Mercedes is preparing to reveal what’s expected to be its most important EV in just a few months. The 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA EV will “set standards” in terms of range, efficiency, and charging. According to the engineers, the new EV can travel nearly 800 miles (1,270 km) with two 10-minute charging stops. Here’s what you can expect from the “one-liter” electric car.
The new CLA EV will kick off “a new chapter for the entry-level segment at Mercedes-Benz,” according to CEO Ola Källenius.
Källenius said the electric CLA “is designed to set new standards in range, efficiency and charging speed” in its segment. Based on its new MMA platform, the entry-level EV will be drastically different from its current electric cars like the EQE and EQS.
The MMA platform features a powerful 800V high-voltage system, which Mercedes claimed in 2023 could enable up to 400 km (248 miles WLTP) in just 15 minutes.
According to Mercedes-Benz engineers behind the new model, the new CLA EV can drive 789 miles (1,270 km) with two 10-minute charging stops. Timo Stegmaier, senior manager for the CLA’s electric drive system, told Auto Express the electric car traveled 2,309 miles in 24 hours during testing. The electric car was charged 40 times, 10 minutes apiece.
Mercedes-Benz entry-level CLA EV under camouflage (Source: Mercedes-Benz)
Mercedes promises new CLA EV will raise the bar
The range-topping model is expected to get up to 466 miles (WLTP) on a full charge. Although charging specs are yet to be confirmed, engineers “regularly saw 320 kW” during its +2,300 mi record run.
Stegmaier didn’t reveal any other details but added, “Obviously, the peak of 320 won’t be maintained.” At that, the CLA EV could match Porsche’s new Taycan but at a much lower price point.
Ahead of its official debut in early 2025, Mercedes has previewed the electric CLA several times, revealing key specs and new design elements.
Last month, Källenius revealed one of its most unique features, the integrated three-star logo headlight design. The new electric car isn’t just a pretty face. It will also feature Mercedes’ most advanced software and connectivity tech.
Mercedes-Benz CLA concept interior with MB.OS (Source: Mercedes-Benz)
The CLA EV will be the first to feature the new MB.OS, or what Mercedes calls “the brain” of its next-gen vehicles. All MMA-based models will also include a supercomputer with AI and machine learning.
According to Mercedes, MB.OS is “Generally ready” for an SAE Level 3 autonomy system upgrade, but it will initially launch with Level 2 capabilities.
Mercedes will officially unveil the new CLA EV in Spring 2025, with deliveries expected to begin later in the year. Prices will be revealed closer to launch, but it’s expected to start at around $50,000 as a potential Tesla Model 3 and BMW i4 rival.
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Founded in 1689, Husqvarna was a musket maker for the king of Sweden – but now, the company best known for quirky motorcycles and commercial riding mowers is becoming an innovator in the field of robotics, and its latest fleet of electric autonomous mowers are eager to get grazing.
Husqvarna’s autonomous lawnmowers made history earlier this year at the AIG Women’s Open, when they became the first autonomous groundskeeping solution to see duty during a UK Major golf week.
“At the AIG Women’s Open, the Husqvarna portfolio is helping us deliver this goal through improved resource management, regular lightweight mowing and reduced carbon usage,” explains Royal Porthcawl’s Course Manager, Ian Kinley, who has championed the use of robotic technology at the course. “With the AIG Women’s Open set to be the largest-ever women’s sporting event in Wales, we know there’s tremendous pressure to produce playing surfaces that are worthy of such a high-profile event.”
Events like the AIG Women’s Open are proving that the little robot Huskies can get the job done quietly, sustainably, and with significantly less operator input. As such, you’d think everyone at Husqvarna would be excited about them.
You’d be wrong. The company’s franchise dealers have been hesitant to push them forward, effectively putting the parent company in the position of going B2C, or going home.
“Dealers live and breathe the previous technology,” said Yvette Henshall-Bell, Husqvarna’s President of its Forest and Garden division for Europe, in that same Forbes piece. “They want to protect that servicing, that aftermarket revenue. Whereas if they really thought about what the customer’s problems are and the job to be done, they would be looking at a completely different solution.”
A solution, frankly, that looks a lot like a little robot mower.
The bigger CEORA can handle up to 18 acres of ground twice each week, while the Automower, with its 80V battery and pinpoint precision EPOS (Exact Positioning Operating System) software, can handle another 2.5 acres. Both are fully electric, and can guide themselves back to their pens to recharge as needed.
Prices aren’t public, but the Husqvarna CEORA and Automowers are available as part of a custom lease package through Husqvarna Finance that will include access to the company’s customizable back end and ongoing support. Check with your local dealer for more.
Electrek’s Take
As a typically pro-union, pro-labor type of guy, I am hesitant to heap praise upon a robot taking away anyone’s job. That said, it does seem to be difficult for landscapers and construction crews to keep and find good labor at rates they can afford (and, let’s face it – the current Trump Administration isn’t going to be making that any easier). As such, if companies like Husqvarna and John Deere and Einride and others can build a demonstrably better mousetrap at a compelling price point … good for them. (?)
Let us know what you think in the comments.
SOURCES: Forbes, Golf Monthly; images by Husqvarna.
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In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Apple CarPlay possibly coming to Tesla cars, VW getting access to Superchargers, a Toyota electric pickup, and more.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
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2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 at a Tesla Supercharger (Source: Hyundai)
US EV sales declined in October following the expiration of the $7,500 federal tax credit on September 30, and the average transaction price (ATP) edged up, according to initial estimates from Kelley Blue Book, a Cox Automotive brand. However, there are still deals to be had.
Kelley Blue Book’s initial estimates show that US EV sales fell to 74,835 in October, down 48.9% from September, which was a record month, and 30.3% year-over-year.
Prices also ticked up. The average transaction price (ATP) for a new EV climbed 1.6% month-over-month to $59,125, which is 2.3% higher than a year ago.
Tesla didn’t escape the downturn, but it held up better than the overall EV market. The company’s ATP fell 1.1% from September to $53,526, and its prices are 5.5% lower than they were in October 2024. Sales of the Model 3 and Model Y both declined month-over-month, and overall Tesla sales decreased by 35.3% from September and 23.6% year-over-year, which are smaller declines compared to the broader EV segment.
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Cox Automotive senior analyst Stephanie Valdez Streaty said the shift wasn’t surprising:
We expected this shift in the electric vehicle market. With the IRA-backed sales incentives gone, lower-cost EV volume was hit hard, pushing the mix toward more luxury and driving October’s EV ATP to a 2025 high of $59,125 – now $9,359 above the industry average. Affordability has always been the core challenge with EV sales, and this reset only underscores how critical it is to bring more attainable EV options to market.
Electrek’s Take
September was a record-breaking month for both EV deals and sales. Dealers were offering all sorts of sweet incentives to stack with the federal tax credit to move cars off the lot. October’s sales drop was entirely anticipated, like a pounding headache after a big blowout party.
We didn’t know what the post-federal tax credit EV market would look like. As Valdez Streaty rightly states, EVs do have a higher ATP than the industry average. But it turns out that, so far, it’s not all doom and gloom, and the federal tax credit isn’t the only incentive in town.
Every month, I compile great EV lease deals, and for the last few months, some EVs’ monthly lease payments have been cheaper than before the federal tax credit expired. Many states are still offering rebates on EV purchases, and dealers still have really good deals. While cheaper models would definitely be welcome, there are good deals available right now.
And let’s not forget the fact that EVs are much cheaper to drive than gas cars, with or without that tax credit.
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