Electra takes over Mercedes-Benz charging hubs in Europe
Mercedes-Benz is handing over its European HPC network to the French charging provider Electra. As a result, 47 locations with 374 fast-charging points are changing hands. Just a year ago, Mercedes announced the expansion of its European fast-charging network - but now, Mercedes customers can charge at a discounted rate with Electra instead.
Mercedes-Benz's fast-charging stations are switching to Electra.
Images: Mercedes-Benz, Electra / Collage: electrive
The transaction is part of a new partnership between the two companies. Electra is integrating the former Mercedes-Benz charging parks in Europe into its fast-charging network. At the same time, Mercedes-Benz customers will receive discounted roaming rates at more than 800 Electra locations, totalling over 5,000 charging points across ten European countries, via the MB.CHARGE Public charging service under the ‘Premium Partner’ heading. The only other Premium Partner in Mercedes’ charging service is currently the fast-charging network Ionity, in which Mercedes is known to hold a stake. The collaboration takes effect immediately.
Of the 47 charging parks taken over, 31 are located in Germany and six in Austria. The remaining sites are distributed across other European markets. For Electra, the acquisition represents a significant growth step: in Germany, where the French company only launched in May 2025 (DE), the network has grown from 50 to 81 charging parks, according to the company, representing an increase of more than 60 per cent.
Mercedes-Benz shifts from its own charging network to partnerships
Mercedes-Benz handing over its European fast-charging parks is certainly noteworthy. After all, the company had originally outlined far more ambitious plans with the Mercedes-Benz Charging Network, launched in 2023. Just a year ago, it was stated that the network was growing continuously and was to be expanded to up to eight additional countries within a year, alongside existing markets in Germany, the USA and China .
By the end of the decade, Mercedes-Benz aimed to operate more than 10,000 fast-charging points worldwide. As of September 2025, 80 charging parks were in operation globally. Additionally, the automaker announced a new generation of its charging infrastructure: starting in 2026, the HYC1000 charging system from South Tyrolean manufacturer Alpitronic was to be installed at new Mercedes-Benz charging parks in Europe and North America. This was intended to enable charging capacities in its HPC network that would set new benchmarks. Indeed, the first HYC1000 charging systems have now been installed in Mercedes-Benz’s HPC network at Hamburg-Wandsbek and the 24-Autohof in Wörrstadt, which will now be integrated into Electra’s network accordingly.
At least in Europe, Mercedes-Benz will no longer pursue this strategy directly. As has only now become known, the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG decided as early as July 2026 to sell its in-house fast-charging network in Europe. This is revealed in the new quarterly report from Mercedes-Benz (DE). The purchase agreement was reportedly signed on 3 August, but the partners have kept quiet since then.
While Electra and Mercedes-Benz have not disclosed a specific purchase price, the quarterly report from Mercedes indicates that the now-sold fast-charging network in Europe was last valued at €99 million, including fixed assets worth €73 million. This is offset by liabilities of €21 million.
Electra expands its business
For Electra, the deal is an important step in expanding its market position. The company has so far pursued a mix of organic growth and targeted acquisitions. “We will continue to grow organically; that is part of the strategy. But we are also looking at what interesting charging networks are available on the market,” Paul Tonini, General Manager Germany at Electra, told electrive. The company recently took over the charging park from HomE of Mobility in Wertheim.
However, the acquisition of Mercedes-Benz’s fast-charging parks is on a different scale. Electra not only gains additional charging points but can also strengthen its presence at key locations in Germany and Europe. “We will see the market increasingly consolidating around larger providers,” said Electra Germany head Tonini about the industry’s consolidation.
The Electra manager sees primarily economic reasons behind this. Operators of fast-charging networks face significant challenges in ongoing operations. These can only be resolved if a company achieves sufficient scale. “The costs would simply be too high for the revenue generated,” explained Tonini.
Mercedes customers retain premium access
For Mercedes-Benz customers, the change in operator should result in as few changes as possible. The familiar charging experience at the existing locations will remain the same. At the same time, the offering will be significantly expanded: the preferential rates and features such as the reservation of charging points, which were previously limited to Mercedes-Benz’s own charging parks, will now also be available at Electra locations. Electra stations can be found and used via the Mercedes-Benz charging ecosystem in the vehicle or through the Mercedes-Benz app.
Mercedes-Benz is prioritising customer benefit in the partnership: “Electromobility means more than just the vehicle. Our aim at Mercedes-Benz is to offer our customers a seamless and exceptional experience regardless of the drivetrain,” explained Nico Dettmer, Global Head of Mercedes-Benz Charging Solutions. Together with Electra, the company wants to make fast charging in Europe “even more accessible and convenient.”
Dettmer also described the move as an expansion of the Premium Partner network, which, until now, had only included Ionity, adding more than 800 locations. This underscores Mercedes-Benz’s new direction: the focus is no longer on operating as many charging parks as possible itself but on accessing the largest possible network through partners, with discounted roaming rates for customers.
The technical transition is already complete
The technical and organisational transition is to be completed very quickly and largely without interruptions. This is possible because the deal itself has already been finalised. Over the weekend, Electra migrated the former Mercedes-Benz charging stations into its backend and displayed a notice on the screens of the charging stations indicating that they now belong to Electra. The former Mercedes charging parks have also already appeared as Electra charging points in various charging apps. In the coming days, the payment terminals for ad-hoc payments will also be replaced. Naturally, the charging columns will also be quickly rebranded with Electra livery. The distinctive Mercedes-Benz stars on the charging stations will disappear accordingly.
Employees are not affected by the acquisition; it only concerns the charging locations themselves and customer access. “No personnel are involved,” Tonini clarified. He was unable to provide details on the duration of the Premium Partnership.
Electra intends to continue its growth. In Germany alone, the company plans to invest €200 million next year. Across Europe, Electra already operates more than 800 charging parks with around 5,000 charging points in ten countries. By 2030, the network is set to grow to 15,000 fast-charging points.
Strategic U-turn for Mercedes-Benz
For Mercedes-Benz, the deal represents a strategic U-turn. The company is abandoning its ambition to operate its own large-scale fast-charging parks in Europe. The Mercedes-Benz Charging Network, originally announced as a global growth project, will thus not continue in its originally planned form on the European continent, although the company’s own fast-charging stations will remain in China and the USA for the time being. Instead of further expanding its own charging infrastructure, Mercedes-Benz is leaving the field in Europe to its subsidiary Ionity and its competitors. However, it would not be surprising if the strategy were adjusted in other markets as well. The automaker is under pressure, and the capital-intensive hardware business of operating its own charging network is not part of its core operations.