Benz EV will be different in looks and performance

Mercedes-Benz is releasing an EV design which will stand out in a ‘sea of sameness’ and go more than 750km on a single charge.

Mercedes-Benz Concept CLA Class points the way for the next-generation electric-drive technology

On the eve of unveiling a new-generation, long-range electric car – which can go further on a single charge than any Tesla – the head of Mercedes-Benz design has delivered a stinging rebuke against “the sea of sameness” which pervades in EVs around the world.

“They [electric cars] all look alike,” design boss Gordon Wagener said.

“Even I, as an expert in design, when we put them in our [design] presentations, I cannot tell the difference.

“They are all fastback, they have similar faces, whatever. I think that we will make a difference with our iconic [design] and that will set us apart from that sea of sameness.”

Two of the biggest heavy hitters of German luxury manufacturing, BMW and Mercedes-Benz are releasing publicly their newest EV design concept at the Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (IAA) Mobility show in Munich this week, preparing to take on the US interloper, Tesla, which opened its first European gigafactory in Berlin-Brandenberg last year.

Benz unveiled a near-production concept version of its CLA sedan which it says can go more than 750km on a single charge. The vehicle is the first to be built on Mercedes’ all-new EV platform and is fitted with a battery system it claims can add 400km of range in just 15 minutes of charging.

Like its German rivals, Mercedes has committed to an all-EV architecture for its new cars from 2025, and will go entirely electric by the end of the decade, bringing an intense global interest to events such the IAA Munich, where start-up companies rub charging cables with some of the world’s largest manufacturers.

The IAA is the world’s largest mobility trade fair, with products ranging from electric scooters and e-bikes to EVs, battery tech and recharging concepts.

Tesla’s goal is to build a million cars a year in Berlin, taking the EV fight directly to the heart of Germany’s manufacturing heartland. The gigafactory is building the Model Y SUV now and is expected to be one of the production sources for the much-rumoured compact Model 2 due in 2025.

BMW was first out of the gate at IAA Munich, revealing its shark-nosed, high-backed Vision New Class, which promises a 40 per cent efficiency gain on the electric drivetrains on offer from the luxury brand today.

Wagener, who has been Mercedes’ chief design officer and on the company’s board since 2019, described the CLA concept as the “2.0” mark in the company’s EV future.

“This is the first glimpse of 2.0,” he said guardedly.

“We are not putting our entire strategy out now. The menu will emerge over time. This is like the starter course.”