The 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA is actually a mission-critical automotive for the model. Contemplate that it’s on the bleeding fringe of the place all carmakers appear to wish to go, providing EV, PHEV, and gas-only propulsion all from the identical machine. However already, there’s reporting that there is one thing bitter coming from Stuttgart. The CLA, which will get an 800-volt structure fairly than a 400-volt structure, can not, apparently, DC fast-charge on 400-volt chargers.
- Base Trim Drivetrain
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Entrance-Wheel Drive
- Make
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Mercedes-Benz
- Mannequin
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CLA-Class
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Subcompact Luxurious Sedan
If we’ve misplaced you, grasp tight. We’ll clarify the excellence between 400-volt and 800-volt automotive structure, vs. public charging infrastructure. However the upshot is that because the automotive is rolling out within the EU first, CLAs which can be already on the way in which to sellers and prospects in Germany, Austria and Switzerland — in response to reporting by Ward’s Auto — can’t be charged on decrease voltage, 400V DC chargers.
This is how and why which may matter to you should you’ve already put down your deposit on a CLA.
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2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA Revealed In EV And Hybrid Choices
The liner notes model: The EV has a two-speed transmission to attain each quicker acceleration and longer vary.
Chargers Versus Automobiles
First, perceive that we’re speaking about two completely different issues: The voltage of a automotive’s structure, and the voltage of the charger you would possibly wish to plug into. For EVs, 400-volt {hardware} got here first, and what this actually comes all the way down to is legacy prices, and the components utilized in EVs. There have merely been extra of those components than for 800V. So the maths, till not too long ago, has been to economize by making 400V autos. That state of affairs is altering, and a whole lot of autos are switching to 800V, together with the forthcoming CLA, Porsche Taycan, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Genesis GV60, Kia EV 6, EV9, Hyundai Ioniq 6 and 9, a number of Audis, along with the Tesla Cybertruck—that model’s first 800-volt mannequin.
Associated
The Distinction Between 400-Volt and 800-Volt Electrical Automobiles
EV charging time is way higher than merely filling up a tank of gasoline. However 800-volt charging may help scale back this hole.
Why 800-Volt is Higher
Carmakers must shed weight; the lighter the BEV, the farther it could possibly go.
Primarily, 800V provides weight and warmth benefits. The upper the voltage, the decrease the interior amperage, and that produces much less warmth. Warmth is shorthand for waste. It results in much less environment friendly charging, and requires extra cooling and heavier wiring to dissipate that warmth.
All issues being equal, a 400V automotive would have much less vary than an 800V one with the identical cost, and you’ll compound that method by understanding that should you can shave weight by eliminating the heavier elements of the 400V automotive, you should utilize fewer batteries, which then slices away much more weight.
Charging Infrastructure
Spokespeople for ChargePoint defined that their community’s DC quick chargers in North America are all versatile, and capable of cost at 200V-1000V. Electrify America’s spokesperson informed TopSpeed that, “100% of our DC quick chargers have a 1,000-volt structure.”
That’s all good. It signifies that CLA drivers — and actually, with few exceptions, any driver of any EV with 800- or 400-volt structure — can cost at these items.
Nonetheless, in response to information compiled by the Various Fuels Information Middle (AFDC), Electrify America has solely about 9.1 % of the DC quick chargers within the nation. ChargePoint trails them, with 7.4 %. Whole up all of the non-Tesla Supercharger items at reliably 800 volts, and also you’re, at finest, maybe 20 to 25 % of the nation’s 52,000 DC quick chargers.
The rest, and 58 % of all DC quick chargers within the U.S., are on Tesla’s Supercharger community, and practically all of these solely help 400V charging. If you happen to’re about to purchase a CLA, right here’s why that’s essential.
The Downside with the CLA’s 800-Volt System
Carmakers reminiscent of these within the Hyundai Group (Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis) use what’s referred to as a 400V-to-800V, DC-to-DC converter. Producers use varied options to rectify disparities in voltage at DC quick chargers, however TopSpeed has confirmed that, at the very least at present, preliminary CLAs don’t have this workaround.
An announcement from Mercedes-Benz of North America says partly:
The brand new CLA … is predicated on a newly developed, environment friendly, and highly effective 800V know-how. This can be utilized to allow a strong and equally environment friendly charging course of at 800V DC-fast-charging stations, whose share in your complete charging community is continually growing. This noticeably reduces the charging time and thus considerably enhances the charging expertise.
—Mercedes-Benz North America
Mercedes’ assertion then confirmed that it’s “… not potential to cost at 400V DC-Charging stations,” however that the automotive’s navigation system, “… results in the suitable high-performance chargers, the place charging with as much as 320kW is feasible with the brand new CLA.”
Prior reporting speculated that Mercedes CLAs heading to different markets in Europe would get an onboard DC-to-DC unit, but it surely’s unclear, based mostly on our reporting, that that is appropriate.
What we all know proper now could be that if you buy a CLA — set to reach a while on the finish of this yr as a 2026 mannequin — you would possibly solely be capable to DC quick cost at 800-volt stations. Mercedes wouldn’t say something about any operating change, both, whether or not that is into account or when it’d occur.
TopSpeed’s Take
What we’d guess is that Mercedes gained’t have a alternative however to make some kind of replace. The CLA is the primary mannequin on the carmaker’s new MMA platform and, regardless of touting the automotive’s as much as 492-mile vary (European cycle) and talent to DC quick cost and add as much as 180 miles in 10 minutes, that boast will ring hole should you can not use a lot of the Supercharger community.
Sure, CLA house owners can nonetheless cost on AC (aka Degree 2) house or public charging. Additionally, virtually each BEV purchaser does the majority of their topping up at house. In all probability, given their demographics, that’s an excellent stronger probability for Mercedes-Benz.
However CLA is supposed to drag in youthful, probably extra city Benz intenders, who could also be metropolis dwellers who can not set up house charging. Possibly these of us will simply go to the PHEV as an alternative? We don’t know, however that’s potential, and maybe that’s what saves preliminary CLA gross sales within the U.S. because the carmaker fixes this challenge.
