IN DETAIL
BMW’s not the only premium car maker plotting a battery-electric revolution. Concept CLA previews the small Mercedes of the future.
THE INNOVATIONS TRANSFORMING OUR DRIVING WORLD
‘I believe, after some time, you have to reinvent yourself,’ Merc’s chief technology officer, Markus Schäfer tells us. ‘You always have to rethink what’s happening in the world and how we fit into that world. And then take bold steps.’
One of Merc’s boldest steps is its plan to revolutionise its electric cars as we progress through the 2020s. The Concept CLA, revealed at the recent Munich motor show, previews a whole new range of electric cars smaller than the C-Class. Although compact, they’ll be designed to have real presence and equipped to restore Merc’s reputation for premium-ness. It’s also hoped they’ll remind the world that Mercedes-Benz has long been a technology pioneer.
Schäfer stresses that being a big-volume manufacturer is not a priority. ‘That’s not what we were in our history. It should be value over volume.’
The plan is for Mercedes to introduce four models on its new MMA platform (Mercedes Modular Architecture). A four-door saloon is likely to be closest in design to the Concept CLA you see here. It will be joined by a shooting brake, as well as two SUVs. The production cars will showcase design chief Gorden Wagener’s next phase.
Like most next-gen powertrains, the MMA platform uses 800-volt tech with improved energy density, making it both smaller and lighter than the current generation of electric Mercs. As well as single-motor rear-drive configurations, there’ll be twin-motor all-wheel-drive models.
MMA can also handle different types of cell chemistry. The entry-level unit uses lithium-ion phosphate batteries, and glue instead of bolts for a smaller, stiffer and more compact construction. The high-end version uses an anode design with silicon-oxide instead.
Concept CLA is claimed to be capable of 466 miles on a charge, according to WLTP standards, and can also accept high-powered 250kW DC charging, capable of loading the battery up with 248 miles of range in just 15 minutes, claims Mercedes.
