ElectricSedanLong-range saloon
Mercedes-Benz CLA Electric
The electric version of Mercedes-Benz's CLA, launched in 2025 on an 800-volt platform with an 85 kWh battery in the longer-range versions and also sold as a Shooting Brake estate.
Names and versions: Sold as CLA with EQ Technology (CLA 200, CLA 250, CLA 250+, CLA 350 4MATIC) and as the CLA Shooting Brake estate; NHTSA lists CLA 250+ (EV) and CLA 350 4MATIC (EV); a hybrid petrol CLA is sold alongside.
Official range
up to792 kmWLTP
Rapid charging, as claimed
Official range
up to792 kmWLTP
Market or version specificBattery
85 kWh usable
Market or version specificRapid charging
up to320 kW
Market or version specificEfficiency
from12.3 kWh/100 km
Market or version specificIs the Mercedes-Benz CLA Electric worth considering?
Our view. The CLA is unusually efficient: Edmunds beat the EPA range by 16% with a CLA 250+ and by 23% with a CLA 350 4MATIC, and NAF's summer test of a Shooting Brake came within 5% of WLTP. Severe cold cuts it hard, though: NAF measured 421 km against 709 km WLTP at down to −31 °C, with peak charging falling to 198 kW.
What independent tests found
- Claims checked
- 4 of 4 hold up
- Winter range
- 76% of official
- Safety
- 5 stars, Euro NCAP 2025
- Evidence
- 9 tests from 5 testers
Range
- Edmunds Edmunds EV Range Test, 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250+, September 2026
434 mi vs 374 mi EPA
Beats the claim · 116% Published reference2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250+, RWD (EPA 374 miles as listed by Edmunds). Edmunds route, about 60% city and 40% highway, climate on auto at 72 °F, 66 °F ambient, US. 15.9% above EPA at 23.2 kWh/100 mi against 27; date is when Edmunds' results table was last updated, not the test date.
- Edmunds Edmunds EV Range Test, 2027 Mercedes-Benz CLA 350 4MATIC, September 2026
385 mi vs 312 mi EPA
Beats the claim · 123% Published reference2027 Mercedes-Benz CLA 350 4MATIC Electric, AWD. Edmunds route, about 60% city and 40% highway, climate on auto at 72 °F, 68 °F ambient, US. 23.2% above EPA at 25.7 kWh/100 mi against 29; a low-speed mixed route, so motorway range will be lower.
- NAF NAF / Motor El Prix winter range test 2026
421 km vs 709 km WLTP
Cold-weather result · 59% Published referenceMercedes-Benz CLA 350 4MATIC (saloon), 85 kWh net as listed by NAF. −8 to −31 °C, colder with altitude, dry roads, Norway. 40.6% below WLTP at 19 kWh/100 km in extreme cold; the car drove normally down to 0% and 0 km shown.
- NAF NAF / Motor El Prix summer range test 2026
675 km vs 708 km WLTP
Holds up · 95% Published referenceMercedes-Benz CLA 350 4MATIC Shooting Brake. NAF summer range test route, Norway; temperatures not stated on the page. 4.7% below the WLTP figure NAF lists for this Shooting Brake, at 13.2 kWh/100 km; the estate body has the same drivetrain as the saloon.
Efficiency
- ADAC ADAC Autotest, Mercedes CLA 350 4MATIC (2026), July 2026
14.8 kWh/100 km
Published referenceMercedes-Benz CLA 350 4MATIC with EQ Technology. ADAC test consumption; only the article's summary is public, the full test needs a free ADAC login. ADAC's summary gives 14.8 kWh/100 km and a tested range of 672 km; official figure left out because Mercedes quotes a 12.7–15.2 kWh/100 km band for this version and the test conditions could not be read.
Rapid charging
- NAF NAF / Motor El Prix winter charging test 2026
24 min 10–80% vs 22 min 10–80% manufacturer claim
Cold-weather result · 92% Published referenceMercedes-Benz CLA 350 4MATIC (saloon), 85 kWh net. Winter; car driven warm and battery preconditioned where possible, 10–80%. Two minutes over the claim, with a 198 kW peak reached just after plugging in, well below the 320 kW claimed.
- NAF NAF / Motor El Prix summer charging test 2026
23 min 10–80% vs 22 min 10–80% manufacturer claim
Holds up · 96% Published referenceMercedes-Benz CLA 350 4MATIC Shooting Brake. Summer; car driven warm and battery preconditioned where possible; NAF reports 10–80% (its curve covers 5–85%). One minute over the claim, with a 353 kW peak, above the 320 kW Mercedes quotes.
Safety rating
- Euro NCAP Euro NCAP 2025 rating, Mercedes-Benz CLA
5 stars
Published referenceMercedes-Benz CLA 250+ AMG Line saloon. Euro NCAP 2025 protocols; adult occupant 94%, child occupant 89%, vulnerable road users 93%, safety assist 85%. Five stars and Best in Class 2025, published 10 December 2025; the rating covers all listed electric saloon and estate variants.
Recalls
- NHTSA NHTSA recall database, Mercedes-Benz CLA (EV), October 2026
1 campaigns
Published reference2026 CLA 250+ (EV) and CLA 350 4MATIC (EV), US market. Model years 2026–2027: 26V278 (front passenger seat belt retractor). One campaign, filed in May 2026, covering both US versions; no 2027 records were listed.
