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.