This is a type of technology used in electric cars that helps them charge faster. It uses a higher voltage to move electricity more quickly into the car's battery.
This tells you how far the car can go before it needs to be charged again. A longer range means you can drive further without worrying about running out of power.
The Mercedes CLA EV is a new electric car from Mercedes-Benz. It has special technology that allows it to charge quickly and travel long distances on a single charge.
The Mercedes-Benz EQS is a high-end electric car that offers a lot of space and luxury features. It's designed to be very comfortable while also being good for the environment since it runs on electricity instead of gas.
The Mercedes-Benz EQB is a small electric SUV that has room for families and their gear. It combines the benefits of being electric with a comfortable and spacious interior, making it a great option for those who need more space.
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is a fancy small car that is comfortable and has a lot of nice features. It's a popular choice for people who want a luxury vehicle without going for the biggest models.
800 volt architecture is a type of electrical system in electric cars that helps them charge faster. It uses a higher voltage to make the charging process more efficient.
The Chevrolet Volt is a car that can run on electricity and also use gas when needed. This means you can drive it using just electricity for short trips or use gas for longer trips, making it flexible for different driving needs.
The '10 to 80 time' is how long it takes to charge an electric car's battery from 10% to 80%. It's a way to measure how fast you can get a car charged.
Car
Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX
The Vision EQXX is a futuristic electric car concept from Mercedes-Benz that focuses on being very efficient and having a long driving range, even though it's not available for sale.
The MMA platform is a new type of structure that Mercedes-Benz is using to build their electric cars. It helps them create different models more easily and efficiently.
The EQA is a small electric car from Mercedes-Benz that is easy to drive in the city and has many cool features, making it a great option for everyday use.
The Mercedes-Benz EQE is a new electric car that is a bit less expensive than the bigger EQS model. It still has a lot of luxury features and is designed to be stylish and efficient, making it a good choice for electric car buyers.
J1772 is a type of plug used to charge electric cars in North America. It works with many charging stations and is common for home and public charging.
A kilowatt hour is a way to measure how much electricity a battery can store. It helps you understand how far an electric car can go before needing to recharge.
A two-speed transmission is a type of gear system that lets a car switch between two different speeds, helping it perform better in various situations.
The Hyundai Ioniq 6 is a new electric car that runs on batteries instead of gas. It's designed to be stylish and efficient, and it can go a long distance on a single charge, making it a good option for people looking for eco-friendly transportation.
WLTP is a testing method used to find out how far a car can go on a full charge or tank. It gives a better idea of real-world performance than older tests.
The BMW I4 is a stylish electric car that offers the performance and luxury features typical of BMW. It's designed to be both fun to drive and eco-friendly.
The Polestar 4 is a new electric SUV that focuses on being fun to drive while also being good for the environment. It has a modern look and comes with smart technology, making it a strong competitor in the electric car market.
The Super Screen is a big screen in the car that shows different information and controls. It makes it easier to see everything you need while driving.
Autonomous driving features are technologies in cars that help them drive themselves. This can include things like staying in the lane or parking without help from the driver.
Vehicle-to-grid means that electric cars can send electricity back to the power grid. This can help manage energy use and even make money for the car owner.
Adaptive ambient lighting is a feature that changes the lights inside the car based on how you feel or the time of day. It makes the car feel more personal and comfortable.
A vehicle system is the technology in a car that helps with things like navigation, climate control, and talking to the driver. It makes driving easier and more enjoyable.
A frunk is a trunk located at the front of the car instead of the back. It's useful for storing things, especially in electric cars that don't have an engine in the front.
The Rivian R1T is a new electric truck that is built for people who love outdoor activities. It has a lot of cool features for storing gear and can drive long distances on a single charge, making it great for adventures.
The Cadillac Optiq is a new electric car from Cadillac that is designed to be luxurious and modern. It shows that Cadillac is moving into the electric vehicle space, offering something new for their customers.