Measured figures are compared only with an official figure in the same unit and test basis; the bar’s tick marks 100% of the claim. Winter results are shown, not judged. How the evidence check works.
How far can it go?
The published reference is Up to 792 km. WLTP, Mercedes-Benz Germany: up to 792 km for the CLA 250+. Mercedes-Benz UK lists 328 miles for the CLA 200 and 480 miles for the CLA 250+. US EPA on fueleconomy.gov: 312 miles CLA 350 4MATIC, 317 or 374 miles for the two listed CLA 250+ variants. Compare it only with figures from the same test cycle.
Against other electric cars in the file, on a 0–1000 km scale
- Mercedes-Benz CLA Electric Up to 792 km
- Audi Q4 e-tron 375–563 km
- Audi Q6 e-tron 598–641 km
- BMW i4 386–600 km
- BMW iX1 434–516 km
- BYD Atto 2 312–430 km
- BYD Atto 3 Up to 420 km
- BYD Dolphin Surf 220–322 km
- BYD Seal 460–570 km
- BYD Sealion 7 456–502 km
- Cadillac Lyriq 285–326 miles
- Chevrolet Equinox EV 288–319 miles
- Citroën ë-C3 Up to 202 miles
- Ford Mustang Mach-E 240–320 miles
- Hyundai Inster 327–370 km
- Hyundai Ioniq 5 Up to 570 km
- Hyundai Ioniq 6 521–680 km
- Hyundai Kona Electric 380–510 km
- Kia EV3 Up to 605 km
- Kia EV5 505–530 km
- Kia EV6 Up to 582 km
- Kia EV9 Up to 563 km
- Leapmotor C10 420–510 km
- Lucid Air 372–512 miles
- MG MG4 EV Up to 545 km
- Nissan Leaf 451–623 km
- Peugeot E-3008 Up to 435 miles
- Polestar 2 568–659 km
- Polestar 4 590–620 km
- Renault 5 E-Tech Up to 430 km
- Renault Scenic E-Tech Up to 642 km
- Rivian R1S 258–410 miles
- Škoda Elroq 408–577 km
- Škoda Enyaq 428–584 km
- Tesla Model 3 Up to 750 km
- Tesla Model Y Up to 622 km
- Toyota bZ4X 444–569 km
- Volkswagen ID.3 Up to 630 km
- Volkswagen ID.4 Up to 574 km
- Volkswagen ID.7 Up to 709 km
- Volvo EX30 337–475 km
- Xiaomi SU7 720–902 km
Speed, temperature, wind, elevation, tyres, load and cabin heating or cooling all change real-world range. How EPA, WLTP and CLTC differ.
How quickly does it charge?
The highest published DC figure is Up to 320 kW. 320 kW for the CLA 250+ and CLA 350 4MATIC; 10–80% in 22 minutes claimed for the CLA 250+ and 20 minutes for the CLA 200 (Mercedes-Benz UK); up to 325 km added in 10 minutes (Mercedes-Benz Germany).. A peak rate is reached briefly; the average across a session is lower.
Home charging time depends on the energy added, the car’s AC limit, the charger and the supply. Estimate a session with this car’s battery.
What to check before buying
- Who is it for?
- Drivers who cover long distances and want a compact premium saloon or estate with a very long range and fast charging, and who can accept the limited interior space ADAC points out.
- What needs checking?
- Range depends heavily on version and battery: the CLA 200 is rated far below the CLA 250+. In the US, check whether 2026 cars have had recall 26V278 (front passenger seat belt retractor) done.
- What is the evidence?
- Official WLTP figures from Mercedes-Benz Germany and UK, EPA figures, two Edmunds range tests, NAF winter and summer range and charging tests, a summary of ADAC's test, Euro NCAP's 2025 rating and the NHTSA recall database.
Evidence record
4 figures, each linked to where it starts. A published value is not automatically the right value for every trim or country.
| Figure | Value | Condition | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official range | Up to 792 km | Market or version specific WLTP, Mercedes-Benz Germany: up to 792 km for the CLA 250+. Mercedes-Benz UK lists 328 miles for the CLA 200 and 480 miles for the CLA 250+. US EPA on fueleconomy.gov: 312 miles CLA 350 4MATIC, 317 or 374 miles for the two listed CLA 250+ variants. | Official manufacturer site (Germany) Checked 18 October 2026 |
| Battery | 85 kWh usable | Market or version specific Usable capacity for the CLA 250+ and CLA 350 4MATIC, from Mercedes-Benz Italia's launch release. Mercedes does not give the capacity of the CLA 200 and CLA 250 on the pages checked. | Mercedes-Benz Italia press release Checked 18 October 2026 |
| Rapid charging | Up to 320 kW | Market or version specific 320 kW for the CLA 250+ and CLA 350 4MATIC; 10–80% in 22 minutes claimed for the CLA 250+ and 20 minutes for the CLA 200 (Mercedes-Benz UK); up to 325 km added in 10 minutes (Mercedes-Benz Germany). | Official manufacturer site (UK) Checked 18 October 2026 |
| Efficiency | From 12.3 kWh/100 km | Market or version specific WLTP combined, Mercedes-Benz Germany: 12.3–14.7 kWh/100 km CLA 200, 12.4–14.7 CLA 250, 12.3–14.6 CLA 250+, 12.7–15.2 CLA 350 4MATIC. US EPA: 27–31 kWh/100 mi. | Official manufacturer site (Germany) Checked 18 October 2026 |