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Mercedes new electric VLE: Price and performance?

Mercedes is not simply pushing the V-Class into the electric age; it is changing the vehicle’s very character. With the VLE, the familiar people carrier becomes something much closer to a rolling grand limousine. That is the real message behind this reboot. In the future, Mercedes will draw a clearer line between the VLE, positioned roughly on E-Class territory, and the even more luxurious VLS at the top end. This restart is therefore aimed not only at European families or hotel shuttles, but at a global market in which large luxury vans have long since become status objects.The technical leap is just as significant. The VLE is the first model to sit on a dedicated electric van architecture and it brings precisely the ingredients Mercedes wants to associate with its upper-class passenger cars: 800-volt technology, very fast charging, air suspension, rear-axle steering, a much more digital cockpit and an interior that feels more like a lounge than a traditional van. Up to eight seats, a highly flexible rear compartment, generous luggage space and strong towing credentials are all meant to prove that this is not merely a beautifully staged product, but a genuinely usable one. Mercedes wants to dissolve the old compromise: the VLE is supposed to be a business shuttle, a family car, a travel vehicle and a prestige product all at once.That inevitably puts range at the centre of the debate. On paper, the package is convincing: a large battery, a modern EV-first platform, strong aerodynamics, rapid charging and a clear attempt to present long-distance usability as something tangible rather than theoretical. All of that supports the idea that the official WLTP claim is not just marketing theatre. Even so, it would be a mistake to read that figure as an everyday guarantee. A vehicle of this size already weighs roughly three tonnes before passengers or luggage are added, and the heavier versions push total weight significantly higher still. Add several occupants, baggage, winter temperatures, climate control, large wheels and brisk motorway speeds, and the usable range will naturally fall. The VLE does not defeat physics; it simply shows how far current engineering can reduce the traditional drawbacks of large electric vehicles.

Xiaomi quarterly profit slumps despite annual EV gains

Chinese electronics giant Xiaomi announced a dip in quarterly profit on Tuesday after slower smartphone sales, while electric vehicles drove a modest surge in annual revenue.

IPL's Bengaluru to keep 11 seats empty in honour of stampede dead

Indian Premier League champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will keep 11 seats at their M. Chinnaswamy Stadium empty in memory of the fans crushed to death in title celebrations last year, the team said Tuesday.

Mbappe says injury is behind him, all systems go for World Cup

French superstar Kylian Mbappe says the knee injury that kept him sidelined for almost two months is "behind him" and there had never been a concern he would miss this year's World Cup.

Supporters' group file lawsuit against 'excessive' World Cup ticket prices

The Football Supporters Europe (FSE) group filed a lawsuit on Tuesday with the European Commission against football's world governing body FIFA over "excessive ticket prices" for this year's World Cup finals.

Gas shortages push India's poor back to wood and coal

Soaring black-market prices of cooking gas in India's capital are pushing poorer families back to wood and coal, raising health risks and worsening air quality in the highly polluted megacity.

'Plundered': Senegal fishers feel sting of illegal, industrial vessels

Ibrahima Mar first lost his livelihood then lost his son when the fish off Senegal's coast began to disappear, rupturing a way of life that had sustained his family for generations.

Iran hits Israel with missiles after denying Trump talks

Iran fired a fresh broadside of missiles at Israel Tuesday, causing damage and injuries in Tel Aviv, as uncertainty swirled over possible talks to end the three-week Middle East war.

Trans community alarmed as India moves to curb LGBTQ rights

A proposed amendment to India's transgender law has sparked fear and anger among LGBTQ groups, who warn it could undo hard-won legal gains and take away the right to self-identify.

Families' nightmare fight for justice in Austria child sex cases

When her three-year-old son Elias told her that his father, a child psychiatrist, had abused him, Alina thought she would quickly find support to protect her child.