The Mercedes-Benz ELF EV charging rig delivers megawatt energy

Mercedes-Benz launched an all-in-one cell EV charging machine, “ELF,” that guarantees to unlock charging speeds as fast as filling up on the pump.

Mercedes-Benz unveils the ELF cell EV charging van

It might appear to be an electrical van, however Mercedes-Benz claims ELF is far more than simply any bizarre car. It’s “an emblem of a daring new period in charging,” the luxurious model stated on Thursday.

The nickname comes from the German time period Experimental-Lade-Fahrzeug (ELF), which interprets to Experimental Charging Car.

The Mercedes-Benz ELF is an all-in-one cell EV powerhouse that mixes ultra-fast, bidirectional, inductive, and conductive charging. It’s primarily based on the Mercedes V-Class individuals service and is provided with 5 distinctive charging ports.

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It can act as a rolling take a look at lab, promising to unlock sooner, extra handy, and sustainable electrical car charging.

The ELF options two quick charging programs: An ordinary Mixed Charging System (CCS) and a heavy-duty Megawatt Charging System (MCS).

Mercedes is “testing the bounds of CCS,” claiming the ELF can obtain a charging capability of as much as 900 kW, or sufficient so as to add 100 kWh in about 10 minutes. The MCS system, however, was initially developed for heavy-duty electrical vans, which Mercedes says unlocks charging capacities within the megawatt vary.

The corporate is already utilizing the all-in-one cell EV charging rig to enhance charging on its upcoming autos.

For instance, the Idea AMG GT XX hit a peak charging energy of 1,041 kW throughout megawatt charging after its record-breaking run in Nardò in August.

Mercedes collaborated with Alpitronic to develop a high-performance EV charging station able to delivering as much as 1,000 amps by a modified CCS business truck charger. The corporate is now utilizing what it has realized to develop a brand new era of ultra-fast chargers to be used at Mercedes-Benz parks.

In accordance with Mercedes, the brand new chargers will ship speeds “that differ solely minimally from the traditional refuelling course of.”

The ELF will not be solely able to absorbing electrical energy, however Mercedes-Benz is utilizing it to its full potential with bidirectional charging capabilities.

Able to each AC and DC bidirectional charging, the ELF can feed power into your house (Car-to-Residence/ V2H), the grid (Car-to-Grid/ V2G), or electrical units (Car-to-Load/ V2L).

Mercedes stated a typical car battery with a capability of 70-100 kWh can energy a median single-family house for 2 to 4 days.

The brand new electrical CLA and GLC with EQ Know-how are the primary Mercedes autos that supply bidirectional charging capabilities. In 2026, the automaker will launch its first companies for bidirectional charging in Germany, France, and the UK. Different markets are set to observe shortly after.

Together with clever power administration, Mercedes stated electrical energy prices will be considerably lowered. Relying on power use, householders can save about 500 euros ($580) per yr.

Mercedes-Benz can also be utilizing the ELF to check different charging strategies, together with cable-free induction and automatic conductive charging.

The learnings from the ELF can be key to unlocking sooner, extra handy, and sustainable charging for upcoming Mercedes-Benz EV fashions.