Mercedes-Benz just made charging an EV on the go more affordable

Range figures on premium electric models are now topping 400 miles, which means that most journeys can be completed in one go, without having to stop and charge. Provided you have access to a home charger, or one at your work, you could spend the majority of your driving not having to use a public charger.

That’s a good thing, because one thing that has happened over the past four years is the average price of public charging has increased 38%. Most rapid chargers now cost £0.77 to £0.79 per kW here in the UK, which means a full charge on a larger battery can cost as much as a tank of fuel.

This week I’ve been driving the new Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake. The 350 4MATIC features an 85kWh battery with a range of up to 425 miles. A full charge, therefore, on a home charger can cost as little as £6, while at a public fast charger it could be as much as £70 (paying £0.83 per kWh at Ionity with contactless).

Bringing down the costs

Luckily, the CLA comes with the MB.Charge Public Digital Extra, which gives you access to over 70,000 charge points in the UK at a discounted rate. For the first three months, you get access to the L tariff, designed for long distance drivers for free. This provides fixed prices at Ionity (£0.55/kWh) BP Pulse, Be.EV and Smart Charge at £0.59/kWh (+0.17/min after 90 mins), along with a 15% discount on the rest of the MB.Charge Network.

A full charge (10-80%) using the MB.Charge typically costs around £35, which is considerably kinder on your wallet, and with charging speeds on the CLA of up to 320kW, you can be up to 80% in as little as 22 minutes.

In practice, I found that most UK service station chargers don’t deliver more than about 100kW charging, but I was typically back over 80% in 30 to 40 minutes. Crucially though, I was paying a lot less for those charges.

Finding and starting to charge

The process of charging on the move can be stressful for EV drivers. First you’ve got to locate a charger (and make sure it’s both available and working), then you need to navigate the controls on the screen and deal with a card reader that often doesn’t work.

Using the MB.Charge network is so much easier. First, you can find the chargers through the MB.OS navigation, either by manually searching, using voice commands or, for longer journeys, it will automatically build the charging stops into your route guidance to make sure you have enough charge to get to your destination.

You can also use the Mercedes-Benz app to search for EV chargers, and like the navigation system in the car, this will give you information about charger availability and accurate charging costs for your vehicle.

When you reach the charger, there are three ways to start charging. Some charge points provide Plug&Charge authentication, which, as the name suggests, you simply plug in and the car talks to the charger to authorise it. More commonly, though, you can use the Mercedes-Benz app to initiate charging by selecting the charger you are at. You also receive an RFID MB.Charge Public card, which you can simply tap on the charger’s card reader to get things started.

I’ve tried a few different chargers now, up and down the country, and all have worked with either the card or the app. When you first set up your account, you can link it to your credit card or other payment method, and you receive an email confirming how much you have spent after charging.

Is EV charging on the move finally easy?

With the MB.Charge feature in the Mercedes-Benz CLA, charging at public chargers is considerably easier. And anything that makes starting the charge simpler and brings down the cost of charging has to be a good thing.

Beyond the first three months, the L Tariff is just £9.90 per month, which, if you charge on the move a lot, will easily pay for itself many times over. There’s also an M tariff, which has more moderate discounts for £4.90 per month, and an S tariff, which is free, providing the benefits of the system without the discounts.

Ultimately, it would be nice to see public EV charging prices come down without having to use memberships, and for charger locations to be more widespread. However, as range figures increase and vehicles become more efficient, the need to charge outside of the home will continue to decrease. For now, though, an MB.Charge tariff is a great way to save money.