The CLA EV can be rapid-charged at rates of up to 320kW, thanks to its 800V electrical architecture, allowing for a 186-mile top-up in just 10 minutes.
In addition to the 85kWh battery, a 58kWh lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) pack will be added to the line- up shortly after launch.
This will almost certainly bring a significant price cut but also reduce the CLA EV’s range to around 300 miles.
Autocar can reveal that a hot AMG CLA 45 EV is inbound, too, with a pair of Yasa-developed axial flux motors providing more than 500bhp and a raft of extensive modifications aimed at bolstering its performance and dynamics.
ADVANCES IN COMBUSTION TOO
The new CLA will also be offered in hybrid form. Specifically designed to fit in the same space as the EV’s front motor, its powertrain pairs a new 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a small, 1.3kWh battery and a 27bhp electric motor. These combine to send either 134bhp or 161bhp through the front wheels or, in the range-topping 4Matic model, 188bhp to all four wheels.
According to Mercedes, the engine achieves “diesel levels of fuel efficiency”, suggesting an MPG figure comfortably north of 50.
As part of a push for parity from Mercedes, the hybrid CLA will be priced on a par with the CLA EV, Mercedes CEO Ola Källenius recently announced. This is thanks to cost savings of some 30% in battery production bringing the EV’s overall price down by around 15%.