The Tesla Cybertruck is a new electric truck that looks very different from regular trucks because of its sharp angles and metal body. It's designed to be strong and has cool technology, making it popular among people who want a tough and modern vehicle.
LIVE
Hello and welcome back to the Out of Spec podcast. Mercedes has just unveiled their next generation
EV, their Mercedes CLA EV with 800 volt high voltage architecture, 320 kilowatt charging,
500 miles of range. There is a lot to talk about. Let's just jump right into it.
So this is exciting. I love Mercedes. You guys know I was on team EQS on our Out of Spec i90 surge
and Mercedes I think has shown themselves to want to be competitive in this EV game. They've been
focusing on their EVs in Europe a lot. They've way more models in Europe. Now here in the United
States we have the G580 electric. We have the EQS, the EQS SUV, EQE, EQE SUV, the EQB. Now we're
getting the CLA EV and then soon in the future we're going to get an electric van from Mercedes
as well as a C-Class SUV. Mercedes is pushing hard and the CLA is proof of that. This is their next
generation EV. Now they don't tout it that way but I say it this way because this is their first
high voltage EV. It has an 800 volt high voltage architecture which means better charging speeds,
faster charging speeds. In fact Mercedes quotes a 10 to 80 in just 22 minutes up to 320 kilowatts
and then 11 kilowatt hour AC charging. Now it is worth mentioning the 350-formatic all wheel drive
version of the CLA has a 10 to 80 time of 33 minutes while the rear wheel drive has a 10 to 80
time of 22 minutes. So I imagine in terms of efficiency you want the best range, the rear
wheel drive is going to make sense. Maybe with the all wheel drive version those motors are
creating more heat and that's worsened the 10 to 80 time we see on the all wheel drive version.
Mercedes has actually been touting this new generation of Mercedes for quite some time.
We have the concept CLA that they've been showing for a while which was supposed to
right tout their 800 volt architecture, some of their efficiencies that we're going to be seeing
in the CLA, the new CLA. You can tell this looks like a CLA not only from the exterior but from
the interior that we see down here as well. And this CLA EV actually took a lot of inspiration from
Mercedes Vision EQXX concept which I believe is like the most efficient EV, highest range EV
ever made. It is just a concept but it's supposed to lay the ground for Mercedes Benz
next generation of EVs. And this next generation platform that Mercedes is going to be using will
be called the MMA platform. Not to be confused with mixed martial arts fighting but no Mercedes
modular architecture platform. It'll be the same platform used for the next generation
EQB, the SUV as well as the EQA. It's unsure if Mercedes is going to use some sort of new
platform for the next generation EQS, EQE, even the G580 but for these lower priced Mercedes
electric vehicles that being the CLA EQB as well as the EQA, the MMA platform will be used.
Now before we talk about the specs and more of the charging details, one of the quirky
things about this EV is that in North America it's going to have not only a NAX port but a J1772
level 2 charging port as well. So the NAX port, the J3400 will be used for AC and DC charging
but a J1772 will also be used for AC charging. So a lot of your level 2 stations, a lot of the
infrastructure around the United States is based around J1772. There's already a pretty good and
robust J3400 charging network, Tesla Supercharging Network but a lot of level 2 infrastructure is
based on J1772 and so you can charge J1772 with your Mercedes CLA EV. Now the United States,
Europe and other markets will be getting different versions of the CLA in terms of options. In the
United States we'll just be getting the 85 kilowatt hour nickel-magnus cobalt battery while in Europe
they'll be getting the 85 kilowatt hour battery as well as a 58 smaller kilowatt hour battery.
