- The Mercedes CLA EV reportedly lacks a DC/DC booster, limiting it to 800V DC fast chargers.
- This means the car can only be recharged at certain stations, which could leave owners in a lurch.
- Mercedes isn’t saying much about the move, but it’s an odd oversight for a luxury vehicle.
It’s easy to hate on the redesigned Mercedes CLA as it doesn’t look particularly good and its interior is a soulless compartment filled with screens. On top of that, the electric variants have terrible names including CLA 250+ with EQ Technology and CLA 350 4MATIC with EQ Technology.
It appears that’s just scratching the surface as a new report says the EV doesn’t support 400V DC fast charging. According to Wards Auto, the model lacks a 400V-to-800V DC/DC converter and this significantly limits where the car can be recharged. Non-compatible stations are said to include “50 kW public chargers and a large portion of Tesla’s current Supercharger network.”
More: Starry But Soulless 2026 Mercedes CLA Leans On AI And Electric Power
It sounds like the restriction is a result of Mercedes’ push for a 320 kW DC fast charging capability, which enables the car to go from a 10-80% charge in as little as 22 minutes. As the publication explained, “Because CCS cables are limited to 500 amps, 800 volts is necessary to exceed a 200 kW charging speed.”
However, other automakers – such as Hyundai and Kia – use a DC-to-DC voltage booster to allow for fast charging as well as broad support. This isn’t a great look for a luxury brand as it comes off as a penny pinching move that harms consumers by limiting their access to charging stations.
Mercedes reportedly declined to say why they didn’t include a voltage booster in the CLA and it will likely catch some owners off guard. We looked at webpages and configurators for the car in multiple countries and found no mention of the restriction. However, Wards Auto said there is a disclaimer noting “charging at 400V charging stations is not possible, and for this reason, they are not shown in the navigation system.”
It’s unclear if this issue is limited to the launch model, but the publication pointed to speculation suggesting the Norwegian-spec car will come with a DC/DC booster. This implies a market specific approach, although customers might want to hold off for the time being.
