The electric luxury model EQS and the business saloon EQE kicked things off – now Mercedes-Benz plug-in hybrids of the current generation are also being equipped with Plug & Charge in combination with the Mercedes me connect service, Mercedes me Charge[1]. Mercedes-Benz is one of the first car manufacturers to offer this function for plug-in hybrids, making the convenient authentication option available to a wider range of customers. Charging and payment are even easier for customers with Plug & Charge, as it eliminates the need for manual authentication. The charging station communicates directly with the vehicle, provided that the respective public charging station is compatible with Plug & Charge.
Drive to the charging station, open the flap, plug in – and the power starts to flow. Fiddling with a charging card, app or head unit for authentication is now a thing of the past. This is made possible by the integrated communication between the vehicle and the charging station via the charging cable. The ISO 15118 standard ensures that the communication between the vehicle and the infrastructure, as well as the stored contract data, are protected against manipulation. The vehicle and the charging station must both work according to this standard. Everything else is handled automatically through the Mercedes me connect service, Mercedes me Charge. Customers only need to have their active charging contract stored in Mercedes me Charge.
Anyone who already drives a current C-Class or S-Class plug-in hybrid will be able to enjoy the new and uncomplicated charging solution. An OTA update installs the necessary certificates in the vehicle without requiring any further action. With this, the company that invented the automobile is emphasising its aspiration to play a leading role not only in electric driving, but also in vehicle software. In addition to the current C‑Class and S-Class, which allow for Plug & Charge via OTA update, the new GLC supports Plug & Charge ex‑factory. For this, the plug-in hybrids need to be equipped with the optional direct-current charging system (DC charging) and the customer needs to activate the Plug & Charge service in the overview of services.
The charging station details in the head unit or in the Mercedes me App show whether a charging station is compatible with Plug & Charge. Customers can also search specifically for suitable charging stations. Plug & Charge is the fourth and most convenient charging access option. In addition, customers have the option of accessing charging via MBUX in the vehicle’s head unit, in the Mercedes me App, or via the Mercedes me Charge charging card.
Plug & Charge is available at over 1,800 IONITY fast charging points in Europe and at Aral pulse fast charging points in Germany. In Germany alone, there are around 700 Aral pulse charging points, and the network is continuously growing and expanding – including beyond Germany. Mercedes-Benz and the charging network operators are always working to extend Plug & Charge to further charging stations.
Mercedes me Charge makes charging easier
The Mercedes me connect service, Mercedes me Charge, provides access to a multitude of public charging stations located in cities and places including shopping centres, hotels, and motorway service areas. The exact location and current availability of the selected charging point can be viewed in the Mercedes me App and in the vehicle’s head unit. In the case of all-electric Mercedes-EQ models, the navigation system installed in the vehicle is also supplied with information on the charging points and can take this into account in its route guidance. At the charging station, authentication occurs via the display in the head unit, the Mercedes me App, the Mercedes me Charge charging card or, in the case of selected Mercedes-Benz plug-in hybrid models and the EQS and EQE, completely automatically via Plug & Charge. Everything else is handled through Mercedes me Charge.
Mercedes me Charge – the worldwide charging network continues to grow and make charging more convenient
Mercedes me Charge is one of the world’s largest charging networks and is expanding all the time: it currently comprises over 850,000 charging points, over 350,000 of which are in Europe. Here alone there are more than 850 different public charging station operators whose charging points can be accessed by Mercedes me Charge customers. Only a single charging contract with a third-party provider is required for this with Mercedes me Charge. Customers benefit from simple billing. The aim is to ensure relaxed, uncomplicated travel with transparency and planning certainty.
Customers have been benefiting from a new charging rate system for the over 350,000 charging points in the European Mercedes me Charge network since June 2022. The new rate system in Europe includes three new charging rates that are tailored to individual mileage needs. This smart rate system also provides customers with fixed prices per kilowatt hour of electricity. With this system, Mercedes-Benz is creating maximum cost clarity and transparency at public charging stations. Customers who drive a Mercedes-Benz plug-in hybrid or all-electric car can permanently benefit from Mercedes me Charge under certain conditions. In the first year after registration, they even get an exclusive lower price for public charging with fixed prices per kilowatt hour of electricity. For customers buying new Mercedes-Benz plug-in hybrid models in Europe, the monthly basic fee for the M rate is waived in the first year following registration and service activation.
Further information can be found here.
Green Charging – more sustainability and transparency for customers
Green power — that is to say, electricity from renewable resources, is a significant factor in the life cycle of a plug-in hybrid or an electric car as a means of preventing CO2 emissions. Mercedes me Charge lets customers use Green Charging at any public charging station within the Mercedes me Charge network in Europe and North America. Green Charging works by subsequently balancing a charging process with energy from renewable resources and ensures that the corresponding quantities of green energy are fed into the grid. Guarantees of origin or Renewable Energy Certificates, which verifiably certify the origin of the energy, are used for this purpose.
[1] In order to use the Mercedes me connect service Mercedes me Charge, a personal Mercedes me ID and agreement to the Mercedes me connect Terms of Use are required. Furthermore, a charging contract with Digital Charging Solutions GmbH is required in Europe.
