Mercedes CLA concept previews Tesla Model 3 rival

The Mercedes-Benz Concept CLA Class previews the technology that will underpin its first complete family of electric cars to be created from scratch.

An 800-volt architecture brings 250kW rapid charging, there's a new MB.OS operating system combined with Superscreen, and the most efficient model promises impressive efficiency for up to 750km of driving range.

The CLA Class concept shown at this week's Munich motor show directly previews the next-generation CLA four-door 'coupe' that will take on Tesla's hugely popular Model 3.

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There will also be another CLA Shooting Brake using the new Mercedes Modular Architecture (MMA) and the new, inhouse-developed electric drive system. Two further body styles confirmed are SUVs, expected to be the EQA and EQB successors.

Entry models will feature a 175kW rear-mounted synchronous motor with two-speed transmission, with all-wheel-drive variants to be offered in addition to the rear-drive cars.

The internally developed electric drive system was showcased in the 2022 Vision EQXX and brings "extremely high energy efficiency of up to 93%". Mercedes says the most efficient MMA models will bring energy consumption of just 12kWh/100km to deliver 750km-plus range.

This compares with an estimated 14.2kWh/100km for the base Tesla Model 3, the most obvious target for the CLA sedan.

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The electric drivetrain is scalable for other vehicle segments

Mercedes, as with the Model 3, will split chemistry options. Entry models gain a lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery, which glues rather than screws together its cell modules to help make the structure lighter, stiffer and smaller.

The 'top level' battery increases energy density through an anode design with silicon-oxide.

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MMA's 800-volt architecture allows for 250kW DC rapid charging, which Mercedes says can add 400km of range in just 15 minutes.

Bi-directional charging equips the family of compact electric Benzes with vehicle to home (V2H) and vehicle to grip (V2G) capabilities.

The Mercedes Concept CLA Class was unveiled a day or so after BMW revealed its Neue Klasse in Munich – another concept with retro cues that previews a future family of advanced EVs.

Mercedes' future CLA sedan doesn't move away from the swoopy, coupe style of the previous CLAs but the details are truly futuristic.

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These details include ever-intricate LED design work, with a particularly stunning application of the famous three-pointed star logo for the headlights and tail-lights.

There are three-pointed stars galore elsewhere, including star-studded 'grille' and wheel discs, plus an animated star pattern for the full-length glass roof.

A neon-heavy interior seemingly inspired by Blade Runner looks less production-ready than the exterior, with its heavily sculpted front and rear seats, and transparent elements such as the smartphone charging tray or the MB.OS cube that hints at the new operating system's status as the 'brains' of the car.

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The full-cabin-width MBUX Superscreen is certainly realistic, having debuted in the 2024 E-Class, albeit in differently designed form.

In the CLA concept, the digital Superscreen houses everything from instrument cluster to smartphone-shaped infotainment tiles (on the passenger side) to the intriguing "virtual air vents".

Mercedes describes them as "hyper-analogue" - combining a digital display with a physical controller ring that emerges from the Superscreen to allow for temperature adjustment.