For 99,000,000 €: Mercedes planned to install 10,000 fast chargers to compete with Tesla, but has changed its plans

05/11/2026 10:30

Updated to

05/11/2026 12:29

Mercedes aims to become a leader in electric vehicles, whether by launching the world’s most powerful electric SUV or a successful sedan with a range of up to 790 km. But there’s more: 3 years ago it introduced a plan to compete with Tesla, aiming to install 10,000 fast chargers worldwide.

Now, its “against Tesla” plan has just collapsed. Or at least a key part of it, namely its network of chargers installed in Europe. Although Mercedes, which has fiercely opposed the EU, still received 99,000,000 € in return.

99,000,000 € to say goodbye to 10,000 chargers and their rivalry with Tesla

How? Yes, in 2023 Mercedes heavily promoted the creation of its fast-charging network — it already operates chargers with 400 kW capacity and this year installed the first 1,000 kW chargers in Europe and the United States — with a very clear goal: to compete with Tesla by setting up a fast-charging network that it planned to have 10,000 more chargers in by 2030.

Tesla’s network already has over 85,000 chargers worldwide, but Mercedes’ plan was clear: to become a rival to Tesla in the fast-charging sector as well. Well, now 99,000,000 € is to blame for that.

On August 3 last year, Mercedes sold its fast-charging network in Europe to the French operator Electra for the aforementioned 99 million euros. Specifically, this includes a total of 347 chargers located at 47 sites in various countries—mainly in Germany and Austria—far short of the 10,000 chargers planned originally by the German brand.

Discounts for Mercedes drivers at the new owner’s chargers

The specialized portal Electrive reported this, stating that in return, Electra will become a premium partner of Mercedes — the other company involved in electric vehicle charging is lonity, a firm in which the German brand holds a direct stake — and drivers of its electric vehicles will receive discounts at over 800 Electra stations, which total more than 5,000 chargers spread across ten European countries, including Spain.

Mercedes has lost much of its “against Tesla” strategy, but its customers will retain the current charging system for their electric vehicles as much as possible, and Electra’s charging stations can now be located and used through the brand’s charging ecosystem or the Mercedes app.

The most interesting part is that Mercedes has not announced this plan to sell its chargers. The sale, which seems to have been decided last July, was only reflected in Mercedes’ quarterly report, where it set the value of its charging network at 99 million euros.

With this purchase of Mercedes’ chargers, Electra continues to expand its infrastructure in Europe, where it already has 800 charging stations and over 5,000 chargers. By 2030, it aims not to reach the 10,000 chargers outlined in Mercedes’ original plan, but rather to reach 15,000 chargers solely in Europe.