On top of the US not getting the smaller battery pack, Europe and other markets are also expected
to get a Mercedes CLA wagon which is really unfair. We don't get any of the cool wagons,
they're all for Europe, the US doesn't get any of them. I think wagon form of this would actually
be super cool. Now for Mercedes there will be two different powertrains in terms of offering for
power and performance. So you'll have the CLA 250 plus which is a rear wheel drive version and then
you'll have the CLA 350 4MATIC which is the all wheel drive version. The CLA 250 plus is expected
to have a 0 to 60 time in 6.6 seconds, not exactly super fast and the CLA 350 4MATIC all wheel drive
will have a 0 to 60 of 4.8 seconds. Again really not that fast. Now kind of interesting here,
this EV will have a two speed transmission kind of like how we see in the Porsche Taycan
which has a two speed transmission which this is the first time we're seeing this in a Mercedes
vehicle which is again why I kind of call it the new generation of Mercedes EVs but this will
increase range at higher speeds and then lower energy consumption and improved acceleration
at lower speeds. Again something that we see in the Porsche Taycan but it isn't totally necessary
and I don't think there is a dramatic improvement of efficiency with two speed transmissions
but it is something that the CLA does have. Mercedes says the two speed transmission on the
electric drive unit at the rear axle combines dynamic performance with high efficiency in
all driving situations. The first gear enables excellent acceleration from a standstill and
offers outstanding efficiency in city driving. The second gear is designed for power delivery at
higher speeds and efficiency in highway driving for excellent long distance range and comfort.
The electronically limited 130 mile per hour top speed is also achieved in second gear. Now
let's jump into the specs and details of the Mercedes CLA EV. Now I've already mentioned
right there'll be two versions the rear wheel drive and all wheel drive 250 and 350 formatic.
I'd have a drag coefficient of 0.21 coefficient drag according best in class not as efficient as
the EQS which is a little bit longer but still really good. This is beating what we see on the
Ioniq 6 as well as the Tesla Model 3. The 250 plus rear wheel drive will put out 268 horsepower
while the all wheel drive 350 formatic will put out 349 horsepower. It'll have a fully brake
by wire system and because there are electric motors that means there is no connection between
the brake pedal or the acceleration pedal to the actual vehicle itself. So fully brake by wire system
it'll also have one pedal driving with 200 kilowatts of regenerative braking which is pretty good for
what we see of EVs of this size. I'm curious to see what the CLA's one pedal driving is like.
We know the Mercedes EQS and EQE have a single pedal drive but it isn't as simple as just you
pedal drive where you take your foot off the brake and the car immediately slows down. It has
some modes to it. The CLA 250 rear wheel drive will have a estimated range of 492 miles but again
that is WLTP so it'll likely be closer to 400 to 450 miles of range with the rear wheel drive version
and then with the all wheel drive 350 formatic it will have an estimated WLTP range of 479 miles
which means it'll likely be closer to 375 to 400 miles of range. This is exciting that is still
competitive with the EPA ranges that we see with the Ioniq 6, the Tesla Model 3, the BMW I4, the
Polestar 4 and so I'm super curious to see how this performs against the competition. Better range,
better charging. I'm actually pretty confident at least on paper that the CLA could beat the
Tesla Model 3 rear wheel drive on a long distance highway test. Of course once the CLA comes to
the United States which is expected later this fall you will get to see that tested on our out of
spec channels. Mercedes hasn't given us pricing on what the CLA EV will be but we do know that the
CLA internal combustion engine for last year started at $44,400. Now for the EV it'll likely be
closer to 50 something thousand dollars so it kind of gives you an idea of how competitive it will
be with the Model 3, the BMW I4, the Ioniq 6 as well as the Polestar 4. The current generation CLA is
actually the cheapest sedan Mercedes sells across their lineup so it'll be interesting to see what
this new generation EV compares from the likes of the EQS as well as the EQE. Not sure if I've said
this already but the CLA will also have a heat pump. Now I got to give Mercedes props on the
powertrain. It'll have an improved thermal management system, 800 volt high voltage architecture,
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BlueApron.com slash terms for more. It is a step up from Mercedes current EVs and so I think that's
worth noting. With the right price, I think this can be a pretty competitive vehicle but
what do you think? Now onto the fun stuff. The quirky features, the technology, the interior.
