Mercedes introduces flexible pricing to MB.CHARGE

In recent years, there has been a common trend in manufacturer charging rates. Many manufacturers offer a basic charging option without a monthly base fee in order to provide access to public charging points throughout Europe billing. This option has then tended to provide flexible pricing depending on the charging point operator. However, across most of the paid options for occasional and frequent chargers, fixed prices per kilowatt hour ensured predictability and reliability – you knew in advance how much a kilowatt hour would cost at a DC charger, for example.From December 1, this will no longer be the case with MB.CHARGE Public, with fixed pricing in the Public M and Public L tariffs now set to expire. For example, those who previously paid a monthly base fee of €4.90 for the M tariff could count on a fixed price of €0.45/kWh at AC charging points and €0.67/kWh at DC chargers – at Ionity, the price was even €0.59/kWh, and in the Mercedes-Benz Charging Network, it was only €0.39/kWh. The L tariff is up to ten cents per kilowatt hour cheaper until the end of this month, but the base fee is €12.90.From 1.12.2025Public SPublic MPublic LBasic fee–€4.90 / month€9.90/monthACFlexible pricing10% discount on S15% discount on SDC/HPCFlexible pricing10% discount on S15% discount on SIonity–€0.49/kWh€0.44/kWhMB Charging Network–€0.39/kWh€0.39/kWhPreferred Partner Network–€0.55/kWh€0.49/kWhThis is all set to change on December 1, 2025: The basic fee for the L tariff will drop to €9.90 per month, while the M tariff will remain at €4.90. However, the fixed prices at AC and DC charging points will be abolished, and flexible prices will also be introduced for M and L. In the case of MB.CHARGE Public M, there will be a ten percent discount on the S tariff, and for Public M there will be a 15 percent discount – again on the S tariff, not on the already discounted M price. In other words, customers will have to check the app or their vehicle before charging to find out exactly how much electricity will cost at that charging point. At least, that’s if you want to avoid any unpleasant surprises later.However, there’s a catch. There are still fixed prices per kilowatt hour in the M and L tariffs, but only with certain operators. The fast-charging joint venture Ionity, for example, is not covered by the future flexible DC prices. In the M tariff, the price will even drop from €0.59/kWh to €0.49/kWh from December. And in the L tariff, Ionity fast chargers will be charged €0.44 instead of the previous €0.49/kWh from December – so in both cases, it will be cheaper.The €0.39/kWh rate in the Mercedes-Benz Charging Network remains unchanged, but there is another addition: MB. CHARGE Public is also introducing the “Preferred Partner Network,” where €0.55/kWh (M) or €0.49/kWh (L) will be charged from December 1, 2025 – and €0.05/min after 90 minutes of charging time. The Mercedes charging service is based on the white label solution from Digital Charging Solutions (DCS). The “Preferred Partner Program” from DCS is therefore also likely to be used by Mercedes and includes “leading European CPOs that have been selected according to strict criteria such as a powerful charging network and high operational reliability,” as DCS once explained. In Germany, these include operators such as Aral Pulse, Shell Recharge, and Mer.Important note: Currently, MB.CHARGE cannot be used to charge at municipal utility charging points in Germany, regardless of whether they are AC or DC chargers. The reason for this is a contractual dispute with Smartlab, which exclusively markets access to the charging networks of more than 300 municipal utilities throughout Germany for mobility service providers in the “ladenetz.de” association. In a statement, DCS described the offer submitted by Smartlab as “economically unacceptable.”mercedes-benz.comThis article was originally published by Sebastian Schaal for electrive’s German edition

Automobile Magazine-UK