Mercedes-Benz CLA Runs Out Of Charge And Gets Towed By A Sprinter
Giancarlo Perlas March 30, 2023Recently, a video surfaced online of a prototype of the Mercedes-Benz CLA electric vehicle (EV) running out of charge and getting towed by a Sprinter van.
What Happened
The footage was taken while the prototype was crawling on the road, struggling to make it to the Mercedes test center in northern Europe. The EV was just six miles away from the destination when it started to show signs of battery drain. Eventually, its power pack was completely depleted, and it could not go any further, stopping at approximately 1.6 miles away from the test center.
The prototype was then towed for the rest of its journey by a diesel-fed Sprinter. The EV had a familiar silhouette and was likely hiding the production body but with fake door handles and provisional lights. Nevertheless, all clues point to the unit being a prototype for an entry-level car for Mercedes, which is most likely the next-generation CLA coupe.
It should be noted that although this particular CLA is entirely electric, Mercedes plans to sell the range with internal combustion engines (ICE) as well.
The Next-Generation Mercedes-Benz CLA Coupe
The next-gen Mercedes CLA will likely absorb the EQA powertrain in its fold, considering that the latter is reportedly getting discontinued soon in order to streamline the existing product offerings of the three-pointed star marque to focus only on its core models. With that, the MMA platform-based car will possibly be sold in mild-hybrid, plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), and full-EV trims when it rolls out late next year or early 2025.
