Plenty of automakers are leaning into the electric vehicle revolution, but few have done so at quite the angle of attack of Mercedes-Benz. In the last five years, the brand has rolled out electric equivalents of nearly every model in its portfolio. Some are based on (and look much like) their gas-powered alternatives, others run on bespoke EV platforms, but they’re all differentiated from their gas-powered alternatives with names that start with the letters EQ.
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But while most of Mercedes-Benz’s passenger vehicle segments now offer a choice of EV or ICE, it’s not quite universal just yet. (The closest thing is the EQB SUV, which, while a solid little ride, is quite short on range for a modern EV.)
That’s set to soon change, however. Here’s what we know about the next evolution of Mercedes-Benz’s EV push — the new line of cars that are poised to eventually replace the current A-Class, B-Class and CLA-Class models.
When will Mercedes-Benz’s compact electric car arrive?
It should be fairly soon. Mercedes previewed the new EV last September in the form of the “Concept CLA Class,” which in turn drew inspiration – both visual and technological — from the Vision EQXX concept car revealed at CES 2022.
Considering how mature the Concept CLA Class seemed, we’re guessing the production version will be revealed in 2024 — perhaps as soon as the Geneva Motor Show at the end of February.
It won’t be a single EV, either. “The range will comprise a total of four new models – a four-door coupe, a shooting brake and two stunning SUVs,” Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius said in a statement. Figure, then, on an EV sized and shaped like the current CLA-Class, one much like the CLA station wagon sold overseas, and probably conventional and “SUV coupe” variants that share the same design language but ride higher and offer a skosh more ground clearance.
How these new models will be named, of course, remains to be seen. While adding the EQ prefix to cars like the S-Class and E-Class was fairly easy, names like EQCLA and EQCLA SUV Coupe might be too much of a confusing mouthful for many buyers. Mercedes-Benz’s vice-president of car engineering Christoph Starzynski recently told Top Gear that the carmaker is shifting away from its current electric vehicle nomenclature; these new model could be a good place to start. (Perhaps it’s time for Mercedes to do like Cadillac did with the electric Escalade, and make EQ a standalone suffix instead?)
What sort of range will the compact EV offer?
If Mercedes is being honest about the concept car’s claims, the little EV should be able to go a long way on one tank of electrons. Thanks to its so-called “next-generation drivetrain,” the Concept CLA Class has a claimed rage of more than 466 miles under the WLTP standard — which works out to around 350–380 miles under the EPA’s stricter test cycle.
When the time comes to stop and charge, that should happen fairly quickly, as well. Mercedes claims the car can add about 250 miles of charge in 15 minutes, taking on power at up to 250 kW.
The compact electric Mercedes will use a new platform called MMA
And no, that doesn’t stand for “mixed martial arts.” It’s short for “Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture,” and it’s set to be the foundation for a new generation of the brand’s cars and SUVs.
The MMA platform is designed for rear- or all-wheel-drive applications and scalable to different segments, enabling Mercedes to use it for larger vehicles down the road. It works with two different types of batteries: an entry-level one made with lithium-iron phosphate (which presumably prioritizes affordability over power density) and an upgrade made with silicon-oxide (which presumably flips the polarity on its priorities).
The Concept CLA Class packs a rear-mounted electric motor that makes 235 horsepower; like the Porsche Taycan, it’s paired with a two-speed gearbox for improved efficiency at high speeds. While that may not sound like a ton of power, it’s in line with the output of the current gas-powered Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class’s base model.
One unexpected thing MMA supports: gasoline engines. Mercedes describes it as an electric-first platform, but as Källenius told Autocar, it can also support a range of three- and four-cylinder engines that the brand is developing. The engines will be used in conventional mild hybrids, the CEO said, but Autocar also claims they’ll be used for plug-in hybrids as a range extender, as in the Ram 1500 Ramcharger.
Mercedes-BenzHow much will the new electric Mercedes cost?
The brand hasn’t gone into specifics yet, but if it’s meant to be analogous to the CLA-Class, it can’t be too expensive. The 2024 CLA 250 starts at $44,450, so it seems fair to guess its new electric equivalent will kick off around $50,000 in base form. Then again, the EQE that sits above it starts around $75,000, so there’s a fair amount of wiggle room below if Mercedes wants to price it a bit higher.
Will there be an AMG version?
Is the pope Catholic? Of course there’ll be an AMG version. The performance sub-brand has become a fiscal printing press for Mercedes-Benz over the last couple decades, with the folks from Affalterbach cranking our variants of just about every single model wearing the Three-Pointed Star. An electric equivalent to the CLA 45 seems inevitable — after all, just adding a second identical electric motor to the front axle would give you a 470-hp AWD compact …
Mercedes-BenzMercedes-Benz Concept CLA-Class
Specs
| Powertrain | Unknown capacity battery, rear-mounted electric motor |
| Horsepower | 235 |
Pros
- Lack of jellybean styling
- Should be more affordable
Cons
- … affordable for a Mercedes
- Bold claims require proof, and it's still a concept
