Mercedes unveils all-electric CLA with 374-mile range and compact profile

SAN FRANCISCO—Mercedes-Benz has introduced an all-electric CLA that leans toward conventional four-door coupe styling rather than the distinctive shapes of its earlier EQ models.

Despite its familiar look, the CLA packs new technology: a modern electric powertrain driving the wheels, four powerful networked computers and on-board AI. Mercedes says the model is the first of a new series built on a modular architecture and that the platform is powertrain-agnostic.

The CLA uses some technology developed for the EQXX concept and measures 185.9 inches (4,722 mm) long, 73 inches (1,854 mm) wide and 57.8 inches (1,468 mm) tall. It offers a trunk plus a small front trunk and carries an 85 kWh usable battery pack that can reach as much as 374 miles on a full charge; that figure decreases somewhat with larger wheels. Rims range from 17–19 inches, and the car has a reported drag coefficient of 0.21.

Mercedes plans to follow the battery EV with a hybrid CLA in time, and the electric CLA serves as the first application of the company’s new modular architecture for this series.

Key Topics

Tech, Mercedes-benz, Cla, Eqxx, Modular Architecture, Electric Vehicle