The Electric Mercedes CLA Broke a Porsche Taycan Record

CEO Ola Källenius says the new CLA is the 'most intelligent car' the company has ever made.

Photo by: Mercedes-Benz

Adrian Padeanu

By: Adrian Padeanu

Nov 7, 2024 at 2:32am ET

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The electric Mercedes CLA covered 2,309 miles in 24 hours.
It beat a 2019 record set by a Porsche Taycan.
The third-generation Mercedes CLA will also be offered with a combustion engine made in China.

The new CLA isn’t even out yet, but Mercedes is happy to report that its smallest sedan has already set a record. The first fully electric version managed to cover 2,309 miles in a 24-hour interval, besting a record established by Porsche in 2019. The Taycan did 2,128 miles at the same Nardo test track in Italy—the CLA EV beat it by 181 miles.

On the 7.8-mile Nardo Ring banked oval, the zero-emission CLA averaged 95 miles per hour and had to be recharged 40 times, with each stop taking about 10 minutes. The electric compact sedan didn’t move for about 6 hours and 40 minutes, or nearly 28% of the 24 hours. Rather than making fewer, longer stops, Mercedes capitalized on the car’s 800V electric architecture and DC charging, enabling an initial charge boost.

During the record-breaking run, which actually took place back in April, the near-production prototype’s battery dropped to 10% before the CLA made those 40 pit stops to recharge it back to 55% or a bit more. The car only covered approximately 60 miles between charges. Mercedes remains tight-lipped about the technical specifications, but we do know that it used a rear-wheel-drive variant with a single motor and a two-speed transmission. A beefier dual-motor, all-wheel-drive model will be offered.

Although the brand is focusing on the electric CLA, there will be versions with a combustion engine. The BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe rival will be offered with a newly developed 2.0-liter gasoline engine made in China by Horse Powertrain. If that doesn't ring a bell, it’s a joint venture between Geely and Renault. We’ll remind you that Chinese investor Li Shufu, founder and chairman of Geely, has a 9.69% share in Mercedes. Side note–China's BAIC Group has another 9.98% of the company’s voting rights.

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The overhauled CLA will go on sale next year, but the initial variants will be electric. The mild-hybrid models are expected to hit the market about six months later. The sedan will be joined by another CLA Shooting Brake, which should once again be a traditional wagon despite its fancy title. The Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture will also underpin the next-gen GLA and GLB crossovers.

The off-road-oriented “Little “G” announced last year is likely to utilize the same MMA platform. We’re not expecting another A-Class sedan or a B-Class minivan.