The 400v Fast Charger Is Not Capable Of Charging The New Mercedes CLA

It’s an inconspicuous but potentially important sentence in the configurator of the new Mercedes-Benz CLA: “DC fast charging is only possible at charging stations that support 800v technology.” If a fast charger doesn’t do this, the entire charging session will not go ahead, and you’ll have to look for another charging station with your CLA. This can be annoying on a long journey, for which the CLA, with a range of up to 792 kilometers, low energy consumption, and a DC charging capacity of 320 kw, seems to be more suitable than any other EV.

The inability to charge at 400v is, according to Wardsauto.com, due to the lack of a DC/DC converter. Mercedes-Benz Netherlands confirms that a CLA cannot handle a 400v charging station but at the same time, states that this will not cause major problems in practice.

According to the experts at the brand, charging stations of more than 200 kw are always 800v. Indeed, it seems that the vast majority of Fastned and Ionity chargers provide 800v, as do most chargers from Shell Recharge. At Tesla Superchargers, where you can also go with cars from other brands, things are different: only the latest V4 chargers are suitable for the CLA. If you want to be sure, simply use the navigation system in the CLA. It sees and suggests only suitable 800v chargers, where the CLA can theoretically be ‘pumped’ from 10 to 80 percent in 22 minutes.

• Read More: Mercedes-Benz Improves Its Electric Vehicles With A Recent Update.