New Mercedes CLA can’t charge at 1,000s of UK public EV chargers, and here’s why
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 is 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 is unable to use many of the 14,000 rapid public chargepoints around the country.
The new Mercedes CLA is being offered 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.
Look closely at the CLA configurator on the official Mercedes-Benz UK website and it clearly states: “Please note that charging is not possible at 400-volt charging stations”. This all but confirms that the CLA will not get a 400-volt converter.
Without this, 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 starts from just over £45,000 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.
What may come as a punch in the gut to UK buyers is that Mercedes is, in fact, offering the CLA with a 400-volt converter, but only in Norway. The brand may offer this feature in the UK in the future if there’s sufficient public demand, but for now British buyers will have to make-do with the handful of 800-volt public rapid chargers if they plan to plug-in for a high-speed charge.
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