Which charges faster, the Mercedes-Benz CLA or the Tesla Model 3?

The Mercedes-Benz CLA. It runs an all-new 800V MMA platform, accepts a higher DC peak power than the Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD, and completes the most-used 10-80% portion of the charging curve in a notably shorter window. The Model 3 is no slouch and its 400V charging curve is well-tuned from years of refinement, but on both headline power and 10-80% time the newer 800V CLA has the edge. The honest twist on network access is that both cars now use a native NACS port in the United States, so both can charge directly on the Supercharger network. Exact charging times for the United States are on this site's comparison tool.

Can the Mercedes-Benz CLA use Tesla Superchargers?

Yes. The Mercedes-Benz CLA uses a native NACS port, so it plugs directly into the Tesla Supercharger network without an adapter, exactly as the Tesla Model 3 does. Supercharger access is therefore no longer a Tesla-exclusive advantage. What Tesla still owns is ecosystem maturity: the in-car trip planning that automatically routes around charger availability and preconditions the battery is something Tesla has had longer to perfect. The CLA reaches the same plugs but relies on its own navigation and preconditioning logic.

Which has more range?

The Mercedes-Benz CLA, by a modest margin. It posts slightly longer EPA range than the Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD, helped by a moderately larger battery and the efficiency of its electric-native platform. The gap is real but not dramatic. The Model 3 stays close because it is one of the most efficient sedans on sale, covering a strong number of EPA miles per kilowatt-hour from a smaller battery. Both figures are EPA-rated, so the comparison is apples-to-apples, and both return less in cold weather. Side-by-side realistic-range estimates are on this site's comparison tool.

Which is cheaper to charge?

Charging cost depends mainly on battery capacity and the electricity rate you use, not on the brand. Because the Mercedes-Benz CLA carries the larger battery, a full charge from empty needs more total energy than the Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD, although the cost to charge the same span, say 20% to 80%, follows the percentage rather than the battery size. The Model 3's standout efficiency means each charge takes it a strong distance, so the cost per mile is very competitive. Charging at home is far cheaper than public DC fast charging on either sedan. Exact side-by-side figures are on this site's comparison tool.

Mercedes-Benz CLA vs Tesla Model 3: EV Comparison in the United States

The Mercedes-Benz CLA with EQ Technology and the Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD are two entry-luxury electric sedans (battery electric vehicle / BEV) that cross-shop in the United States. Both are the accessible door into their respective lineups, both deliver a quiet, refined cabin, and both fast charge competently on a road trip. The interesting contrast is one of maturity versus newness. The CLA is the first car on Mercedes' clean-sheet 800V MMA platform, an electric-native architecture that brings a notably higher DC peak power, a quicker charge through the most-used part of the curve, and slightly longer range. The Model 3 is a mature, heavily-iterated car on a proven 400V architecture, and it counters with the most established fast-charging ecosystem on the road, standout efficiency, and Tesla's quick software and over-the-air update cadence. Both use NMC batteries, and here is the honest twist: both now use a native NACS port, so direct Supercharger access is no longer a Tesla-only advantage. This guide weighs the two qualitatively. The exact figures (cost, time, realistic range) are on this site's comparison tool and per-car pages.

By mht-dev, Frontend Engineer & Creator

A frontend engineer who bought a first electric car in March 2026 and built EV Charge Calculator while working out the real cost of charging it, writing every guide from an everyday new EV owner's perspective.

A brand-new 800V newcomer meets a mature ecosystem

The Mercedes-Benz CLA and the Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD reach the entry-luxury electric sedan segment from very different starting points. The CLA is the launch vehicle for the Mercedes Modular Architecture (MMA), a clean-sheet 800V platform designed from the outset for electric drive. An 800V architecture allows higher charging power at a given current and is a genuine engineering step up from the 400V systems that most affordable EVs still use. The Tesla Model 3, by contrast, runs a mature 400V architecture that has been refined over many model years, and its strength is not novelty but the depth of an ecosystem and a software stack that Tesla has been polishing longer than almost anyone else in the market.

Both cars are pure BEVs, not hybrids, and both can charge at home on a Level 2 AC wallbox or at a public DC fast charger out on the road. Both compared here use NMC (nickel manganese cobalt) batteries, so battery-care advice is the same on either: charging routinely to roughly the mid-to-high range and saving a full 100% charge for trips is the gentle habit. With shared chemistry, this part of long-term ownership is not a tiebreaker between them. What differs is the platform philosophy, the charging behaviour, the efficiency, and the software experience.

Charging speed: where the new platform shows

DC fast charging is where the Mercedes-Benz CLA's all-new 800V MMA platform earns its keep. The CLA accepts a higher DC peak power than the Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD, and it completes the most-used 10-80% portion of the curve in a notably shorter window. For a driver who fast-charges often on long routes, that quicker 10-80% adds up over a journey, because the 10-80% span is where most road-trip charging stops actually live. The Model 3 is no slouch at the plug; its DC peak is competitive and its charging curve is well-tuned from years of refinement, but on headline power and on 10-80% time the newer 800V CLA has the measurable edge.

