- Mercedes-Benz EV owners now have access to Tesla Superchargers in North America.
- An NACS to CCS1 charging adapter is needed.
- All compatible Supercharger stalls are integrated into the Mercedes-Benz smartphone app.
Mercedes-Benz is the latest non-Tesla automaker to gain access to the Tesla Supercharger network in North America. Vehicle owners can top-up their cars’ batteries at Superchargers in the United States and Canada starting today.
Previously, the German automaker said owners would get access in February, without providing a specific date. Today, however, Tesla updated its website to reflect the change.
To use the roughly 15,000 Tesla Supercharger stalls in North America, Mercedes-Benz drivers will need an NACS to CCS1 charging adapter. The automaker is selling a Lectron-made unit at its dealerships for $185—slightly less than the $199.99 Lectron charges if you buy it direct.
The compatible Supercharger stalls have been added to the Mercedes-Benz smartphone app, so owners can simply plug into a charger without having to install another app or change settings in their cars—as long as there is a payment method set up in the app. The majority of Mercedes-Benz EVs have Plug & Charge functionality at Tesla Superchargers, meaning they can communicate with the stalls without the driver having to do anything. However, some cars will need a software update to get the feature to work.
The automaker didn’t say which models are affected, but those vehicle owners will get a call to schedule a software update at a dealership. Without Plug & Charge, Tesla Superchargers can still be used, but the charging session will need to be started and stopped via the smartphone app because Supercharger stalls don’t have displays or buttons.
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Mercedes-Benz
Besides Tesla Superchargers, Mercedes-Benz has integrated several other charging providers into its smartphone app, including Ionna, Electrify America, EVgo and ChargePoint. In total, over 110,000 public charging points across the United States and Canada are available for Mercedes-Benz EV drivers.
Later this year, the automaker will ditch the CCS1 charging port for its North American EVs in favor of the Tesla-designed NACS connector, rendering the NACS adapter obsolete. However, it will create demand for a different adapter—CCS1. This will be needed to use chargers outside Tesla’s network that only offer CCS1 connections.
