the Tesla Model 3 may be worried

Mercedes' next small electric sedan was designed from scratch. Thanks to this model, the brand intends to catch up… and even get ahead with great promises in terms of efficiency and recharging.

How do we measure the importance of a new model? The desire of a manufacturer to communicate a lot about it, even before the complete presentation. Example with the next generation of the CLA. Mercedes continues teasers and preview revelations. This time he starts giving technical details.

The CLA inaugurates a new platform, called MMA (Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture). This will be used by the firm's new family of compacts. If it was first designed for electric motorization, the MMA will be compatible with hybrids.

Moreover, Mercedes formalizes the presence under the hood of a new 1.5 hybrid gasoline unit which promises the efficiency of a diesel engine. This block is placed halfway between the mild hybrid and the classic hybrid. The 20 kW electric motor integrated into the transmission can drive the car on its own over short distances, with energy stored in a 48V battery with a capacity of 1.3 kWh.

Also readAt Mercedes, sales of electric cars are collapsing

With this version, Mercedes is targeting customers (and countries) who are not yet ready for electric. But here, the electric version will be in the spotlight. And to attract attention, the manufacturer pulled out all the stops. Clearly not up to par on electrics, the German will set the record straight thanks to this MMA platform.

Consumption record in sight

Mercedes has focused on efficiency. The promise is to have record consumption for such a machine. In a mixed cycle, we should approach 12 kWh per 100 km. This requires hyper-optimized aerodynamics (already favored by the coupe-like sedan silhouette) and the efficiency of the new engines, designed in-house.

On the two-wheel drive versions, the unit is mounted at the rear, with a power of up to 200 kW. It is associated with a new two-speed transmission (the first allows for good acceleration when starting off, the second optimizes power and consumption at high speed). On the 4MATIC version, an 80 kW unit is mounted at the front, to have four-wheel drive.

There will be two sizes of batteries. The largest will have a useful capacity of 85 kWh. The cells are equipped with anodes in which silicon dioxide is added to the graphite, thereby improving the gravimetric energy density. The energy density is 680 Wh/l and the proportion of cobalt has been further reduced.

Thanks to low consumption, Mercedes promises an XXL autonomy, around 750 km. The manufacturer indicates that it has reduced the cost by 30%, we hope that this will be reflected in the price! At entry level, there will be a 58 kWh LFP battery.

The MMA base benefits from an 800V architecture. The car thus promises good charging times, with a maximum DC power of up to 320 kW. In AC, there will be an integrated 11 kW charger. The heat pump will be able to recover hot air from the engine and the battery.

The Tesla Model 3 will therefore find itself facing a formidable competitor, technically up to standard. It remains for Mercedes to align in terms of price. Without this, attracting customers who have left elsewhere for a while will be complicated.