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The new Mercedes CLA is being introduced as an electric car for the first time. Mercedes will use a well-known Chinese-made battery.
At the IAA in Munich Mercedes with the CLA Concept a brief preview of the new Mercedes CLA. The four-door coupe or shooting brake from Stuttgart will make its debut as an EV. The CLA does this with impressive (electrical) specifications: 750 kilometers of range (WLTP), a consumption of only 12 kWh per 100 kilometers and a fast charging capacity of 250 kW. And the expected engine power of 328 hp is also no joke.
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Battery from BYD
These specifications are reserved for the top version of the CLA. Mercedes is installing a completely new battery with a very high energy density thanks to the use of silicon oxide.
There is also something interesting to report about the battery packs at the bottom of the range. According to Chinese sources, Mercedes is using the Blade Battery from the Chinese battery giant and car manufacturer for the entry-level versions of the CLA BYD to use. The brand itself uses this LFP battery, for example, in the Atto 3 WORLDand Tesla also uses it in its entry-level models Tesla Model Y. The reason is that the blade battery has some nice distinguishing features.
Indestructible and compact
First of all, the Blade batteries are ‘indestructible’ according to BYD. They have been subjected to various tests by the Chinese to test their strength with great success. For example, the Blade battery would not have budged when a heavy truck drove over it and it also passed the nail test with flying colors. That is the most important indicator of fire safety. The Blade Battery proved to be resistant even to temperatures of 300 degrees.
Furthermore, the BYD battery is very compact. This is due to the flat way in which the cells are arranged, hence the name Blade Battery. This technique allows twice as many cells to fit in the same space. Finally, the Blade Battery is a lot cheaper than the current lithium-ion batteries. Because the Blade battery is an LFP battery (lithium iron phosphate battery), expensive cobalt and nickel are not required for production. This greatly reduces production costs and also means less impact on the environment.