Mercedes-Benz CLA Production Will Increase Following Strong Demand

The new-generation Mercedes-Benz CLA was unveiled around three months ago, and the market has welcomed it enthusiastically. Demand has been strong enough for the German manufacturer to confirm an increase in production.

Mercedes-Benz CLA production steps up

Joerg Burzer, Mercedes-Benz’s head of production, told Automobilwoche that the Rastatt plant in Germany will move to a three-shift daily operation during the second half of the year to meet substantial demand for the new Mercedes-Benz CLA. He described the response as “very encouraging”.

According to the publication, some German customers who have already placed orders may not receive their cars until 2026 because of the high level of demand.

Perhaps the key point is that the new CLA is currently offered exclusively as a fully electric model. The mild-hybrid versions, which are expected to prove more popular, will only enter production at the end of this year, alongside the shooting brake variant.

Rastatt capacity and electric motor output

Rastatt has the capacity to build up to 200,000 vehicles a year. Meanwhile, the electric motors are assembled at Untertürkheim, near Stuttgart, where 200 motors are currently produced each day, equivalent to 50,000 annually. However, the production chief has far greater ambitions, stating: “hundreds of thousands”.

Unlike the situation seen in several parts of the world, Mercedes-Benz CLA production at Rastatt does not appear to have been affected by disruption to Chinese rare-earth supplies, a crisis that seems to be approaching a resolution.

When does the Mercedes-Benz CLA arrive?

The new Mercedes-Benz CLA is scheduled to reach the domestic market in September. It will be offered in two versions: 250+ and 350+. The longer-range version claims almost 800 km from a single charge.

The remaining variants will follow later, with the mild-hybrid model not expected until 2026. Prices have not yet been announced, although Ola Källenius, Mercedes-Benz’s chief executive, has said that the electric and hybrid CLA models will be priced similarly.