReplyDeletehttps://media1.tenor.co/m/deH7j0HEtO4AAAAd/bob-anakshie.gif?c=VjFfZmFjZWJvb2tfd2ViY29tbWVudHM&itemid=25892614
Kia design
ReplyDelete❤
Delete😆
Delete120k with a face like a pikachu, no thanks
ReplyDeletehttps://giphy.com/gifs/holmes-professor-chulock-qzDuPFbEYiEVy
here we go with the this car is better than that car stuff.
ReplyDelete‘Theoretically’… 🤣
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/M8_MQdlola0
ReplyDeleteTheyre all junk
ReplyDelete👍
DeleteUgggh . . . That's hideous. Front end looks like a Toyota Corolla. Or a giant deep-sea carnivorous flounder.
ReplyDeleteWhy couldn't Merc leave the ugly car crown to their neighbors in Munich?
Because your taste doesn’t fit to every one. I love this car!
DeleteNever said it did. Enjoy your flounder.
DeleteThe MB stars all over the place isn't a design solution. Rather its over kill and tarnishes their image as just bling.
DeleteAnd what's with the Mach-E grille surround?
ReplyDeleteThats way too overstyled at the front and back may be with more normal lights it could look better
ReplyDeleteThe car isn't all that bad except for the head and brake lights, my main fuss is that Merc is too cheap to come out with a compact rear drive iced powered car but waits to develop a rear drive ev
ReplyDeleteWell that's going to be fun driving on a sunny day. Thinking they may not have thought about glare.
ReplyDeleteDo you not understand what a concept is?
DeleteNo. Tell me fanboy.
DeleteWell since you think it has something to do with a fanboy, you really might be too limited to understand that this isn’t a production vehicle.
DeleteOk. I appreciate you for your intelligence.
DeleteLove and hugs.
No buttons-- no deal. All this manufacturer's b.s. about super screens etc., is just code for cost cutting, not to mention the inconvenience to the drivers. Recently I was test driving a Volvo with the salesman riding shotgun. We had a full two minutes to turn on the "recycle air" due to a small fire alongside the road. He didn't find the right combination of screens and menus until we were half a mile beyond to offending smoke. Ditto with changing channels on the radio.
ReplyDeleteTwo very different approaches to tech-heavy small EVs from the two major German players.
ReplyDeleteOne creates a relatively subtle and elegant vehicle - going back to its roots for its Neuw Classe.
Whereas the other takes an Audi A4 body shell and vomits logos and shiny bits all over it.
I see no Audi here.
DeleteI think his is talking about the side window.
DeleteMB needed to add more logos to the head and tail lights cause they realized no one would recognize this thing as a Benz LOL
ReplyDeleteIt's cool as a concept.
ReplyDeleteAnother typical boring Mercedes-Benz car but with a hideous-front-design twist this time. Speaking of the MMA lineup, I think that it should consist of an A-Class, either a CLA or an A-Class sedan(with preference to the latter as it would be cheaper to develop) and a GLA which would be a merger of the current GLA with the GLB.
ReplyDeleteMB and BMW. Heavy competition with the worst designs. Sad times.
ReplyDeletehttps://giphy.com/gifs/angrybirds-angry-birds-plushie-plush-toy-LqIqIREP46yqCrTL2l
ReplyDeleteI care so little about concept cars.
ReplyDeleteShow me a car that I can buy, and then I'll look seriously at the specs.
Why are we still using "miles per gallon" when comparing EVs with each other. At this point, we need to start educating the public in electric terms. In this case, it's better to compare EVs by average Watts per Mile, which would be more indicative of efficiency rather than just piling up more batteries in a car.
ReplyDeleteMPGe is just another way of stating watt hours (or kilowatt hours) per mile and tells you how much energy is required to move the car 1 mile (which should give you a good idea of the relative efficiency). If you know the eMPG value you can convert it to kWh per mile by just dividing the eMPG value by 33.7 (the number of kWh in a gallon of gas).
DeleteJust adding more batteries won't improve eMPG. If anything it would lower the eMPG value because of increasing weight.
It's a concept car, most of these don't get actually made. And it's a fugly one.
ReplyDeleteI'll just say, I've put my money on efficiency in the home and in transportation for the last 20 years, and it's saved me 10's of thousands of dollars. Cut my home's oil heat bill by 60%. Cut my gas bill to Zero.
ReplyDeleteNow researching a high efficiency heat pump solution.
I don't know the price of gas and I'm glad this stressor isn't in my live any more.
Also, We've gotten to the point where MB isn't just trying to MATCH the Tesla Model 3. Now, they're trying to build better. This is a crossroads. And it highlights the strength of MB management. This is real competition. Too bad Musk is playing around with X, instead of managing Tesla.
Shame that they can't make the front less aggressive. The latest BMW concept is much better looking.
DeleteI would not be seen dead in a car looking like that. Ugh... Fugly awful.
Aside from the dinner-plate sized M-B emblem, I rather like it.
DeleteAnd interior’s prominently displayed flux capacitor (MB.OS chip)? As long as the lighting is configurable, two thumbs up! In fact, I’d bet a large portion of GenZ, Millennials, and GenX would agree. We build our gaming rigs that way.
Agreed.
DeleteDoes it do better than the 3? Both get about 200wthr/mile and I don't see how the one pictured will be a low cost EV as too big and likely too heavy.
