Forum Weekly Review KW 44/2026: Electra and Charging Prices
Mercedes charging stations are appearing in the Electra network, and a petition calls for charging prices to be displayed directly on the pillar screen. Also: a Corsa with a charging capacity of 7.4 to 11 kW, 1,009 km range in the IONIQ 28 kWh model, and the issue of meters for business vehicles.
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KW 44/2026 · October 25 to November 1, 2026
Public Charging
Mercedes charging stations appear in the Electra network
7 new replies · 4 participants
In a thread about Mercedes charging stations, several members reported on the night and morning of November 1st that the manufacturer’s locations are now listed under Electra. One member mentioned the first Mercedes charging park in Mannheim, the locations near Mercedes dealerships, and highway stations such as Wernberg-Köblitz; in Langenselbold, where there used to be a Mercedes hub and an Electra park, there are now two Electra locations according to their observation. At Gramschatzer Wald, another member said the Electra app now shows 16 charging points at two locations instead of 8 previously.
Whether this is a retreat remains controversial: one member sees it as Mercedes giving up, while another considers it exaggerated — there could be a strategy behind it, and their own network wasn’t that dense anyway. For customers with a Mercedes subscription, this means they will have to pay the Electra price at some locations going forward. No official statement was mentioned in the thread.
Regarding observations on Mercedes charging stations in the Electra network
Electra: On-site renovations and unclear parking fees in the app
14 new replies · 5 participants
In the Electra thread, a member reports that just before November 1st, they met two Electra employees at the Mercedes charging station in Kassel, who removed the Mercedes branding, reconfigured the chargers, and installed payment terminals. One of them said that Electra would take over the Mercedes stations starting November 1st; officially, the member has not found any confirmation of this.
Earlier, the topic was price listings in the Electra app: One member saw a price of 64 cents/kWh plus a 6 euro “parking fee” per hour for charging with an Electra card at an Ionity location, and 68 cents/kWh plus 5.91 euros per hour at an E.ON station, although both parking lots are free according to him; the additional costs only appeared after tapping on the price. The charging service does not want it this way there. Another member sees “0.10 €/min after 60 minutes” for the same item in his app and considers the display to be an error. In response to the first member’s complaint, Electra stated, per his account, that the fees are charged by the provider — something he doubts, as they do not apply when using another charging card at the same location.
Discussion on Electra parking fees and the renovation in Kassel
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Petition: Display charging price before charging
New topic · 25 replies · 11 participants
A new member presented their petition to the Bundestag: Before each public charging session, the charger should display the actual price including additional fees, even when charging with a charging card or while roaming, and only then proceed with charging. According to them, the signing deadline is December 9, 2026.
In opposition, it was argued that § 14 of the Price Indication Regulation already applies to ad-hoc charging, one member wrote. Others pointed to cross-border roaming, where the charging station operator is unaware of the card provider’s price, to charging stations without displays, and to antitrust concerns if private tariffs were shared with competing operators. One member believes the issue is technical rather than regulatory: the OCPP 2.1 protocol standard can transmit third-party tariffs and display them at the start of a session, but it has only been released for testing in recent weeks, and certified products do not yet support it. A member suggested instead that all prices be required to be reported to a central authority along the lines of fuel prices; later, they wrote that another database was not needed, as the real issue was that so far only operators, not map providers, were required to report their prices.
Discussion on the petition for price display at charging stations
Autumn holidays: Waiters at Ionity locations
24 new replies · 16 participants
A member described their trip from Offenburg to Völs am Schlern on the first Saturday of the autumn holidays: Upon arrival in Dietmannsried, 2 out of 12 charging spots were available, but by the time they left, all spots were occupied with one vehicle waiting. In Nassereith, all 6 spots were taken; at 83 percent capacity, two vehicles were waiting. During Pentecost 2024, the same route had been much more comfortable.
This led to a fundamental debate: one member believes expanding services during peak times is uneconomical, making queues at the start of holidays inevitable. Another attributes the problem to the predetermined provider selection—disabling the provider filter in navigation apps directs users to available spots. One member suspects a specific issue with Ionity, as its affordable subscription attracts more travelers; another advises considering other providers when planning.
Regarding the report on queues at the start of holidays
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Vehicles and trips
Corsa Electric: Decision between 7.4 and 11 kW
55 new replies · 16 participants
A commuter who travels about 90 kilometers per day, mostly on the highway at speeds of 100 to 110 km/h, and has their own wallbox asked whether a Corsa Electric with 100 kW of power output would be suitable as a daily vehicle for 23,000 euros. Several experience-based figures were provided regarding consumption: a driver of the 115-kW version reported 13.8 kWh per 100 kilometers from May to October under mixed driving conditions, while a member who has driven both motor versions estimated 16.5 to 17 kWh in summer at 120 km/h. Another driver expects consumption to exceed 20 kWh only occasionally in winter at low temperatures when the PTC heater activates in normal mode.
The thread starter then noticed that his offer included only a single-phase 7.4-kW onboard charger. One member calculated that this charger would draw only about 3.7 kW from a standard 11-kW wall box with 16 A, and would reach 7.4 kW only at 32 A. Four members still considered this sufficient for commuting purposes, while two would not accept a single-phase charger. The thread starter initially found a new car with an 11-kW charger, but when filling out the contract, he learned that according to the dealer, the charging limit could only be set on the GS Line model; one member doubts that this is even possible in any variant. Two participants mentioned that the app also does not offer a charging limit in percentages, while another member believes a limit via the app is possible. The thread starter recently opted for a daily permit that was about 2,890 euros cheaper, equipped with a 7.4-kW charger; he would then need to control charging via the start time or a wallbox.
