The Mercedes-Benz CLE EV 2025 is like a spaceship: it is beautiful, it flies like lightning, but it cannot connect to almost any existing quick charging station. The Charging Gate scandal of Mercedes-Benz is upon us and will demonstrate a negative selection within the German automotive industry. The error is reported by Insideevs. Let’s summarize how the Mercedes-Benz CLE EV 2025 is not able to use most quick chargers.
If we had to fill in a list of the “car failures of the decade”, we would have Now a very good prototype. Mercedes-Benz CLE EV 2025-visually stunning, technically sophisticated and designed for the future, but which (for now) does not yet exist, is unable to use most of the quick charging stations in the EU and the USA. Despite the 800 volt architecture, the recharge up to 320 kW, the elegant silhouette and the high energy efficiency (less than 13 kWh/100 km), Mercedes has turned everything upside down with a single decision. And not elegant as an AMG in the corner, But more like a bull in a greenhouse. AS.
According to reports, the new electric CLA does not support pic.twitter.com/tg7j8rzouz charging
— William / Roaming Norvegia (@RoamingNorway) April 30, 2025
Moment: The Mercedes-Benz CLE EV 2025 is unable to use most of the quick charging stations in the EU and the USA. Instead of allow the use of rapid charger to 400 volt cc widespreadsaid in Stuttgart: “No, we will only go with 800.” Without converters, No possibility of recharging in most of the existing quick charging stations, No Tesla SuperChenger (even if there is a NaCs door). This means that users of this electric vehicle in the United States and in most Europe do not have the opportunity to recharge their vehicle at a conventional quick charging station in an emergency. In the sense that: “Life is a journey, unless you are guiding an electric CLA and you have forgotten to plan in advance”. Only some premium quick charging stations are enabled – like the Ionity network. But not, for example, a rapid charging station with 50 kW charging capacity in the city center, or a less “capable” at one of the service stations.
And now to the point: Although this decision has been taken by the engineers and strategic planners of Mercedes, it is clear that somehow the “experts” of the Electric Future Department of the Slovenian editorial staff also participated, more precisely our old knowledge. Jan Macarol. Its influence is perceived in every pore of this decision. For example:
- Rigidity of the machine instead of flexibility. Check.
- Ignoring the current infrastructure. Check.
- Betting everything on a future that has not yet arrived. Double control.
- Complex solutions for simple problems. Macarol standard.
If I wanted to Jan Macarol (the author of this post) has ever designed an electric vehicle, it would be exactly this: fast, captivating and completely useless at any other charging point.
But jokes aside: this is a serious problem. The Mercedes Clav will be (at least initially) available in environments where 800 volt charging stations are not sufficient. (for example, the US) while Lucid air, PorscheTaycan, Ev6 E Hyundai Ioniq 5 Everyone also allows the use of 400 V charger (although slower), The CLA EV does not have this option. No physical adapter, no software update, no hope.
Mercedes claims that the “Electric Intelligence” navigation system will automatically guide the user to eligible 800 V stations. But what if there are no nearby? If you are about to take a long journey? If you are in the countryside or outside the motorway network? Well, then you are basically only … Jan Macarol, who loves as electromability as much as his mother.
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Conclusion: the negative selection in Mercedes-Benz starts from the design
The Mercedes Clav is a car of the future, but the reality of recharging has reached it as a concrete wall. Its performance, autonomy (up to 750 km according to WLTP) and design (Jan does not like it because it does not look enough for studying) are fantastic, but all this pales compared to the fact that it cannot be recharged anywhere. The price is not yet known, but it will be expected that it will start from around 50,000 euros. Which is so much for a car that can become a “garage ornament”, for a lady with high heels – with the red sole – which never travels far away. Only at the first manicure hall.
If we add that it has two sockets, Nacs and J1772, but only one works for the alternating current and the other for the continuous current, only if you are lucky and find the right station … then you understand that it is a manual case. design without empathy for the user. And negative selection in the ranks of Mercedes-Benz.
For this reason Mercedes-Benz has created a technically perfect car, but also easy to use. And if this is not this Macarol Moment par excellence, then we don’t know what it is.
Are you curious to know which other models work at 800 V, but are they less crazy? Everyone.
