- Mercedes crashed a hybrid CLA Shooting Brake into an electric CLA, with both travelling at 56km/h.
- The manufacturer says dummy measurements indicated a low risk of serious or life-threatening injuries.
- Mercedes plans to introduce Rescue Intelligence in phases from 2027 to supply information to emergency responders.
Mercedes-Benz has driven a hybrid CLA Shooting Brake into the driver's side of an electric CLA to demonstrate how the cars protect their occupants in an intersection crash.
Both vehicles weighed more than two tonnes and were travelling at 56km/h. Neither braked before the collision, leaving the structures and restraint systems to deal with the impact without a preceding reduction in speed.
A side impact gives engineers less space to absorb crash energy than a frontal collision. In this demonstration, the striking car's front met the side of the electric CLA, with crash-test dummies aboard to record the forces occupants could experience.
What the dummies recorded
Mercedes says both passenger cells remained stable and the electric car's high-voltage battery stayed intact. Measurements from all eight dummies were below the relevant biomechanical limits, according to the manufacturer.
The dummies represented four adults and four children, with up to 150 measurement points on each. Mercedes says their readings indicated a low risk of serious or life-threatening injuries in the tested collision.
Those results describe a manufacturer-run demonstration of this particular crash. They do not amount to an independent Euro NCAP rating or a guarantee of the outcome in every side impact.
Helping rescuers before they arrive
Mercedes also presented Rescue Intelligence, which is intended to give emergency responders information about a crashed vehicle before they reach it.
The data may include the number of occupants, airbag deployment, seatbelt and door status, battery temperature and the state of the high-voltage system. Providing those details before arrival could help responders prepare for the vehicle and its occupants.
Mercedes plans a phased introduction from 2027. The information supplied will depend on technical availability and the application.
