With its future electric CLA, Mercedes has just broken a record set by the Porsche Taycan in 2019. A prototype of the sedan covered 3,715 km in 24 hours on the Nardò circuit, in Italy. The key to this great performance lies in an intelligent charging strategy called “ plug and dash ».
The Stuttgart firm is preparing to market the electric CLA. A highly anticipated model which should mark the start of a new era at Mercedes.
3,715 km in 24 hours
To show what its electric sedan is capable of, the manufacturer decided to put it to the test. A prototype has broken the 24-hour distance record for electric vehicles. It was until now held by the Porsche Taycan (with 3,424 km) and dated from 2019. To put them on an equal footing, the two vehicles completed the exercise on the same track: the Nardò circuit. , in Italy.
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Building on the benchmarks established by the Mercedes EQXX concept, the electric CLA has proven that it is capable of being particularly efficient. The prototype used to achieve this record comes from a fleet of production vehicles that are undergoing durability testing ahead of the model’s official launch scheduled for early next year. In reality, two prototypes drove side by side for 24 hours.
An official vehicle, and another emergency vehicle. In each electric sedan there was a driver and a passenger responsible for recording as much data as possible. But the question everyone is asking: how did the electric CLA manage to beat the Porsche Taycan, an already very efficient model? The key to this record lies in a smart charging strategy, called “ plug and dash ».
40 recharges needed to achieve this record
Simply put, the idea is to maximize driving time. Rather than draw on the battery’s reserves, Mercedes teams opted for shorter driving periods combined with frequent stops to recharge. In total, the electric CLA used on the Nardò carried out 40 recharges to cover 3,715 km in 24 hours. Each stop lasted about ten minutes.
This test is obviously not representative of a general public journey. But in this test, that’s precisely what had to be done according to Christian Pfeiffer, the man in charge of Mercedes’ latest electric propulsion system. Over the 24 hours, the electric CLA remained plugged in for almost 6 hours and 40 minutes (or approximately 28% of the time spent on the circuit).
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Short but regular stops which allowed Mercedes to take advantage of a “ boost function that provides a high initial charge rate on a DC system compared to the average obtained over longer but fewer shutdowns “. The German firm has not yet officially revealed the maximum charging power that its future model could accept.
What autonomy for the future electric CLA?
Rumors suggest that the electric CLA could absorb up to 300 kW of power. This would allow him to cover 400 km in 15 minutes. Two other highly anticipated pieces of information are also the subject of rumors: the battery capacity, 89.6 kWh and the range, 750 km. If this is confirmed, the German sedan could be one of the most efficient cars on the market.
On the engine side, it is also the unknown. Mercedes could offer the future electric CLA with groups offering between 202 and 537 hp. In any case, Ola Källenius, the boss of the brand, is banking heavily on this vehicle. Sales of electric cars are in free fall. The manufacturer needs to find a new lease of life. But be careful: you will have to be smart about the price positioning of this model.
The rest of your content after this announcement
The rest of your content after this announcement
