How many kilometres can an all-electric CLA cover in 24 hours, including charging stops and driver changes? That was the question faced by the development team working to optimise the efficiency of the new all-electric compact class models. The impressive answer was provided by “Project N”, the internal code name for a project that is as secret as it is ambitious. N for Nardò: two close-to-production prototypes of the CLA set off on this high-speed route in southern Italy at the beginning of April 2024.
A CLA covered exactly 3,717 kilometres within 24 hours – and got further than other near-production electric vehicles The distance of the endurance run is equivalent to a trip from Trondheim (Norway) to Istanbul (Turkey). Air temperatures ranged from 13 °C at night to 29 °C during the day. The tarmac was even hotter.
The vehicle's battery was charged exactly 40 times at a standard charging station during the 24-hour test. The charging breaks only lasted around 10 minutes each time. If these are taken into account, the average speed was a remarkable 154.9 km/h. In the run-up to the drive, the experts at Mercedes determined the ideal charging strategy to maximise the average speed. On a real long-distance journey, this optimisation takes place via navigation with Electric Intelligence.
A CLA covered exactly 3,717 kilometres within 24 hours – and got further than other near-production electric vehicles The distance of the endurance run is equivalent to a trip from Trondheim (Norway) to Istanbul (Turkey). Air temperatures ranged from 13 °C at night to 29 °C during the day. The tarmac was even hotter.
The vehicle's battery was charged exactly 40 times at a standard charging station during the 24-hour test. The charging breaks only lasted around 10 minutes each time. If these are taken into account, the average speed was a remarkable 154.9 km/h. In the run-up to the drive, the experts at Mercedes determined the ideal charging strategy to maximise the average speed. On a real long-distance journey, this optimisation takes place via navigation with Electric Intelligence.
Category
🚗
MotorTranscript
00:00We are here in Nardo, in southern Italy.
00:05A dignified test site with many Mercedes records, but not a single record of a Mercedes electric vehicle.
00:12There is someone here who has driven 24 hours in a circle with an electric vehicle.
00:17The project started with these pictures and we want to beat that.
00:22Two years ago, I said to myself, we can do better.
00:26And we were able to convince the company to try it out.
00:30How many kilometers can we really do?
00:33We simulated it very well and drove the model five times to the moon.
00:41And from this idea came reality.
00:44We said, exciting question, how many kilometers can an electric vehicle go in 24 hours?
00:50We were on the wind tunnel with the vehicles.
00:59Aerodynamics plays a very important role in efficiency.
01:03Especially because we drive at high speeds in Nardo.
01:07And the higher the speed, the more influence the aerodynamics have.
01:11It is all the more important that we can represent the low CW value with this camouflage.
01:17There are two cars on the track at the same time.
01:20We start at a short distance of 20 minutes.
01:23The 516 is the actual record vehicle and the 559 is the backup.
01:4625 seconds, 10 seconds, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, finish.
02:073,700 kilometers brings the round to an end.
02:12Madness, absolute madness.
02:17Yes, mega, mega, right?
02:24This car, how many kilometers is it electric?
02:273,717 kilometers in 24 hours.
02:30And I don't think any electric car has done that before.
02:33And this is the ultimate opponent for electric mobility.
02:36Fast driving and fast charging.
02:46www.Flydreamers.com