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German automaker Mercedes-Benz thinks it can ease range anxiety with its new concept car.
The CLA Class concept, which debuted at the Munich International Auto Show this week, can go 466 miles on a single charge, more than Tesla cars.
At more than 15 feet long, the low-emission, four-door sedan also features picture windows, a wide glass roof and energy-efficient lights.
It has been made from “more sustainable” materials, including biotech-derived fabrics, bamboo fiber, and low-emission steel and aluminum.
Unlike other prototypes of the company, the Concept CLA Class will go into production at the end of 2024, but the price is to be confirmed.
The German automaker claims its new concept vehicle “combines aesthetics with masterful engineering.”
The German automaker claims its new concept car “combines aesthetics with masterful engineering.”
“The Concept CLA Class is the forerunner of a completely new segment of all-electric entry-level vehicles at Mercedes-Benz,” said CEO Ola Källenius.
“It is inspired by a generation of car buyers who want that unmistakable Mercedes-Benz feeling, with more features, even greater comfort and safety, and the latest technology.”
A major factor deterring the public from buying electric vehicles (EVs) is “range anxiety”: the fear of not having enough charge to get to a destination.
Therefore, many car manufacturers want to give their vehicles as much range as possible by installing a larger battery or by improving battery chemistry.
Other ways to increase range include making the car’s shape more aerodynamic, using lighting materials, tweaking software, or adding ‘regenerative braking’ – capturing energy from braking that would otherwise be lost and using it to recharge the battery.
With a range of 750 kilometers (466 miles), the Concept CLA Class has more range than electric cars already on the market, including the Model S and Model X from Elon Musk’s Tesla company.
With a range of 750 kilometers (466 miles), this is more than electric cars already on the market.
The CEO of Mercedes-Benz said: “It is inspired by a generation of car buyers who want that unmistakable feeling of Mercedes-Benz, with more features, greater comfort and safety and the most advanced technology.”
Tesla’s Model S has a 410-mile range, while another budget model of the Model S revealed last month has even less range (320 miles), and the Model X has even less.
However, 466 miles does not match the Lucid Air Dream Edition of the US firm Lucid Motors, which holds the market range record, with 520 miles.
Mercedes said its new car has an “innovative battery” that includes more silicon oxide for better “energy density” – the amount of energy stored in the battery per unit of mass.
An 800V charging setup also allows for rapid recharging of up to 248 miles (400 km) in 15 minutes.
The CLA-Class Concept also has the “sporty forward lean” of the distinctive sharknose as seen on the 1950s and ’60s models, which aids aerodynamics.
Other nifty features include an LED panel where the grill would be at the front of the car, just above where the license plate would go.
Each LED is shaped like a three-pointed star (in a nod to the company logo, also on the front) and emits “very low energy” light.
Meanwhile, a wide glass roof, also dotted with small three-pointed stars, covers most of the top of the car to let in plenty of natural light.
The pattern “brings an added air of sophistication to the exterior sculpture, while evoking a spa-like elegance inside,” the firm states.
In the picture, an LED panel where the grill would be at the front of the car, just above where the license plate would go, emits “very low energy” light.
A wide glass roof, dotted with small three-pointed stars, covers most of the top of the car to let in plenty of natural light.
Inside the car are white and purple automotive-style seats that are “upholstered in sustainably produced and processed leather,” it adds.
Behind the wheel is an ultra-wide digital dashboard running the length of the dash that presents drivers with key metrics like speed and internal temperature.
The panel extends to the front passenger side, where it features video streaming options while the car is in motion.
According to the company, the eye-tracking technology ensures that the person behind the wheel is not distracted by the video when trying to drive.
The interior also uses sensors to reduce the risk of children being accidentally left in the vehicle during hot weather, which sometimes has tragic consequences.
Behind the wheel is an ultra-wide digital dashboard running the length of the dash that presents drivers with key metrics like speed and internal temperature.
The panel extends to the front passenger side, where it features video streaming options while the car is in motion.
Shown: Race driver-style seats with adjustable head restraints. The company says: “The seats are upholstered with sustainably produced and processed leather.”
Although the Concept CLA Class looks futuristic, it’s positively classic compared to the One-Eleven, which Mercedes revealed earlier this year.
One-Eleven is an all-electric reboot of the experimental C111 from the 1960s and 1970s, still in the signature orange color, but shaped like a bullet.
The C111 has an ultra-slim aerodynamic body and upward-opening gull-wing doors on both sides, much like the DeLorean from the 1985 American sci-fi classic “Back to the Future.”
Mercedes-Benz referred to the C111 as a “study” because it’s not expected to go on sale, but it could be a sample of the kind of machines the company has in the works.
Mercedes-Benz has revealed the One-Eleven concept supercar with gull-wing doors that open to reveal a silver ‘lounge’. At the front of the car is a “rounded edge rectangular element”: a pixelated external display that can display messages to other road users.
Another rare prototype from the firm can be driven from the side, is operated by a “jellyfish” type joystick and has a virtual control panel controlled by the driver’s hand gestures and breathing.
Vision AVTR was launched last year in association with the James Cameron film, Avatar: the Way of Water.
Like the sci-fi movie avatars, the car is meant to serve as an extension of the human body.
Unsurprisingly, Mercedes hasn’t announced any plans to launch the Vision AVTR yet.
The Vision AVTR concept car from Mercedes-Benz aims to blur the line between man and machine and was produced in collaboration with James Cameron’s film Avatar: The Way of Water.