Mercedes-Benz is handing its European fast-charging network to Electra, the French charging operator. The deal moves 47 charging parks with 374 fast-charging points to Electra, including 31 sites in Germany and six in Austria, electrive reports with comments from both companies. In Germany, where Electra only launched in May 2025, its network grows from 50 to 81 charging parks.

The change became visible over the weekend of 31 October and 1 November, when the stations started appearing as Electra sites in charging apps. Electra has moved them to its own back end and put a notice on their screens saying they now belong to Electra.

What changes at the chargers

  • Payment terminals for ad hoc charging are being replaced in the coming days.
  • The Mercedes-Benz stars come off the chargers, which get Electra's livery.
  • The sites include the first Alpitronic HYC1000 chargers in the Mercedes network, at Hamburg-Wandsbek and at the 24-Autohof in Wörrstadt.
  • No staff move with the sites, and electrive's report gives no prices for them.

What Mercedes drivers get

The handover comes with a partnership, first reported by Mobility Energy on 2 November. Through the MB.CHARGE Public service, Mercedes customers get discounted roaming rates at more than 800 Electra locations with over 5,000 charge points in ten countries. Electra becomes a "Premium Partner", a status that until now only Ionity held. Mercedes-Benz is one of Ionity's shareholders.

Features such as reserving a charge point, previously limited to Mercedes' own parks, will also work at Electra sites. Nico Dettmer, Mercedes-Benz's global head of charging solutions, said the aim is to make fast charging in Europe "even more accessible and convenient". Electra did not say how long the premium partnership runs.

A U-turn for Mercedes

Mercedes launched its own charging network in 2023. A year ago it said the network would expand to up to eight more countries within a year, and it aimed for more than 10,000 fast-charging points worldwide by the end of the decade. In September 2025 it had 80 charging parks worldwide.

According to electrive, Mercedes' latest quarterly report shows the board decided in July 2026 to sell the European network. The purchase contract was signed on 3 August, and both sides kept quiet until now. No price was disclosed. The network was valued at €99 million, including €73 million of physical assets, against €21 million of liabilities. Mercedes keeps its own fast-charging sites in China and the United States for now.

Electra is growing through acquisitions as well as new sites. Paul Tonini, its general manager for Germany, told electrive that the market will "consolidate more and more into larger providers". Below a certain size, he said, "the costs would simply be too high" for the revenue. Electra plans to invest €200 million in Germany next year and aims for 15,000 fast-charging points across Europe by 2030.

What it means for Tesla owners

Nothing changes at the plug. Electra's stations are public CCS chargers, so the former Mercedes hubs can still be used by any electric car, Teslas included. Electra already prices its Italian chargers by the hour. What it will charge at the former Mercedes sites has not been reported.

The bigger point is strategy. Mercedes is giving up running chargers in Europe and buying its customers access through roaming. Tesla keeps building its own Supercharger network and opening it to other brands, and BYD is starting its own Flash network in Europe.