Mercedes-Benz has announced the first details of the drive systems for the new CLA. In addition to the BEV with 800 V technology, hybrid versions will also be offered.
Mercedes-Benz CLA on a test drive
Mercedes-Benz AG
Mercedes-Benz is bringing the drive technology presented in the Vision EQXX with an 800 V system and silicon carbide (SiC) inverter to the new Mercedes CLA. The electric drive unit (EDU 2.0) of the upcoming all-electric MMA (Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture) models offers a 200 kW (272 hp) electric drive unit with a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PSM) on the rear axle and two-speed transmission. The 4Matic models also have an 80 kW (109 PS) drive unit on the front axle, which is also equipped with an SiC inverter.
The battery housing is part of the vehicle structure and integrated into the crash concept. The repairable batteries comprise four large cell modules with hardcase cells; in the top version, the battery offers a usable energy content of 85 kWh in total. To increase the energy density, they have anodes in which silicon oxide is added to the graphite. The proportion of cobalt has been further reduced. The entry-level variant uses a battery with lithium iron phosphate cathodes (LFP). The usable energy content there is 58 kWh. An intelligent thermal management system also offers battery preconditioning. Fast DC charging with outputs of up to 320 kW is to be used for the top battery, so that up to 36 kWh of energy can be recharged in ten minutes. The recuperation output is expected to be up to 200 kW.
New Hybrid Drive
The new MMA model family will also be available with an electrified internal combustion engine. The four-cylinder 1.5-liter gasoline engine works in the Miller cycle and has been newly developed. The engine, with the type designation M 252, belongs to the modular FAME engine family. The electric motor, inverter and transmission form a highly integrated unit. The electric motor is integrated into the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission (8F-eDCT). Initially, three power levels will be offered: 100 kW (136 hp), 120 kW (163 hp) and 140 kW (190 hp), with the 20 kW electric drive power added to each of these. The 48-volt battery has a capacity of up to 1.3 kWh. The hybrid models can drive and recuperate purely electrically. The new Mercedes-Benz CLA is to be presented later this year.
This is a partly automated translation of this German article.