This CLA EV will have the new Mercedes-Benz operating system. It'll also have the Mercedes
Super Screen. So I believe the EQS, EQE, right? They have the Hyper Screen. This will have the
Super Screen, a 10.3 inch driver display, 14 inch center touchscreen and then you can extend that
and add another 14 inch passenger display. Kind of like how we see on the EQS and EQE.
It'll also include Gemini AI, which is Google's own chat assistant, particularly to help with the
navigation. So this will be a next generation navigation Google Maps system in the Mercedes
CLA. Like every other EV out there today, the CLA EV will be capable of over-the-air updates. It'll
also have a ton of autonomous driving features. It'll have MB drive assist, which includes hands-off
highway driving on premapped roads. It'll also have active lane keeping and adaptive cruise control,
as well as autonomous parking assist with a 360 degree camera so you can see everything around
This thing will also have vehicle-to-grid and vehicle-to-home charging, which will come in a
future over-the-air update, which don't really like when companies do that. For almost two years at
this point, Rivian has been saying we're going to add vehicle-to-home vehicle-to-grid because
Rivian vehicles are capable through an over-the-air update. And here we are. It has yet to happen.
And so I'd be a little weary of that, but Mercedes is a different company, so we'll see what they do.
But it is expected the CLA will be capable of vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid. Super exciting.
Probably one of the most quirky things about this vehicle. It will have adaptive ambient
lighting depending on the driver's emotions. So if you are talking to the Mercedes vehicle system
and you have an angry tone to your voice, it will change the ambient lighting color. Now,
I imagine, right? You sound angry. It'll likely turn to red. If you sound more happy, it'll likely
change to a happier color. Think blue or green. Maybe if you sound sad, it'll change to like a
yellow or blue. But the point is, depending on your emotions, the car is going to react to you,
which honestly, probably a bad thing. If you are angry, do you want to see more red? I don't know.
That's a question for you to answer. It is also worth mentioning this vehicle will have a front.
This is another Mercedes first. So 800 volt for the first time, two-speed transmission for the
time, which is kind of nuts. It's crazy that the EQ SSUV or even the G580, the electric G-wagon,
don't have frunks, but this thing has a front. And it's actually huge. This is bigger than the
Polestar 4. The BMW i4 doesn't have a front bigger than the Ioniq 6. It'll just be a little bit
smaller than the Tesla Model 3 front with 2.5 cubic feet of front space. The Tesla Model 3 has
a front space of like 3.1 cubic feet. So pretty close. But I mean, how often are we seeing new EVs
at this point without frunks? This is a big deal to me. I love my front. I love the front on my
R1T. I press a button. I press the pad on the key. I do it from the infotainment. My front opens. I
have this gigantic space to put luggage, to put bags. I hold all sorts of stuff up there like,
you know, reusable grocery bags. And I have matchbox cars. So if I see another review and I'll
hand those out, I love my front. The CLA has one. And this is just awesome. The only bad thing about
this front is that it is manual. So you'll need to open it from the inside and then close it
manually from the outside. Not very luxurious and Mercedes-esque, but it is the CLA. It is supposed
to be their cheapest sedan model. So I guess you have to make compromises somewhere. Another
quirky thing about the Mercedes-CLA EV is that a lot of the car comes from recycled parts. For
instance, Mercedes says thermoplastics utilized in the interior of the new CLA also contain a high
proportion of secondary materials. This adds up to four times more across the vehicle as a whole
compared to its predecessor. A total of 50% of the secondary material in the thermoplastics comes
from post-consumer recycled materials. For instance, the jack mounts are made entirely
from recycled car bumpers. The front well is constructed from approximately 70% recycled
materials. Mercedes goes on to say that the seats are made from recycled materials.
Both seats incorporate secondary materials throughout their construction from the seat cover
and the seat foam to the substructure and metal components. They also go on to say microfiber
upholstery in the vehicle is made from 100% recycled material. First PET bottles are processed
into re-granulated yarns using a sophisticated microfiber process. These are used to create a
high quality and durable material that has the look and feel of suede. It is used in select
AMG line upholstery on the seats as well as the door center panels and armrests. The interior carpet
is also made from secondary material. The ecoline yarn is produced from a 100% recycled material.
