Mercedes A 250 e EV Charging Cable

The optional charger upgrade changed, and it matters enormously

Cars built from 2019 to the middle of 2023 came with a 3.6 kW single phase charger as standard, and Mercedes offered an optional upgrade to 7.4 kW, also single phase. That option is genuinely useful to a British owner: it doubles the charge rate on an ordinary home supply, and a 32A cable is worth having on a car that has it.

On the 2023 facelift the standard charger is 3.7 kW single phase and the optional upgrade goes to 11 kW across THREE PHASES. That is a different thing entirely. A British house has one phase, so a facelift A 250 e draws 3.7 kW whether the option was ticked or not, and a 32A cable buys the owner nothing at all.

How we know, rather than assume

The technical data for the facelift lists both figures side by side: 225 minutes for a full charge on one phase and 85 minutes on three. That gap is the whole story. If the car could take more than 3.7 kW from a single phase, the one phase figure would not be two and a half times the three phase one.

No cable can lift that figure: the onboard charger decides it. So unless you know your car is a pre-2023 example with the 7.4 kW single phase option, buy the 16A lead and put the difference into length.

How long a full charge takes

The arithmetic is simple: kWh over kW, 13 per cent on top for losses, rounded to the nearest quarter hour. The pack is 15.6 kWh gross with about 11.5 kWh usable on the January 2023 to September 2024 build, rising to around 13 kWh net from September 2024. Electric range is up to 43 miles on the earlier car and roughly 47 to 51 on the facelift.

A 22 kW DC option existed on the facelift in Germany at around 595 euros. Whether it was ever ordered on UK cars we have not been able to confirm, so treat DC as unlikely unless you know yours has it.

Which length for an A 250 e

The charge socket is at the rear. Technical data written for left hand drive cars puts it on the right of the body, and nobody publishes whether Mercedes mirrors it for right hand drive, so we will not tell you which side yours is on. Look before you order.

The A-Class is 4.42 metres. A rear port means reversing towards the charge point is the easy case if it is on the matching side, and 5 metres covers that. Nose in and the cable runs the length of the car, so 10 metres. Work it out from where the car genuinely sits, not where it could sit, and leave slack.

How these cables are built

Standards are IEC 62196-2 and CE, protection is IP55, and the specified working range runs -30C to +50C.

Three pin construction follows IEC 62752, CE marked, IP67 rated, usable from -30C to +60C. The manufacturer warrants it for two years, delivery in the UK is free and next working day, and returns run to 30 days.

Looking at another Mercedes? Start with the Mercedes EQA EV Charging Cable, or browse every model in Mercedes charging cables. For a wall box or public post the lead is the Type 2 to Type 2 charging cable.

Mercedes A 250 e charging cable questions

Which cable does an A 250 e need?

A 16A Type 2 to Type 2 lead for most cars. The exception is a 2019 to mid-2023 car ordered with the optional 7.4 kW single phase charger, where a 32A cable halves the time.

Does the 11 kW option on the 2023 car help at home?

No. That upgrade takes the car to 11 kW across three phases, and a British house has one phase. It still draws 3.7 kW on your driveway, so a 32A cable would finish at the same time.

How long does an A 250 e take to charge?

About three and three quarter hours at 3.7 kW on the roughly 11.5 kWh usable pack. With the pre-2023 7.4 kW option it is under two.

Where is the charge socket?

At the rear. Data written for left hand drive cars puts it on the right of the body, but nobody publishes whether it mirrors for right hand drive, so check your own car.