With the Concept CLA Class, Mercedes is giving a glimpse of a visually appealing new edition of the CLA. But more important is what’s under the pleasing sheet metal skin of the Stromer.
At the IAA Mobility (September 5 to 10), Mercedes is opening the next chapter of its electrification strategy with the presentation of the MMA platform (Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture). The newly developed substructure will form the foundation of the brand’s future electric entry-level models, which will be launched at the end of 2024 with a long range and powerful computing brain To give an outlook on the design and interior of the upcoming vehicle family. It will consist of at least four members – a shooting brake and two SUVs are also planned. 750 km electric range – but there are also combustion engines! The drive will not be exclusively electric, there will still be vehicles with combustion engines based on MMA. These will remain in demand in some markets for years to come, which is why Mercedes is pursuing a two-pronged strategy. According to product manager Christina Currle-Hamel, plug-in hybrids based on MMA are excluded. The primary focus of the platform is anyway on electric cars. Thanks to the new 800-volt architecture and a vehicle trimmed for efficiency in many respects, these should offer a range of up to 750 kilometers. Figures for the battery formats are not yet given, but a low consumption value of 12 kWh per 100 kilometers. In combination with the new Electric Drive Unit (MB.EDU), the efficiency from the battery to the wheel should be 93 percent, which is pretty close to the 95 percent of the experimental Mercedes EQXX, which drove 1200 kilometers with one battery charge in 2022 The on-board charger of the upcoming MMA series vehicles also promises long-distance suitability, because it is supposed to charge the batteries with up to 250 kW of electricity. The 800-volt system even allows significantly more, but Mercedes believes that they have found a good compromise for customers with 250 kW. After all, with this performance, a range of 400 kilometers can be refueled in 15 minutes. Impressive design, close to the series More exciting than these numbers is the design of the Concept CLA, whose series counterpart planned for 2024 should be quite similar. The concept, painted in a chic garnet red, pleases with all-round harmonious proportions as well as elegant curves and only a few beads. While the front and rear of some current four-door coupés from Mercedes do not really differ from each other when viewed from the side, the CLA Concept with its long and flat front, the arched roof and the crisp rear looks classically beautiful and, despite the four doors, like a real coupé .Mercedes should pick up the typical customers of the brand again with this styling. However, the electric series CLA will not be quite as flat as the show car. Here the concept remains a typical show car, even if it already shows a design close to series production, whose abundant chrome decoration, sparkling chrome 21-inch wheels with a star design and the numerous star symbols, many of which also light up, certainly do not make their way into series production will create. Top space and hemp in the interior This will also apply to many details of the brightly furnished and gleaming chrome interior, which has been decked out with a number of wow effects. In addition to a lot of bling-bling, there are also sustainable elements such as eco-textiles, leather tanned with coffee beans or decorative parts made of paper. With these rather inconspicuous details, the focus should be more on environmental considerations, which will also become an issue in the production vehicle, for example with components made of cellulose and hemp fibers. Speaking of the series: the good amount of space in the show car should correspond to that of the upcoming series CLA.Supercomputer with water-cooled chipA special detail in the CLA Concept can be found in the center of the front footwell in the form of a lit-up box with the inscription “MB.OS”. This component symbolizes the new digital foundation of Mercedes: The box contains a supercomputer with a water-cooled chip which, in conjunction with the MB.OS (Mercedes-Benz Operating System) developed in-house by Mercedes, is intended to meet the increasingly demanding requirements of the digital car future. MB.OS aims to make the highly complex, digital and networked infotainment worlds of MBUX, superscreens, immersive sound experiences, new AI functions and constantly new and better infotainment functions and assistance systems downloadable via OTA manageable. Guests should feel like they are in a second home in vehicles of the MMA generation and no longer miss any digital comfort in the car. Level 3 driving planned And they will be able to enjoy many self-driving functions in the future. MMA vehicles should be level 3 capable right from the start. Another box on the outside between the windshield and roof indicates a corresponding sensor cluster with lidar on the CLA Concept. In the production model, this component will probably look a little different, but as a customer you can get used to the integration of a new sensor generation for highly automated driving functions. Major sustainability goals In addition, the MMA platform marks an important step for Mercedes towards achieving the “ambition 2039”, with which the manufacturer has committed itself to achieving carbon neutrality in its entire value chain by 2039. This applies to supply chains, production and logistics, the well-to-wheel balance and the end of the vehicle life cycle. That’s why, according to Mercedes, MMA was designed to be sustainable from the ground up. Among other things, cell and cathode production should be CO2-neutral, which is why future batteries should cause 40 percent fewer greenhouse gases during their production. Targets for climate neutrality and circular economy are relatively easy to achieve in some areas, such as the textiles used in vehicles. Other materials, such as steel, present greater challenges. Here, Mercedes will depend on how quickly the steel industry succeeds in its transformation. If it is not possible to become climate-neutral in some areas by 2039, the manufacturer wants to compensate with certified climate protection projects. (SPX)
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