Mercedes EV Owners Can Now Start Using Tesla Superchargers
A while back, Mercedes-Benz announced that its electric vehicles would be able to access the Tesla Supercharger network in early 2025. The automaker recently opened that access, and Tesla confirmed the news with an update to its website.
Mercedes owners will gain access to around 15,000 Superchargers in North America, but like vehicles from other automakers, they will need a NACS (North American Charging Standard) adapter to do so. The automaker also said it will shift to building EVs with the Tesla NACS ports later this year, which will eliminate the need for an adapter, though many people will need one to go the other way, charging on a CCS plug. The Tesla charging locations now show in the Mercedes app, allowing owners to charge without additional downloads, and they will be able to use Plug & Charge.
Some Mercedes vehicles will require a software update to offer Plug & Charge, but the automaker did not detail which models would need the update. Owners will still be able to charge at a Tesla without the update. In addition to adding Superchargers to its app, Mercedes added thousands of chargers from other brands, including Electrify America, EVGo, ChargePoint, and Ionna.
Tesla Superchargers are consistently rated as offering a better experience and more reliable charging stations than many third-party brands. While more chargers are generally good for EV owners, slow, broken charging stations became a big enough problem to drive automakers to Tesla to improve the experience.
[Images: Mercedes-Benz]
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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Will the front emblem light up while charging? Asking for a friend.
Supercharger access is a good thing.
Musk needs to be fired from Tesla to preserve the business, though. Sales appear to be in free-fall ever since the inauguration- and for good reason. The guy had made himself the face of Tesla, and the came out against the values of most Tesla customers. That’s a really dumb move from a marketing perspective, and it looks like the chickens are coming home to roost.
Hopefully Tesla The Car Company survives this.
But, yeah, having more paying customers is good for the Supercharger network and also for the EV market generally.