Major setback for game-changing electric car: 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA EV won't have this crucial capability carried by the rival Hyundai Ioniq 6 and Kia EV6

As the first Mercedes-Benz in history to be launched with 800-volt ultra-fast charging architecture, the next-gen electric CLA promised big things when it was unveiled earlier this year.

A maximum charging rate of 320kW would deliver a battery top up of approximately 320km in just 10 minutes, the brand claimed, representing a big step forward in the conversation around tackling range anxiety and encouraging greater EV adoption.

According to separate reports from US-based Car and Driver and UK-based Auto Express, however, its 800-volt capability may actually end up being its greatest setback.

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After news broke online that the new CLA would not be equipped with a 400-volt DC charger converter in its home market of Germany, both publications approached the brand's respective local operations to see if this would be a universal issue.

And it turns out it is.

A Mercedes-Benz USA spokesperson told Car and Driver: “While it is not possible to charge at 400-volt DC charging stations, the Mercedes-Benz navigation with Electric Intelligence leads to the compatible high-performance chargers, where charging with up to 320 kW is possible with the new CLA.”

Ultimately, it means the majority of the 72,000 public charging stations in the US, which generally speaking have a capacity ranging anywhere from 50kW-250kW, will be off-limits to American drivers of the electric CLA.

2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA

A similar message was relayed to Auto Express by Mercedes-Benz UK, where some 14,000 public charging stations largely of a similar capacity exist.

No explanation on why Mercedes opted to leave a converter out was provided, but the most logical assumption suggests it is a cost-cutting measure.

We don’t yet know for certain whether this issue will affect Australian examples, with the CLA scheduled to launch in Australia in the second half of 2026 following Europe and the US later this year.

A Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesperson told CarsGuide full specifications for local examples are yet to be confirmed.

Australia’s public charging infrastructure lags significantly behind the rest of the world, with just one charging site for every 68 EVs compared to a global average of one site for every 11 EVs, according to Energy Networks Australia.

Like the US and UK, the most of those chargers are unfit for 320kW capacity.

That said, our laggard EV uptake does present us with an opportunity to fast-track our EV charging infrastructure with ultra-rapid fast chargers that top 350kW, which are continuing to gain momentum.

Even then, though, that’s unlikely to change in any big way before the CLA arrives in the second half of next year.

It may be that Mercedes retrofits a 400-volt DC converter onto CLA’s before they officially go on sale in Europe later this year, bringing it into line with EVs from Hyundai and Kia, such as the Ioniq 6 and Kia EV6, which carry both 400- and 800-volt charging capacity.

The problem of ultra-fast charging is less acute in China, where 350kW chargers, despite not yet being ubiquitous, are being rolled out at a much faster pace.

Perhaps Mercedes just gave away its target market.