- Our spy photographers caught this prototype of a new Mercedes compact EV sedan.
- This car will use a new platform called MMA, as first shown on the Concept CLA.
- Future Mercedes compact EVs are set to use a two-speed transmission and could offer up to 400 miles or range.
Mercedes has already launched two EV sedans, the EQE and the EQS, but these spy shots show that the company is readying a more compact version. While we’re not big fans of either the EQE nor the EQS, we have higher hopes for this new model due to its new platform and powertrain, which was previewed by the impressive EQXX concept in 2022.
We expect this car to sit on the new Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture (MMA) that is meant for the brand’s smaller EVs, using an 800-volt electrical architecture that will support ultra-fast charging. This platform was first previewed with the Concept CLA shown at the Munich auto show earlier this year.
Mercedes says it is aiming for the MMA underpinnings to offer 250-kW DC fast-charging capabilities, which could allow up to 200 miles of range to be added in just 15 minutes. The CLA concept also used a single rear-mounted 235-hp electric motor featuring a two-speed transmission designed to improve efficiency at higher speeds. We know that the rangiest version of the CLA is targeting a 466-mile figure under the European WLTP testing cycle, which should translate to something around 400 miles on EPA standards.
Mercedes has previously said it plans to offer different battery chemistries in the future, in addition to varying levels of battery capacity—for instance, more expensive batteries could boast better energy density. We can also safely predict that there will be both rear-drive and all-wheel-drive versions of these new cars on the MMA platform and, based on the experience of the EQE and EQS, the prospect of at least one AMG version.
As is often the case with test mules, many of the apparent details on the prototype seem intended to deceive onlookers, so it’s difficult to tell exactly what model this prototype shows. It could be a production version of the electric CLA with form-obscuring cladding, or it could be a separate model that would align more closely with the C-class.
If it is the former, we know that Mercedes has been considering using the CLA name for the entire range—which we believe will also include some combustion-powered versions—and is considering retiring its separate EQ branding as fully electric variants become an increasingly large part of its portfolio. Alternatively, the car shown here could follow the pattern of the EQE and EQS and become the EQC; for what it’s worth, Mercedes does hold U.S. trademarks for multiple designations from EQC300 up to EQC450. In other parts of the world there has already been an EQC SUV, but that wasn’t sold in the States.
Whatever this new model is called, this appears to be Mercedes-Benz’s competitor to cars such as the BMW i4 and Tesla Model 3. We will likely be seeing it in production form in 2024.
Our man on the other side of the pond, Mike Duff lives in Britain but reports from across Europe, sometimes beyond. He has previously held staff roles on U.K. titles including CAR, Autocar, and evo, but his own automotive tastes tend toward the Germanic: he owns both a troublesome 987-generation Porsche Cayman S and a Mercedes 190E 2.5-16.