Mercedes-Benz has incorporated lessons from its Vision EQXX concept car into its new electric vehicle, the CLA-Class.
According to InsideEVs, Mercedes' first attempt at EVs with the EQ sedans and SUVs didn't go well. This time, the company is making the vehicles look more like the gas-powered cars it's had success with and improving the capabilities of its new line of EVs.
In 2022, the company showcased its concept car, the Vision EQXX. InsideEVs reported that it had the "same size battery as a Mercedes EQS, just 30% lighter and taking up half as much space. Its electric motor was much smaller than most with its power output." It could also "drive 747 miles on a single charge" and "627 miles in the heat of a Saudi Arabian desert." Its electric efficiency was twice as good as the best EVs on the market at "up to 8.5 miles per kilowatt-hour."
Mercedes-Benz was determined to make this concept a reality, and its top engineers did just that — with some improvements.
Timo Stegmaier, Mercedes' head of e-drive compact/midsize and system validation, said, "The world-record EQXX, it was very important for us with the car to influence series production."
The battery cells, thermal management, and much of the charging and controlling infrastructure are in one component, making the manufacturing process simpler. It also optimized space in the Mercedes Modular Architecture, leaving room for a front trunk, or frunk. While Mercedes declined to say how big a space it is, InsideEVs' Tim Stevens theorized that it is big enough to fit a few groceries or a backpack.
The car is also very powerful. Stegmaier said it has 93% efficiency, going "5.2 miles per kWh." It has an 800-volt system, which helps it charge fast. It can go 186 miles with only a 10-minute charge. During testing, the team went "2,300 miles in 24 hours." The team had difficulty testing charging capabilities because they couldn't get the car to reach empty.
The CLA-Class will also come in a hybrid form to give customers more options.
Range fears have held some people back from buying an EV. But with the new CLA-Class, you won't have to worry about that.
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Definitely 💅 According to the Department of Transportation, as of August 2024, the Biden administration had doubled the charging infrastructure to 192,000, with about "1,000 new public chargers being added each week." So this impediment is fading away.
Making your next car an EV will also save you money. You can save $1,500 on gas and maintenance annually.
Additionally, switching to an EV can lower tailpipe pollution. A study in the San Francisco Bay Area proved this. A Berkeley professor installed 57 sensors to track the pollution in the area, and the sensors found a reduction of 1.8%. The study also suggested a decrease of 2.6% for every mile driven.
While you can't get Mercedes' latest EV yet, you won't have to wait long. According to Car and Driver, the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class is expected to be released as a 2026 model and go on sale in late 2025.
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