The AMG line is Mercedes like AMG upgrade. It isn't exactly AMG in terms of the powertrain,
but from the cosmetics, the looks, the seats, the interior, it looks a bit more AMG.
This is pretty cool. I love when automakers include more recycled materials into their vehicles.
I just came back from the Cadillac event where Cadillac let Jordan and I kind of go through
the OPTIQ and the actual wood that is like in a vinyl in the center console was actually made
from recycled newspaper. So they take newspaper and they form it in some sort of wood grain pattern.
And so in the vehicle, if you look at it, it just looks like really nice quality wood.
But then you, you know, you kind of zoom in on it and you'll actually see like words from the
newspaper, which is kind of funny. It's kind of quirky. It's like, oh, this vehicle, it's electric,
it's using recycled parts. It's still, it's a Cadillac. It still looks luxurious. It still looks
nice. It feels nice, but these are recycled parts and there's something of quirky about it. You go,
you zoom in on the OPTIQ, these wood pieces, wood trim here, and there's like words from
the recycled newspaper. That's pretty cool. I got to say, I'm loving the CLA and I cannot wait
until out of spec gets their hands on one. Of course, expect a range test, a charging test. I
mean, this is Mercedes next generation vehicle. This is a pretty big moment. This is going to
compete against the Model 3, the I4, the Ionix 6, the Polestar 4, and maybe even the EQE in a sense.
We'll see when it actually comes to the United States later this fall. For those of you who
are curious about the internal combustion engine version of the CLA, which is a hybrid,
it has a 1.3 kilowatt hour battery. It has a 48 low voltage system, just like the Cybertruck,
which is pretty interesting. They haven't given us a figure in terms of performance and range and
miles per gallon with this battery, but at 1.3 kilowatt hour battery, that's pretty small. I
can't imagine this is going to be used for a lot of all electric driving, like how we see in some
plug-in hybrids. Mercedes says it's going to be used for lower speeds below 27 miles an hour.
So a lot of in-city driving, but 1.3 kilowatt hours, you're not going to get more than like
five miles out of that. And so, yeah, just, I guess, through your neighborhood, I guess,
at that point, a 1.3 kilowatt hour battery, it doesn't even make sense to make it a hybrid,
unless you're just trying to boost the fuel economy just a bit. But that's what we know.
If you guys are excited as I am, let me know down in the comments what your favorite part of the
CLA EV was. As I said a million times, I'm already excited. I would love to do an out-of-spec,
long-distance race test between the Model 3 and the Ioniq 6 and the I4 and the Polestar 4 and
maybe some of the other EVs we have out there. Of course, we did the I-90 series with a bunch of
other EV sedans. We got to do a rerun because this thing, I think, is going to put up some pretty
good competition. But those are the specs and details about the Mercedes-Benz
CLA, the 250 plus, as well as the 350 for Matic. Thank you guys so much for watching.
My name is Isaiah and I will see you guys in the next one.
About this episode
The Mercedes CLA EV has been unveiled, showcasing impressive features like an 800V architecture, 320kW charging capability, and a range of up to 500 miles. This episode dives into the details of the CLA EV's performance, including its two powertrain options, a two-speed transmission, and unique features like adaptive ambient lighting and a frunk. The hosts discuss the competitive landscape against rivals like the Tesla Model 3 and BMW i4, while also highlighting Mercedes' commitment to sustainability with recycled materials in the vehicle's construction. Excitement builds for its arrival in the U.S. later this fall.
In this episode of the Out of Spec Podcast, Isaiah dives into the details of the newly unveiled Mercedes CLA with EQ Technology... yes that's the name. With 800V high voltage architecture, 320kW peak charging, and almost 500 miles of range (WLTP) , Mercedes is stepping up its EV game with their MMA platform. Let's talk about it.
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