Mercedes unveils new electric concept cars with better range than any Tesla model
Business
The new vehicle is due to roll out in 2025
(Web Desk): Mercedes-Benz has just unveiled new “close-to-production” concept vehicles that could outdo Tesla cars by going more than 466 miles on a single charge.
That’s compared with a range of less than 380 miles for any Tesla model.
The German automaker’s Concept CLA Class, revealed Sunday at the IAA Mobility auto show in Munich, comprises four new models: a sedan, a station wagon and two SUVs. The company did not specify when exactly they would enter production.
The vehicles will each have a range of more than 750 kilometers (466 miles), versus Tesla’s (TSLA) Model 3 and Model S, which have the brand’s highest ranges and each can go for just under 375 miles off one charge.
Meanwhile, BMW also made a splash at the show by revealing a new electric vehicle that boasts a longer range and faster charging, in further evidence of German automakers’ efforts to fend off growing EV competition.
Big European carmakers such as Volkswagen and Renault are already being squeezed by Chinese rivals in cheaper EVs, while Tesla has vowed to turn its factory near Berlin into Europe’s biggest car plant.
BMW’s Vision Neue Klasse vehicle, also still in concept stage, uses newly developed battery cells that can store over 20% more energy than those previously used by the company. Overall, charging speed and range are expected to be improved by up to 30% compared with the brand’s previous models, according to the company.
“With the Neue Klasse, we have embarked on the biggest investment in the company’s history,” Frank Weber, a BMW board member, said in a statement.