Network access is the honest part of this comparison, and it has changed. Both cars now use a native NACS port in the United States. That means the Tesla Model 3 plugs straight into the Supercharger network, as it always has, but the Mercedes CLA can now also use NACS-equipped chargers natively, so direct Supercharger access is no longer a Tesla-exclusive perk. What Tesla still owns is ecosystem maturity: the Supercharger network is the most extensive and reliable fast-charging experience in the United States, with in-car trip planning that routes around charger availability and preconditions the battery automatically. The CLA reaches the same plugs, but the seamless, deeply-integrated routing experience is something Tesla has had longer to perfect.

Range, efficiency, and software

On the brochure, the Mercedes-Benz CLA posts slightly longer EPA range than the Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD, helped by a moderately larger battery and the efficiency of its electric-native platform. The gap is real but modest, not the chasm you sometimes see between a flagship and a budget model. The Model 3, meanwhile, remains one of the most efficient sedans on sale in the United States: it covers a strong number of EPA miles per kilowatt-hour stored despite carrying a smaller battery, which is the reason it can stay competitive on range without a large pack. Both ranges are quoted on the EPA cycle, so the comparison is apples-to-apples, and both cars return less than the sticker in cold weather with the heater running.

Software is the other axis where the Model 3 leans on maturity. Tesla's interface, navigation, and frequent over-the-air updates set the benchmark that most rivals are still chasing, and the car genuinely improves over time as updates arrive. The Mercedes CLA answers with the MBUX system and Mercedes' cabin design language, which many buyers prefer for its switchgear, materials, and the familiar luxury-brand experience. Neither is objectively better; it is a question of whether you value Tesla's software cadence and minimalist cabin, or the Mercedes interface and the brand's traditional approach to luxury. To judge realistic figures rather than headline numbers, this site presents discounted realistic-range estimates side by side with each car's cost per charge, computed automatically from the official specifications.

Which one suits you?

Pick the Mercedes-Benz CLA if you want the genuine tech step of an all-new 800V MMA platform, the higher DC peak power and the quicker 10-80% charging window that come with it, the slightly longer EPA range, the Mercedes cabin and brand experience, and the reassurance that native NACS now gives you direct access to the Supercharger network too. Pick the Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD if you value the most mature fast-charging ecosystem in the United States, the deeply-integrated Supercharger trip planning that preconditions and routes automatically, the standout efficiency that stretches range from a smaller battery, and Tesla's quick software and over-the-air update cadence. The CLA leads on the raw charging and range specifications; the Model 3 leads on ecosystem maturity, efficiency, and software experience.

Because both use NMC batteries, long-term battery care is equal and not a differentiator between them. To close the decision with real numbers, this site provides a comparison tool prefilled with the Mercedes-Benz CLA and the Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD side by side, a per-car page for each, and a charging cost calculator that works it out using your own electricity rate and battery percentage.

Frequently asked questions

Which charges faster, the Mercedes-Benz CLA or the Tesla Model 3?: The Mercedes-Benz CLA. It runs an all-new 800V MMA platform, accepts a higher DC peak power than the Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD, and completes the most-used 10-80% portion of the charging curve in a notably shorter window. The Model 3 is no slouch and its 400V charging curve is well-tuned from years of refinement, but on both headline power and 10-80% time the newer 800V CLA has the edge. The honest twist on network access is that both cars now use a native NACS port in the United States, so both can charge directly on the Supercharger network. Exact charging times for the United States are on this site's comparison tool.
Can the Mercedes-Benz CLA use Tesla Superchargers?: Yes. The Mercedes-Benz CLA uses a native NACS port, so it plugs directly into the Tesla Supercharger network without an adapter, exactly as the Tesla Model 3 does. Supercharger access is therefore no longer a Tesla-exclusive advantage. What Tesla still owns is ecosystem maturity: the in-car trip planning that automatically routes around charger availability and preconditions the battery is something Tesla has had longer to perfect. The CLA reaches the same plugs but relies on its own navigation and preconditioning logic.
Which has more range?: The Mercedes-Benz CLA, by a modest margin. It posts slightly longer EPA range than the Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD, helped by a moderately larger battery and the efficiency of its electric-native platform. The gap is real but not dramatic. The Model 3 stays close because it is one of the most efficient sedans on sale, covering a strong number of EPA miles per kilowatt-hour from a smaller battery. Both figures are EPA-rated, so the comparison is apples-to-apples, and both return less in cold weather. Side-by-side realistic-range estimates are on this site's comparison tool.
Which is cheaper to charge?: Charging cost depends mainly on battery capacity and the electricity rate you use, not on the brand. Because the Mercedes-Benz CLA carries the larger battery, a full charge from empty needs more total energy than the Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD, although the cost to charge the same span, say 20% to 80%, follows the percentage rather than the battery size. The Model 3's standout efficiency means each charge takes it a strong distance, so the cost per mile is very competitive. Charging at home is far cheaper than public DC fast charging on either sedan. Exact side-by-side figures are on this site's comparison tool.