The Mercedes-Benz Concept CLA-Class was unveiled at IAA Mobility 2023 in Munich, Germany. The platform will support the German automaker’s push towards electric cars.
Mercedes Benz
Mercedes Benz And BMW unveiled the electric concept cars as they seek to catch up with Tesla in the premium segment of the market.
At the IAA Munich auto show, Mercedes presented the Mercedes-Benz Concept CLA-Class while BMW unveiled the BMW Vision New Class.
These cars are built on entirely new platforms from German automakers that will underpin their electric vehicle offerings for years to come, in what has been their the most aggressive thrust ever in battery-powered vehicles.
These are concept cars, so it’s unclear what their final shape will look like when they’re finally produced. But here’s a closer look at the offerings from Mercedes and BMW.
Mercedes-Benz Concept CLA-Class
The Mercedes-Benz Concept CLA-Class is built on what’s known as Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture (MMA), a new platform designed by the German auto giant for electric cars.
The range will include a total of four new models: a four-door coupe, a station wagon and two sports utility vehicles.
Mercedes claims the car will have a range of 750 kilometers (466 miles) on a single charge. The company also claims that in just 15 minutes the battery can be charged so that the car can travel 400 kilometers.
Mercedes has touted the Concept CLA class’ fast-charging capabilities and long-range battery.
Mercedes Benz
Mercedes has focused on the interior and the user experience. The company announced that it was developing its own operating system for the car, called MB.OS. This will help power various features, from the giant dashboard screen to the in-car voice assistant.
It will also allow third-party apps, such as your favorite music or video streaming apps, to be integrated into the vehicle.
“This proprietary chip-to-cloud architecture represents a completely new approach for the company and will be a largely hidden but defining aspect of all of its future vehicles,” Mercedes-Benz said in a press release.
Mercedes said it is focusing on digitizing the interior of the Concept CLA class. This includes a virtual assistant and support for third-party apps.
Mercedes Benz
Traditional automakers have been seen to be behind Tesla on the software front. This is an attempt by Mercedes to show they are catching up.
BMW Vision New Class
The BMW Vision Neue Klasse is BMW’s answer to Tesla. It is also based on a new architecture that will underpin future electric cars from BMW.
The first electric vehicles based on the Neue Klasse – or New Class – architecture are expected to go into production in 2025.
BMW has unveiled the BMW Vision Neue Klasse, a concept electric vehicle that will support its foray into battery-powered cars.
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The concept vehicle has a glass roof. BMW said the car’s design embodies classic elements that fans know from the brand.
The BMW Vision Neue Klasse was unveiled at the IAA Mobility 2023 International Motor Show in Munich.
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BMW said the car will contain what it calls Panoramic Vision, a head-up display that projects information onto the windshield, right in front of the driver’s eyes.
The company said this product will first be available in the Neue Klasse. Both passenger and driver will be able to interact with the Panoramic Vision feature, BMW said.
There were few details on autonomy and recharging. But BMW said the next generation of its technology will improve the charging speed of Neue Klasse models by up to 30 percent, in addition to increasing their range by up to 30 percent.
BMW claims that the Vision Neue Klasse electric car has all the classic features known to the brand. BMW said the 21-inch aero wheels “pay homage to the classic motorsport-inspired cross-spoke design.”
Arjun Kharpal | CNBC
