
Mercedes-Benz has unveiled a mobile charging station for electric vehicles, offering charging speeds as close to those of a traditional gas station. Based on a V-Class minivan, the station features five different charging ports and supports both standard CCS and megawatt-class MCS systems.
Utilizing CCS technology, the station can deliver up to 900 kW of power, replenishing approximately 100 kWh in just 10 minutes. Originally designed for electric trucks, the station is capable of megawatt-class charging.
In addition to fast charging, the ELF can also feed energy back to the home, the grid, or appliances through vehicle-to-home (V2H), vehicle-to-grid (V2G), and vehicle-to-load (V2L) functions. For example, a 70-100 kWh battery can power an average household for 2-4 days.
The first Mercedes models equipped with bidirectional charging will be the CLA and GLC electric vehicles, with the service planned to launch in Europe in 2026. The ELF also serves as a testbed for new charging technologies, including inductive (wireless) charging and automated wired charging.