Experiences and Purchase Decision for the Corsa Electric
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IONIQ 28 kWh: 1,009 kilometers evaluated over two days
New topic · 21 replies · 5 participants
The thread creator provided the recorded data from a round trip from Austria via Graz and Ljubljana to Koper, Zagreb, and back: 1,009.1 kilometers on October 26th and 27th with a consumption of 15.73 kWh per 100 kilometers, measured based on battery capacity without accounting for charging losses. There were also eleven fast charges totaling 2 hours and 40 minutes of charging time. In Maribor, the vehicle reached a charging power of up to 67.5 kW. In Oberwart, after a fast segment at an average speed of 101.6 km/h, the charging power dropped from initially 55 to 57 kW to around 30 kW; the hottest battery sensor reached 52 °C during this period.
He presented a long-term analysis of two IONIQ 28 kWh vehicles, which he claims was created using a digital assistant. For the second vehicle, the temperature difference between the hottest and coldest modules increased from 3.3 °C in 2020 to 10.5 °C in 2023 at battery temperatures of 35 to 40 °C, and it was 6.3 °C in 2026. In both cars, the same modules tend to be the hottest, a phenomenon he attributes to the vehicle’s design. One member observed that the temperatures rise together during charging and only diverge while driving, attributing this to cooling systems rather than the battery cells; another pointed out that the front modules receive fresh air while the rear modules receive preheated air. A member who had asked where the heating modules were located reported, citing a video, that modules 1 to 3 and 10 to 12 were the small ones at the front near the air inlets. It remained unclear whether the numbering matched.
On analyzing the IONIQ road trip and battery temperatures
Charging at home and electricity prices
Wallbox in a multi-family building: Which meter is sufficient for a company car?
New topic · 29 replies · 12 participants
In a multi-family building, 29 parking spaces are equipped with shared load management; the thread starter was offered by the building management three metering-compliant Wallboxes for billing his company car, but he can choose freely. One member suggested a calibrated sub-meter in front of any Wallbox, while others argued that the box must be compatible with the load management system.
This led to a debate about tax and calibration laws. One member cited a FAQ from the Bavarian Finance Ministry, stating that for tax purposes, a MID or calibration-compliant meter is not required, but the proof must inevitably come from the charging data, such as through a photo, app, or Wallbox protocol. Another member referred to a BMF letter dated November 11, 2025: the monthly flat rates for home charging no longer exist as of January 1, 2026; instead, the measured electricity amount is reimbursed at the contract price or flatly at 34 cents per kWh. One member argues that the calibration law applies regardless: for billing with a contract partner, a MID meter is sufficient, while for multiple partners, permanent recording is needed, such as through a calibration-compliant charging station; another member believes this does not apply to one’s own charging station with only one electricity contract. Two members advised clarifying first what the employer requires.
Discussion on the company vehicle charging station in a multi-family building
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Dynamic electricity rates: Where have the negative prices gone?
13 new replies · 7 participants
A member wondered why no negative market prices for electricity occurred even during the stormy weekend. Another referred to the rules regarding market premiums for negative prices in § 51 of the EEG and noted that no significantly negative prices have been observed since around the 25th calendar week of 2026. The first member views market prices around 30 ct/kWh as the current norm; a third attributes the price level to the merit order system, under which gas currently determines prices. They explain the absence of negative prices by the fact that more and more installations are no longer eligible for compensation, while more large-scale energy storage systems are being developed.
In addition were the cost figures: A user of a dynamic tariff without solar power paid an average of 26.1 cents/kWh in 2025, including base fees and taxes, while the cost for electricity charged via regulated charging was 23.7 cents. A member with a fixed price tariff also pays 26.1 cents, but new fixed price offers are often around 40 cents or higher. A user in Austria with a dynamic tariff and very low grid connection, on the other hand, pays 45 cents in 2025 and 50 cents so far in 2026.
On contributions about market electricity prices and tariff costs
Hyundai: Roadside assistance and app
No more DC charging: Who helps when the car is ready to go?
New topic · 8 replies · 7 participants
A IONIQ-5 owner reported a trip to the Baltic Sea during vacation, during which his car refused to charge via DC, turning a 20-minute stop into over five hours at an AC charger. Hyundai’s hotline refused assistance because the vehicle was considered roadworthy. He asked which roadside assistance service would step in if the car shows no error messages or warning lights but only charges more slowly.
One member believes staying at one or two DC chargers falls under Hyundai’s mobility warranty, suspecting a temperature sensor in the charging port as a common cause. Another member noted that the definition of “roadworthy” is often controversial; a member from a Norwegian automobile club said they would tow the car to the nearest DC charger if the battery is empty. There was no definitive answer based on warranty or club policies.
Regarding roadside assistance when the fast charging station fails
myHyundai app: symbol scanner and three months of driving data
24 new replies · 11 participants
An update to the myHyundai app explains the control symbols after a camera scan; a member who tested the feature with multiple error symbols found the results needing improvement. For one member, the app reported the hazard lights as turned on via remote control, but nothing happened at the car; another wrote that the feature doesn’t work for them either, though it does work for a Kona driver.
In response to a question about annual mileage tracking, one member said Drive Insight only covers up to three months. It downloads the data monthly and analyzes it itself; however, according to a GDPR request he filed, Hyundai stores the driving data from the start of use.
Experiences with the myHyundai App
Have you used Mercedes charging stations under the Electra brand, and would you like to see price displays directly at the charging stations? Share your experiences with us in the forum.