![Mercedes unveils new entry-level CLA EV design details and it's looking sleek [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/11/Mercedes-entry-level-CLA-EV-2.jpeg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
Mercedes unveils new entry-level CLA EV design details and it’s looking sleek [Video]
Mercedes-Benz says its upcoming entry-level CLA will set the bar for EV range, charging speed, and efficiency with advanced new tech. Ahead of its arrival, Mercedes is giving us a closer look at the sporty electric car.
“With the CLA, we are ushering in a new era at Mercedes-Benz,” CEO Ola Källenius said after driving the new EV at its Immendingen site for the first time.
The new model will be the first of a new family of vehicles, kicking off “a new chapter for the entry-level segment at Mercedes-Benz.” Mercedes said the new electric CLA “is designed to set new standards in range, efficiency and charging speed.”
Based on Mercedes’ next-gen MMA platform, the CLA integrates tech from its ultra-efficient Vision EQXX concept and brings it into mass production.
Mercedes said it developed a new electric drive unit in-house to ensure high performance and efficiency.
Källenius showed off the “secret” CLA EV during the event, revealing new features and details, including the new headlight design.
Mercedes previews new entry-level CLA EV
With the headlights being the first thing you see at night, Källenius said the design had to be perfect. One of the coolest design details is the Mercedes star logo integrated into the headlights. Although it looks pretty, Källenius said the design is also about safety and not blinding others on the street.
After hopping into the new EV, you can hear Källenius talk to the vehicle, and Mercedes’ virtual assistant responds. It’s “like you have a butler in your car,” Mercedes CEO explained.
The new entry-level model will be loaded with Mercedes’ latest software and connectivity tech. It will be the first to be equipped with the new MB.OS, or “the brain” behind its next-gen vehicles, as Mercedes calls it.
During the test drive, the new model shows off its sporty design and dynamic driving as it rips around the test track. “This is not even the AMG version,” Källenius said.
With a two-speed transmission, “we can perfectly calibrate at every speed that you are driving how the electric motor works” to maximize efficiency, Källenius explained.
Mercedes leader said the CLA EV will have “incredibly fast” charging. With a new high-powered charging system, “charging almost becomes like fueling.”
Mercedes will officially unveil the new entry-level CLA EV next year, with deliveries expected in 2026. The new model will rival Tesla’s Model 3 and BMW i4, with expected prices around $50,000. It will also be available in a hybrid version.
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This week on Electrek’s Wheel-E podcast, we discuss the most popular news stories from the world of electric bikes and other nontraditional electric vehicles. This time, that includes a visit to electric moped maker NIU’s factory, Tern’s new GSD e-bike, Rad Power Bikes getting a new CEO, a Segway scooter recall, X Games kicking out electric motorcycles, and more.
The Wheel-E podcast returns every two weeks on Electrek’s YouTube channel, Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter.
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, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
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Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the Wheel-E podcast today:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 8:00 a.m. ET (or the video after 9:00 a.m. ET):
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The Trump Administration just slapped huge tariffs on imported cars, causing many car buyers to accelerate their purchase plans and snap up a new car now, rather than wait. If that’s you, and you’re one of the thousands looking to distance yourself from Tesla, the time is now to check out this $20,000 Tesla conquest deal from Polestar.
It might seem hard to believe now, but once upon a time there were a bunch of otherwise sane, intelligent people who believed that there was “infinite demand” for Tesla’s cars. That’s not true anymore – it’s an objective fact that the two million reservations for Tesla Cybertruck haven’t turned into sales, and the rest of the brand’s cars are losing value three times faster than the rest of the new car market, making them tough to sell or trade in.
That’s where incentives come in – and, while a number of car brands are offering several thousands of dollars to EV buyers looking to make the switch, this $20,000 Tesla conquest deal from Polestar might be the one that’s most aggressively targeting Tesla buyers.
From the Polestar website:
Calling all Tesla owners. Enjoy up to $20,000 towards the lease of a new Polestar 3 when you combine the $5,000 Polestar Conquest Bonus and the $15,000 Polestar Clean Vehicle Incentive.
Polestar 3 is the SUV that drives like a sports car. Featuring range up to 350 miles, 517 hp, 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds, and built-in technologies like Google Assistant and Apple CarPlay.
Polestar hasn’t been shy about what it views as an “opportunity” to snatch up car buyers who want to distance themselves from Musk. The company’s CEO, German auto industry stalwart Michael Lohscheller, told Bloomberg, “For Germany, somebody outside of Germany endorsing right-wing political parties is a big thing. You want to know what I think about it? I think it’s totally unacceptable. Totally unacceptable. You just don’t do that. This is pure arrogance, and these things will not work.”
He’s hoping enough people agree to move the needle on Polestar sales in the US – and the first step to that is for consumers to get behind the wheel of this “masterfully tuned and sneaky-fast SUV,” and see if it’s a fit for them.
Electrek’s Take
I spent half the day in a local Volvo dealership I’ve had a great relationship with for years. I know those guys well. They typically average about 2-3 units per day.
Yesterday? I arrived around 1:30PM with a sack of spicy chicken sandwiches (if you want good customer service, be a good customer), and they’d already moved a half dozen units by the time I got there. They were looking at another dozen fresh leads from panicked city-dwellers looking to come in and make a deal over the weekend.
It’s about to get weird out there, kids. You could do far worse than trying to navigate said weirdness in a new Polestar.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Polestar.
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