DeleteAnd the WLTP is known for being optimistic.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful that the boys and girls over at MB are stretching their legs with LEDs, surface textures, displays, and wind tunnel time!
ReplyDeleteHow disappointing that their best effort is still designed to fit an ICE.
I agree on both counts.
DeleteMissing kWh per 100km value in the article, when talking about efficiency:
ReplyDelete> In comparison, the Euro-spec Volvo XC40 Recharge is rated at kWh per 100 kilometers (3.2 miles per kWh)
Other than that, it's a reasonable looking vehicle (not a fan of the interior) with some very nice efficiency... but as others have said, shame they're still supporting ICE (which means that compromises are still being made... how much more interior space could they have (or reduce footprint) without reserving space for the ICE, exhaust, fuel-tank, and so on?
Correct the headline! It's 750 Km not 750 miles. That's a huge mistake!
ReplyDeleteI bet it could go even farther if it did't have that cheesy lights-o-rama grille.
ReplyDeleteAssuming 5.2mi/kwh WLTP cycle, would be a win of able to translate to 4mi/kwh in the US in real world driving
ReplyDeleteToo much lights and colors inside. Not my cup of tea.
ReplyDeleteAgree. It’s hard to believe that German luxury cars used to be understated.
DeleteYes. This might be fine for younger generation who want a futuristic night club in their car but too much light inside makes it hard to drive at night for me.
DeleteThe WLTP figure is about 22 percent higher than EPA test results. So 466 miles in the WLTP test is about 388 miles in the EPA test. That is just a hair over what the revised Model 3 claims (421/351).
ReplyDeleteExcellent looking. If they can only provide a functional interior, they have a winner on their hands.
ReplyDeleteThe interior looks like a 1990 Arcade parlor.
ReplyDeleteThat phone charger logo looks like an S rune.
ReplyDeleteThe car is literally built using glue LOL
ReplyDeleteso are airplanes...
DeleteIt's disposable, like all modern Mercedes.
DeleteWhy isn't it a EQCLA
ReplyDeleteWho cares? Ugly AF. BMW Neue Klasse: near perfection.
ReplyDeleteIt’s electric! It’s from Mercedes! It’s…. Not an egg?! This one looks pretty good. Plus it sounds like it includes actual leather instead of recycled mushrooms!
ReplyDeleteLooks great but I'm skeptical until I see the production version. Their old electric concept looked great and we still got the ugly front end they use on their Q line.
ReplyDeletewhat is with their sudden obsession with three pointed star motifs? first the e-class taillights and now this.
ReplyDeleteAs I've long expected, once production capacity improves we will start to see some lookers. It's a different game at Lexus, because they don't have the technology; little competition at Infiniti, and no standalone spas at Genesis. Low volume for the different reasons: Ugly stays awhile.
ReplyDeleteThese glass tops on so many concept cars just have to cause massive cooling, sunburn and potential vandalism problems.
ReplyDeleteWe at work looking at computer screens all day. At home on iPads, phones, tv. And now driving with all the screens, electronic, lights, our eyes will be blurry, among many other side effects. Starting to miss the 90s cars simplicity
ReplyDeleteCoincidentally, I was just recalling when cars had a chrome strip down their flanks, sometimes separating two tone paint, and I was wondering whether anyone would reintroduce that, maybe chrome maybe aluminum. I like it on this Merc.
ReplyDeleteThe CLA failed as a product.
ReplyDeleteWhy is an EV CLA hyped as the best product in decades?
The amount of silly star motif designs is out of hand. Pretty soon, Mercedes will just sell gigantic stars with wheels glued on so there can be no question about where your lease payments go.
Edit: at least it isn't EQ-awkward. It just looks like a Model 3 described over a weak cell phone connection by voice.
This is how the current EV’s from Mercedes should have looked. Less jellybean more automobile.
ReplyDeleteLooks nothing like the current EQ garbage!!! Good job Gordon Wagner.
ReplyDeleteSome encouraging, if slight, signs of life at Mercedes design.
ReplyDeleteThe original EQS concept was gorgeous, but came the ‘okay’ and arguably not as attractive EQS production vehicle. Now we have the this concept CLA-Class…? ‘Fool once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me!’ Let’s wait until we see the production the road going car!
ReplyDeleteCould it be any cheesier?
ReplyDeleteReminds me of people leaving their Gucci stickers on their clothing so that everybody knows they are wearing Gucci clothing!
Exactly.
DeleteNo one cares you’re driving a Mercedes, Chad.
This is very nice. Clean, logical, few if any arbitrary shapes. Happy they finally ditched the stupid fake intake nostrils. Also, it doesn't appears to have the goofy front-driver proportions of the current CLA.
ReplyDeleteMy only complaint is the all-screen dash - just so boring. Should be closer to other recent MB interiors. And just design the dash with an IP binnacle!
A boring electric jelly bean with a 3 pointed star on it...Real Mercedes were once cars that were build like vaults lasting a million miles as taxis or had big V8 engines that marked the top of the automotive food chain...Not these government mandated vacuum cleaners labeled by criminals in the EPA as "Zero Emission"...LOL
ReplyDeleteThat front end is cry for help, or at least attention.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, why don't we go back to old style wheel covers instead of some of these ugly "aero" wheels manufacturers are coming up with? Ugh.
ReplyDelete