New Mercedes CLA could be incompatible with most public EV chargers
The CLA will not be offered with a 400-volt DC converter, meaning it won’t work with the majority of UK rapid chargers
No, the headline isn’t clickbait; the new Mercedes CLA could indeed be incompatible with the majority of UK public electric car chargers, as the firm has scrimped on incorporating a 400-volt DC converter. Without this feature, the new CLA that was revealed back in March will be unable to use many of the 14,000 rapid public chargepoints around the country.
The new CLA will be available in both hybrid and fully-electric forms, with the latter sitting on bespoke 800-volt EV underpinnings. While older EVs using 400-volt tech can plug-in and use most electric-car chargers with no issue, those with 800-volt architecture must incorporate a converter to adjust the voltage of the incoming electricity so it matches the car’s battery and other systems.
Without such a converter, the CLA will be blocked out of a vast majority of UK public rapid chargers. Newer, faster, 800-volt EV chargers are beginning to crop up across Europe but there are only a limited number of these here in the UK, with most chargers using 400-volt tech.
There is no official line on why Mercedes decided to ditch a 400-volt converter for the new CLA, but it may well have been done for cost-cutting reasons. The new CLA is expected to start from under £50,000 and the brand envisages owners mostly charging at home using wallboxes based on slower AC technology, or via ultra-fast 800-volt DC chargers out on the road.
In a statement, a Mercedes spokesperson told Auto Express that for the CLA, “the focus is on high-power charging infrastructure, and the share of 800-volt DC fast-charging stations in the entire charging network is constantly increasing”. The new baby electric Merc will be able to direct drivers to compatible chargers via the sat-nav; providing you always log your charge stops via the car’s mapping, you’ll never unknowingly arrive at a charger you can’t use.
Nevertheless, this still means the new Mercedes CLA will be incompatible with a vast proportion of the UK’s rapid charging network – the firm’s German website clearly states that “charging at 400-volt charging stations is not possible” – with Mercedes UK yet to reply to our question on whether a 400-volt converter will be offered on Brit-bound models.
One glimmer of hope is that Mercedes will offer the CLA with a 400-volt converter in Norway, meaning that it’s not impossible that after some consideration (as well as much public outcry) the German marque could do so in the UK as well.
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