(CNN) — Mercedes-Benz has just revealed designs for its new ‘next-production’ vehicles that can outpace Tesla cars by going over 750 kilometers on a single charge. This compares to a range of less than 610 km for any Tesla model.
Mercedes CLA Class Concept, which was submitted This Sunday at the IAA Mobility Motor Show in Munich, it has four new models: a sedan, a station wagon and two SUVs. The company did not specify when exactly production will begin.
Each vehicle will be able to travel more than 750 km on a single charge, compared to the vehicle Model 3 and the Models from Tesla (TSLA), whose range is the highest of that brand and each can travel just under 600 kilometers per charge.
For its part, BMW also caused a stir at the show by unveiling a new electric car with a longer range and faster charging, in further evidence of the German automaker’s efforts to fend off growing competition from electric cars.
Major European automakers such as Volkswagen and Renault are already under pressure from Chinese rivals with cheaper electric cars, while Tesla Inc has pledged to transform its factory near Berlin into the largest automaker in Europe.
The BMW Vision Neue Klasse, which is still in the design phase, uses newly developed battery cells that can store 20% more energy than those previously used by the company. Overall, charging speed and range are expected to improve by up to 30% compared to previous models of the brand, according to the company.
“With Neue Klasse, we have embarked on the largest investment in the company’s history,” he said. It’s a statement Frank Weber, Member of the BMW Management Board.
The new car should be launched in 2025.
The new Mercedes CLA Class was unveiled at the Munich Motor Show this weekend (Mercedes-Benz AG)
For Mercedes, the CLA-class aims to represent “an all-electric segment of Mercedes-Benz’s entry-level vehicles”, which would attract more buyers, according to CEO Ola Kallenius.
The new vehicles, he said, “could easily get you from Munich to Hamburg on a single charge.”
The increased range may help the car company attract more customers, as this issue is cited as an important consideration in consumer decisions about whether or not to buy an electric vehicle.
Kallenius also teased another upcoming vehicle on Sunday while discussing Mercedes’ G-class, its SUV range, saying, “It’s going to be an electric mini G.” The new vehicle can compete with the Tesla Model Y, which is also a compact SUV.
In a report on Thursday, UBS analysts said they had received a preview of the company’s latest models and felt “very comfortable” about Mercedes’ product line for the next two to three years.
Analysts added that in another encouraging sign, the company’s management has also indicated that it is confident that the new electric vehicles will “achieve the same profitability” as their gasoline-powered counterparts.
