Having misread the electric vehicle market with its first range of EQ models, Mercedes-Benz was supposed to instrument a turnaround with its new CLA – a more “normal” Mercedes EV twinned with its combustion-engined sibling. But that didn’t stop Stuttgart from shooting itself in the foot, as it turns out.
Multiple news outlets, including Wards Auto and Autocar, have reported that the new compact sedan with its fancy new 800-volt electrical architecture will only be able to be charged at 800-volt DC fast charging stations. This means that while it will be able to utilise the newest and fastest chargers – at up to 320 kW, might we add – it won’t be able to access the vast majority of the chargers found globally (including in Malaysia), which run at 400 volts.
That’s because Mercedes inexplicably decided against fitting the CLA with a DC-to-DC voltage booster, like you’ll find in a Hyundai Ioniq or Kia EV model with a similar 800-volt system – something that Autocar attributes to cost reasons. The company confirmed this strange limitation through a message on its German configurator: “Please note that charging at 400V charging stations is not possible, and for this reason, they are not shown in the navigation system.”
A spokesperson told Autocar that “the share of 800V DC fast charging stations in the entire charging network is constantly increasing” and that drivers will only be “directed to a compatible charging station” via the navigation system. “The update of available and compatible charging stations works almost in real time,” they added.
Still, the move will undoubtedly leave CLA owners with precious few places to charge their cars – a complication made worse in the US by the fact that they will be restricted from using Tesla’s 400-volt Supercharger network (the largest in the country), despite the car being fitted with a NACS connector. It was speculated that Norway would be the sole market to get the DC converter, but this has not been confirmed.
Mercedes has since backtracked on its decision, telling US publications such as Car and Driver: “After the initial limited delivery of cars late this year for demonstration of the CLA’s fast-charging abilities, 2026 US customer orders from early next year will feature a converter and be capable of charging at 400V.” However, it is unclear if the converter will be offered to other markets as well.
The last-minute fix does still mean that thousands of CLAs will be shipped without the converter, given that deliveries in Europe are due to kick off this summer. Mercedes has also yet to confirm whether early-bird customers will get the component retrofitted later on once it becomes available.
GALLERY: Mercedes-Benz CLA200L at Auto Shanghai 2025
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.