Mercedes-Benz launches MB.CHARGE Home Dynamic and Intelligent to cut home charging costs in Germany
Mercedes-Benz has launched two home charging services for its electric and plug-in hybrid cars in Germany that shift charging to cheaper hours and reward smart charging.
- €80
- 10 cents
- over 1 GW
- 2024
What Happened
Mercedes-Benz is launching two home charging offers, MB.CHARGE Home Dynamic and MB.CHARGE Home Intelligent, for its electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles in Germany. Both are meant to make home charging more convenient, efficient and economical by automatically aligning charging with time windows when electricity is especially cheap and a high share of renewable energy is expected in the grid. The two products are tuned to the latest generation of Mercedes-Benz vehicles and work with a suitable wallbox.
- Optimises the charging process based on day-ahead electricity market prices; customers simply set the desired departure time and state of charge in the Mercedes-Benz app. There is no direct connection to a specific energy supplier and no tariff switch is required, and customers who already have a dynamic electricity tariff can benefit from low market prices.
- An integrated energy solution that brings its own electricity tariff: the Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Öko tariff from The Mobility House Energy. Customers get a fixed electricity tariff plus additional bonus payments for taking part in smart charging, and an algorithm makes sure the car is charged in time and preferentially when a lot of cheap renewable electricity is available.
- Both offers are used through the Mercedes-Benz app, where customers only enter departure time and desired state of charge.
- Plug-in hybrids based on Mercedes-Benz Operating System (MB.OS) 0.7 or newer, including the latest generations of the S-Class, GLE and C-Class
- All-electric models including the updated EQS as well as CLA, CLA Shooting Brake, GLB, GLA, GLC, VLE, the C-Class and the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupé
- Further Mercedes-Benz models will be integrated step by step
10cents
Bonus points are shown in the Mercedes-Benz app and automatically offset against the monthly electricity bill.
MB.CHARGE Home Dynamic is available directly through the Mercedes-Benz app and is particularly useful for customers who already have a dynamic electricity tariff from their supplier. MB.CHARGE Home Intelligent combines smart charging with the matching Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Öko tariff from The Mobility House Energy, and after changing tariff the offer becomes available in the Mercedes-Benz app. Every smart charging session earns bonus points that are visible in the app, each kilowatt-hour charged is currently rewarded with 10 cents, and the points are automatically offset against the monthly electricity bill. The first 1,000 customers to take out MB.CHARGE Home Intelligent also receive a charging credit worth 80 euros for public charging with MB.CHARGE Public.
Using either offer requires a compatible Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid, a compatible wallbox, the Mercedes-Benz App and acceptance of the respective terms of use, plus a Mercedes me ID with the vehicle linked to the user account. MB.CHARGE Home Intelligent additionally requires the Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Öko tariff from The Mobility House Energy and a smart meter, and customers must link their electricity contract to their Mercedes me ID and agree to data transfer between The Mobility House Energy and Mercedes-Benz. Mercedes-Benz recommends a compatible AC wallbox such as the Mercedes-Benz AC Wallbox or the Flexible Charging System Pro, in which the vehicle is controlled via the classic PWM charging signal; wallboxes that communicate with the vehicle via ISO 15118, for example for Plug & Charge, are currently not supported. The digital extras can be extended for a fee after the included term if they are still offered.
The Mobility House AG, the parent of The Mobility House Energy, is founded.
The company builds one of the longest track records in the industry for aggregating and marketing batteries in the energy system.
The company launches the world's first commercial V2G product, in France.
Why this matters
For many plug-in hybrid and electric drivers, their own parking space is the most important place to charge, so scheduling charging around cheap, renewables-heavy hours can lower energy costs. Both offers run through the Mercedes-Benz app and are initially available for selected Mercedes-Benz models in Germany, and early adopters of the Intelligent package get an extra public-charging credit.
Terms in This Story
- Wallbox
- A home charging unit, usually mounted on a wall, that supplies AC electricity to an electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle.
- Day-ahead electricity market prices
- Prices set one day in advance for electricity delivered the following day, which can be used to schedule charging in the cheapest hours.
- Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G)
- Technology that lets an electric vehicle battery feed electricity back into the grid, so cars can act as flexible storage.
- MB.OS
- Mercedes-Benz Operating System, the software platform used in the company's latest vehicles.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.