EVwire brief: Over the weekend, Electra has switched over, we assume acquired, 47 of Mercedes-Benz's High-Power Charging Hubs in Europe with 374 charge points. 31 of the sites are located in Germany and 6 in Austria.
This looks like a divestment by Mercedes-Benz from operating its own network in Europe, although it will still remain an ecosystem player through ventures like IONITY and MB.Charge.
Mercedes-Benz now names Electra its Premium Partner for fast charging across the region. The only other such partner for Mercedes-Benz is currently named IONITY, of which it is a stakeholder of.
The deal effectively grows Electra's network in Germany from 50 to 81 charging parks, and Electra said the hubs will continue offering customers the same on-site charging experience.
Electra co-founder and CEO Aurélien de Meaux shared a video about the deal:
Mercedes-Benz's own Q3 2026 interim report sheds more light on the deal. According to the report, the Mercedes-Benz Group board decided in July to sell the company's own fast-charging network in Europe, and the purchase agreement was signed on August 3, 2026.
As of September 30, 2026, the network was reclassified as held for sale, with assets of €99 million (about $111 million), including €73 million (about $82 million) in property, plant and equipment, and liabilities of €21 million (about $23 million).
Mercedes-Benz expects the transaction to close in the fourth quarter of 2026 and does not expect a material impact on its earnings, financial position or assets. The report does not name the buyer.
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Under the deal, Mercedes-Benz drivers will be getting preferential rates, charge point reservation and in-car access across Electra's more than 800 stations in ten European countries, depending on their MB.CHARGE Public tariff.
Electra said its network runs at above 98.5% availability, with charging power of up to 600 kW at selected sites. Using MB.CHARGE Public requires a separate charging contract with a selected third-party provider.
Electra announced the deal in a post on its official LinkedIn account:
Electra CEO Aurélien de Meaux said Mercedes-Benz set a high bar with its hubs:
Mercedes-Benz built charging hubs to a standard few networks match. We are proud they chose Electra to carry that standard forward, and to open our entire network to their drivers with preferential rates, reservation and access straight from the car.
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Context:
The Mercedes-Benz deal lands just weeks after Electra crossed 800 ultra-fast charging stations across 10 European markets in October, with co-founder Julien Belliato saying at the time that the 1,000-station mark is coming soon. Electra, which had just over 500 stations as recently as the third quarter of 2025, is targeting 2,200 stations and 15,000 high-power charging points by 2030. This means that the 47 Mercedes-Benz hubs bring Electra a step closer to that 1,000-station milestone.
Electra has been busy beyond station openings, too. Earlier this year, the company became Uber's European charging partner, and in June it started showing live FIFA World Cup scores on the LED strips of its Electraline canopies while drivers charged. The company, which is France's second-largest fast-charging network and the leader in Belgium, said at the time that it expects to turn its first profit in 2026.
Source: Electra press release, Mercedes-Benz Q3 2026 interim report, Electra and Aurélien de Meaux on LinkedIn
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