Latest news with #Mercedes-BenzCLAEV
Miami Herald
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Mercedes' CLA EV Has Blazing Fast Charging - If You Can Find a Charger That Works
The 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA EV promises some of the fastest charging speeds available - up to 320 kilowatts - thanks to its high-tech electrical system. But there's a catch: it only works with 800V fast chargers. That means the vast majority of public fast chargers in the U.S., which typically run on 400 volts, won't work at all. This odd limitation, first spotted by a sharp-eyed EV enthusiast in Norway, was later confirmed by Mercedes representatives in both Europe and the U.S. The company made a conscious choice to exclude 400V DC charging entirely, citing the desire to avoid compromising performance. But that decision severely restricts where American drivers can actually fast-charge their cars. Adding to the confusion is that the CLA EV comes equipped with a Tesla-designed NACS charging port. Yet, despite its design, it can't use Tesla's Superchargers in the U.S. That's because, at least for now, none of those stations support 800V charging. Mercedes also fitted the car with a J1772 connector for slower AC charging at home or work. Unfortunately, the NACS port on the CLA doesn't support AC charging at all, which means Tesla's widespread Destination Charger network is off-limits too. Owners are essentially left with J1772 for slow charging or must find one of the relatively rare CCS1-equipped 800V fast-charging stations. Other EVs that support 800V charging, like the Porsche Taycan, Lucid Air, or Hyundai Ioniq 5, can also charge at older 400V stations, albeit more slowly. That fallback option is a crucial part of making EV ownership stress-free, especially on longer trips. Mercedes is gambling that charging providers will build out enough 800V infrastructure quickly enough to make this a non-issue. Some progress is happening. Electrify America, for instance, is building out a 1,000V network, but as of today, the landscape remains patchy. For buyers of the CLA EV, that means a cutting-edge car limited by a charging ecosystem that isn't quite ready to keep up. Mercedes is positioning the CLA EV as a forward-thinking, efficient luxury car for a new era. On paper, the specs are impressive-affordable by Mercedes standards, sleekly designed, and capable of charging at speeds few others can match. But by ditching compatibility with 400V chargers, the brand has taken a huge gamble on the future of public charging infrastructure in the U.S. For many drivers, especially those without access to home charging, the ability to top up quickly at public stations is a must. And right now, most of those stations simply won't work with the CLA. That puts owners in a tough spot: either plan routes meticulously around the few compatible chargers or face the possibility of being stranded with no way to recharge. It's a surprising move from a brand that usually emphasizes comfort, ease of use, and refinement. While Mercedes isn't alone in using 800V tech, it is alone in cutting off support for the older standard entirely. Unless infrastructure catches up quickly - or Mercedes introduces a hardware revision down the line - the CLA EV risks becoming a case study in how not to roll out a new EV in a still-maturing market. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
BYD unveils EV charging system that works in just 5 minutes
Chinese EV maker BYD (BYDDY, has announced its latest charging systems that could reportedly charge its electric vehicles for 249 miles in driving range in just five minutes. The automaker plans to roll out vehicles with this feature next month. Brad Smith and Madison Mills report more on this and what this competition means for Tesla (TSLA). To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Morning Brief here. BYD announcing new electric vehicles that it says can charge in about the same amount of time it takes to pump gas for a normal car. The company says its super E platform will allow cars to achieve about 249 miles of range with just 5 minutes of charging. That's compared to the Tesla superchargers, which can provide up to 200 miles of range in 15 minutes. BYD will start selling cars with the new technology next month. It is impossible to overstate how big of a deal this is because the charging lag time has been a huge headwind for Tesla, and we're seeing competitors coming in and saying we can do this faster than you can. Yeah, there's a term for it. Charging anxiety, folks, and it's certainly played out here and how the automakers are trying to deliver more of that speed and efficiency to offer a similar type of experience to if you were just going to Buc-ee's, for the people who are in Texas, or for the people in Pennsylvania, if you're going to Wawa to fill up. They're trying to make sure that it's a similar amount of time, regardless of whether or not you're going inside to get one of the hoagies during hoagie fest. All those things aside here. The charging anxiety has been a sticking point here, and we've seen it in recent years kind of back off a little bit, um, but as of right now, I think for the super E platform, one of the main competitors, it seems like it's Mercedes-Benz. But how many people are buying a Mercedes-Benz CLA EV? Um, that one offers 325 kilometers in 10 minutes for its charge. So that is one of the closest competitors as of this juncture, and we'll see how some of these efforts continue to ramp up to reduce that charging anxiety. Yeah. Lot of competition. That's for sure. Yeah. All right. Shout out to the Wawa and Buc-ee's folks out there. Sign in to access your portfolio
