Mercedes-Benz will reportedly launch the first production EV to benefit from the technological advancements of the highly efficient Vision EQXX rolling laboratory in 2024.
The next-generation model, which currently does not have a name, will be the first launched under the brand's "entry luxury" branding and will be a four-door sedan sized similarly to the CLA, Mercedes-Benz head of exterior design, Robert Lesnik, told Autocar.
Essentially an electric correspondent of the ICE-powered Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the EV will be around 4.7 meters (185 inches) long, giving the brand a much needed competitor in the segment currently disputed by the Tesla Model 3, BMW i4 and Polestar 2. An AMG performance variant will follow in 2025, and it will get some of the EQXX's active aerodynamics, including a moving diffuser and active spoiler, Lesnik confirmed.
While the automaker has been clear that the Vision EQXX will not directly evolve into a production car, the executive admitted that CLA-sized EV will get visual inspiration from the ultra-aerodynamic concept, with obvious compromises for the sake of practicality.
Gallery: Future Mercedes-Benz compact electric sedan rendered by Motor1.com
More importantly, the upcoming EV will be packed with technology from the EQXX. The model will be among the first to use the Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture (MMA) previewed by the EQXX's bespoke chassis.
Made for small and mid-sized EVs, the dedicated EV platform promises unprecedented range and performance capabilities. The Vision EQXX, for example, achieved a range of 1,202 kilometers (747 miles) in June this year, driving from Stuttgart in Germany to the Silverstone racetrack in the UK on a full battery charge. The production car most likely won't be able to achieve that, but a target of 400-500 miles seems realistic.
Mercedes-Benz does not say whether the new EV coming in 2024 will feature the same battery tech from the EQXX, which has a CATL-supplied battery with a capacity of around 100 kWh that's about 35 percent lighter and roughly half the size of the 107.8-kWh pack used by the EQS. In the concept, the compact pack allowed for a more spacious cabin as well as lower vehicle weight and height, enhances both range and handling.
However, it's safe to assume that at least some of the Mercedes-Benz EQXX's battery breakthroughs will make it to the production model. Another essential part of the MMA platform will be a new-generation electric motor that's smaller, lighter and more efficient compared to motors of similar output. Dubbed eATS 2.0 for now, the new motor will significantly increases efficiency while freeing up space in the chassis and reducing weight.
