The platform will underpin the German automaker’s push into electric cars. The platform will underpin the German automaker’s push into electric cars.
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
and BMW took the wraps off electric concept cars as they look to catch up with Tesla in the premium end of the market.At the IAA auto show in Munich, Mercedes showed off the Mercedes-Benz Concept CLA Class while BMW revealed the BMW Vision Neue Klasse.
These cars are built on an entirely new platforms from the German automakers that will underpin both their EV offerings for the coming years, in what has been their most aggressive push into battery-powered vehicles yet.
They are concept cars, so it’s unclear what their final form will look like when they’re eventually produced. But here’s a closer look at Mercedes and BMW’s offerings.
Mercedes-Benz Concept CLA Class
The Mercedes-Benz Concept CLA Class is built on the so-called Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture (MMA), a new platform designed by the German auto giant for electric cars.
The range will comprise a total of four new models — a four-door coupe, an estate and two sports utility vehicles.
Mercedes claims the car will have a range of 750 kilometres (466 miles) on a single charge. The company also claims that in just 15 minutes, the battery can be charged so the car can be driven 400 kilometers.
Mercedes touted the fast-charging capabilities and long-range batter of the Concept CLA Class.
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes has placed a big focus on the interior and user experience. The company has announced that it will be developing a new operating system called MB.OS for the car. This will help power various features from the giant screen across the dashboard to the voice assistant within the car.
It will also allow third-party apps, such as your favorite music or video streaming apps, to be integrated with the vehicle.
“This proprietary chip-to-cloud architecture represents a completely new approach for the company and will be a largely hidden yet defining aspect of all its future vehicles,” Mercedes-Benz said in a press release.
Mercedes said it focused on digitizing the interior of the Concept CLA Class. This includes a virtual assistant and support for third-party apps.
Mercedes-Benz
Traditional automakers have been perceived as being behind Tesla on the software front. The BMW Vision Neue Klasse, BMW’s response to Tesla, is built on a new architecture that will underpin BMW’s future electric cars. The concept car has a glass top. CNBC
BMW said the car will contain what it calls Panoramic Vision, a heads-up display which projects information on the windscreen at the eyeline of the driver.
The company said this will first be available in the Neue Klasse. BMW stated that both the driver and passenger will be able interact with Panoramic Vision. BMW says that the new technology will increase the charging speed and range of the Neue Klasse model by 30 percent. BMW says the 21-inch aerodynamic wheel “pays tribute to the classic motorsport cross-spoke design”. “
Arjun Kharpal | CNBC