Battery sizes: 58 - 85 kWh
E-Rating™: A+
Max charge rate: 320kW
WLTP range: 300 - 465 miles (est) 
Introduction and model history - 2026 Mercedes CLA
Mercedes-Benz is revolutionising its compact 'coupe-like saloon' - the CLA - by offering it in full BEV guise for the first time. Set to take on rivals like the Polestar 2, Tesla Model 3, BMW I4 and BYD Seal, the new, electric Mercedes CLA isn’t holding back on the specification.
Base versions of the electric Merc CLA will feature rear-wheel drive and one motor, combined with a smaller 58kWh battery, with higher spec models gaining a 4Matic four-wheel drive with a decoupling front motor, a larger silicon carbide chemistry 85kWh battery pack. A two-speed gearbox, 800 Volt technology, intelligent brake regeneration, a multi-source heat pump and up to 320kW DC charging power is technology derived from Mercedes-Benz’s record-breaking Vision EQXX concept car.
Based on Mercedes-Benz’s MMA platform, which accepts both full BEV drive and combustion engines with 48V mild hybrid drive, the BEV will lead the model charge when it’s introduced early in 2026, with the production models anticipated to be revealed later this March.
Range, battery and charging
Being a pre-production prototype drive, Mercedes-Benz’s press people and engineers are remaining tight-lipped about exact numbers for the Merc CLA EV, but they will admit that they’re aiming for a range of in excess of 465 miles, which is very impressive and will better rivals from BMW, BYD, Polestar and Tesla. Naturally, that long range will be associated with the range-topping model, which benefits from an 85kWh li-ion NMC battery, with lesser models making do with a 58kWh with lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells. You can read about the pros and cons of NMC and LFP batteries, right here.
While the smaller battery inevitably won’t have the headline range of its more expensive relation, it still promises good range due to Mercedes-Benz throwing all its most innovative tech at the CLA. This includes silicon carbide inverters, which basically help to manage battery temperature, reduce weight and improve the efficiency of the electric motors. There's also a two-speed gearbox (a bit like on the Porsche Taycan) and a neat, effective multi-source heat pump.
With the potential to charge at up to 320kW depending on model, there’s the possibility to add as much as 186 miles in under ten minutes, which would make the new Mercedes CLA one of the fastest charging electric cars out there, as well as one of the most efficient. All of this tech means that - going by official figures - it'll manage well over 5.0 miles/kWh. Nice!
Practicality and boot space
We’re very early to the party with the CLA, gaining access to a prototype, here... Unfortunately, the boot was filled with measuring equipment, but even so, it promises to offer similar levels of space as its predecessor, which has 395-litres of boot space. Think decent accommodation for four normally proportioned adults, with a boot that’ll take their carry-on luggage instead of full-on suitcases…
Interior, design/styling and technology
Again, this was a prototype, meaning virtually all the interior was covered with photography-shielding black fabric, though those touch points we felt, and the instrumentation we saw all chimed with the high level of quality that we’ve come to expect from Mercedes. We’ll be able to reveal more in the coming weeks when Mercedes-Benz releases full details, interior pics and specs for the all-new, production-ready, electric Mercedes CLA.
Motors, performance and handling
We experienced the range-topping, four-wheel drive, dual motor setup, which gets around 268bhp at the rear and 107bhp at the front. The front motor decouples when it's not needed for power/recuperation, to help with that efficiency. In this form, the CLA felt brisk, even on winter tyres across a frozen lake. The immediacy of response is particularly impressive, not just in acceleration, but in braking, too. Mercedes has developed a new Brake Control System to deliver a brake pedal that produces excellent pedal feel, without the vagueness and poor blending between brake regen' and physical friction brakes that many BEVs suffer from. It works, too; the CLA’s brakes feel more natural than some rivals’ systems.
Similarly, the chassis set-up is typically surefooted as you’d expect from Mercedes-Benz, though agile and enjoyable at the same time. A brief run in the CLA hybrid highlighted just how much more enjoyable and able the BEV was, particularly in regard to engagement, so the fully-electric Mercedes CLA is definitely the driver’s choice.
Running costs and pricing
We’re making educated guesses here, as we have no figures, but expect prices to be higher than the mainstream alternatives thanks to that Mercedes-Benz badge, though not punitively so. Running costs should work out well, with Merc's promise of excellent efficiency meaning that you’ll get further on your charge than in some alternatives.
Verdict
We’ll reserve our final judgement on the electric Merc CLA until we’ve got all the official numbers to crunch, not to mention UK pricing and exact model details. But on evidence of our early access, it’s clear that Mercedes-Benz is aiming to take a sizeable chunk of the smaller, premium electric car marketplace - and it looks like it could do that quite convincingly, too. The CLA loads up a lot of innovate, efficiency-enhancing technology to deliver a useful potential range, allied with the possibility of rapid charging, too.
Don't forget to have a look at Nicola's walkaround vid of the very lovely CLA concept car, which also hints at what we'll see from the Merc's new baby electric executive car when it finally arrives. We'll bring you more details as soon as we have them, so pop back to Electrifying.com soon, for our full, complete verdict.
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