Mercedes eVito Charging at Ionity

Mercedes eVito Van Charger Will Not Start a Session

You have connected the charger to your Mercedes eVito and nothing is happening. No session, no power, no charging light. When you are between jobs or trying to charge at the depot, you need this resolved quickly. Here is how.

Symptoms

• CCS2 or Type 2 connector is plugged in but no session starts
• The MBUX display does not show charging activity
• The charger screen shows an error after plug-in
• The charge port indicator stays off or flashes amber
• The depot wallbox status light does not change when plugged in

What to Do

1. 1

   Authenticate before plugging in

   At public chargers, tap your RFID card or start the session in the app before inserting the connector. Wait for the charger to confirm it is ready.

2. 2

   Clean and reinsert the connector

   Remove the connector, wipe the charge port on the eVito with a dry cloth to remove any dirt, then reinsert the connector firmly until it clicks.

3. 3

   Check MBUX charging settings

   On the MBUX display, navigate to the charging menu. Check if departure time charging is active. Disable it for immediate charging.

4. 4

   Check the depot electrical panel

   If at the depot, check the circuit breaker for the charging circuit. Also check the wallbox status indicator. Report issues to your fleet manager.

5. 5

   Lock and unlock the van

   Use the key to lock the eVito, wait 20 seconds, then unlock. This can reset the charging electronics after a fault state.

6. 6

   Move to a different charger

   If the charger is faulty, do not waste time. Move to another unit or station, especially if you are mid-route.

Mercedes eVito Van Payment Failed at Charging Station

You are at a public charger with your Mercedes eVito and the payment will not go through. Whether it is a fleet card, personal RFID, or an app, payment failures at public chargers waste time between jobs. Here is how to resolve it fast.

Symptoms

• Fleet card does not start a session at the charger
• RFID card tap produces no response
• Charging app shows a payment authorization error
• Contactless bank card is declined
• Charger shows 'payment failed' on the screen

What to Do

1. 1

   Check accepted payment methods

   Look at the charger stickers and screen for accepted networks and cards. If your fleet card logo is not shown, this charger is not on your network.

2. 2

   Try a different payment method

   Switch between fleet card, personal RFID, charging app, and contactless bank card. One may work where others fail.

3. 3

   Verify fleet card status

   Contact your fleet manager or check the fleet card provider app to confirm the card is active and has not hit a spending limit.

4. 4

   Hold the card steadily

   Place the card flat against the reader for 3 seconds. Do not tap and pull away quickly. Gloves can interfere with NFC reading.

5. 5

   Cancel and retry

   Cancel any pending session in the app, wait 60 seconds, and start a fresh attempt.

6. 6

   Move to another charger unit

   If the payment reader on this unit is broken, try the next charger at the station. Do not waste time troubleshooting hardware you cannot fix.

Mercedes eVito Van Charging Slower Than Expected Speed

Your Mercedes eVito is charging slower than the 110 kW DC maximum. Or your depot wallbox is barely delivering power overnight. Without battery preconditioning, the eVito is especially sensitive to cold weather. Here is what to check and how to improve your charging speed.

Symptoms

• DC fast charging well below the 110 kW maximum
• Depot AC charging stuck at 3-4 kW instead of 11 kW
• Charging speed drops quickly after 40-50% state of charge
• Winter charging starts extremely slowly
• Mid-route DC charging takes too long between jobs

What to Do

1. 1

   Drive before charging in cold weather

   Since the eVito lacks preconditioning, drive for at least 20-30 minutes before stopping at a DC charger in winter. This warms the battery through use.

2. 2

   Charge between 20-50% for fastest speeds

   Plan your mid-route charging stops to arrive between 20-50% state of charge. This is where the eVito can approach its 110 kW peak.

3. 3

   Check your depot charger wiring

   Ask your fleet manager or electrician to verify the depot wallbox is wired for three-phase at 16A per phase for 11 kW. Single-phase installations are common but much slower.

4. 4

   Choose unshared DC chargers

   At public stations, check if the charger is sharing power. If another vehicle is on the paired connector, try a different unit.

5. 5

   Use MBUX to check charging status

   The MBUX infotainment system shows current charging power and estimated time. Use this to verify speeds and decide if you should move to a different charger.

6. 6

   Try a different charger

   If speeds remain well below expected at a low state of charge, the charger may be faulty. Move to another unit.

Session won't start after contactless payment

You tap your card, the reader beeps, but the charger never begins delivering power. This is one of the most reported issues at Ionity stations.

Symptoms

• Contactless reader shows a green light but nothing happens
• Screen says 'Initializing' for more than 60 seconds
• Card is charged a pre-authorization hold but no energy is delivered
• Error message appears after the tap but disappears too quickly to read

How to Fix It

1. 1

   Unplug the cable and wait 10 seconds

   This resets the charger's session state. Plug the cable back in firmly until you hear the locking click.

2. 2

   Try a different payment method

   Open the Ionity app and start the session from there instead. If you have an Ionity subscription, use the app. App-initiated sessions bypass the contactless reader entirely.

3. 3

   Check your card's contactless limit

   Some banks block contactless transactions above a certain amount. Ionity may pre-authorize up to 100 EUR. If your bank flags this, the session fails silently.

4. 4

   Move to another stall at the same station

   Individual charger units can have faulty card readers while the rest of the station works fine. Try the next available stall.

5. 5

   Check for a pending hold on your bank statement

   If a hold was placed but no session started, it typically releases within 3 to 7 business days. You will not be charged for energy you did not receive.

Plug & Charge pairing fails

Your vehicle supports Plug & Charge (ISO 15118) but the Ionity station does not recognize it. The charger asks for payment instead of starting automatically.

Symptoms

• Charger prompts for app or card payment instead of starting automatically
• Screen shows 'Vehicle not recognized'
• Plug & Charge worked at this station before but stopped working
• Pairing completed in the Ionity app but the station still asks for payment

How to Fix It

1. 1

   Verify Plug & Charge is enabled in your vehicle settings

   Some vehicles (like Porsche Taycan, BMW iX, Mercedes EQS) have a toggle in the infotainment system. If it was turned off during a software update, the charger cannot identify your car.

2. 2

   Re-pair your vehicle in the Ionity app

   Go to the Ionity app, navigate to Plug & Charge settings, remove the existing pairing, and set it up again. This refreshes the digital certificate.

3. 3

   Check that your Ionity subscription is active

   Plug & Charge on Ionity requires an active subscription. If your subscription lapsed, the auto-start will fail even if the pairing is intact.

4. 4

   Try unplugging and re-plugging slowly

   The ISO 15118 handshake happens in the first few seconds. If you plug in too quickly or the connector is not fully seated, the handshake times out and the charger falls back to manual payment.

5. 5

   Start the session via the app as a fallback

   Plug & Charge issues are often caused by backend certificate mismatches. You can still charge at Ionity subscription rates by starting the session through the app while the issue is resolved.

Charger screen frozen or unresponsive

The charger display is stuck on a loading screen, shows garbled text, or does not respond to touch. The hardware may still work even if the screen does not.

Symptoms

• Screen shows a logo or loading animation that never progresses
• Touch inputs on the screen do nothing
• Screen is completely black but the charger lights are on
• Screen shows an error code that does not clear

How to Fix It

1. 1

   Try plugging in and starting via the app

   The screen and the charging hardware are separate systems. Many Ionity chargers will still deliver power even with a frozen display if you initiate the session through the Ionity app.

2. 2

   Unplug completely and wait 30 seconds

   Sometimes unplugging triggers a soft reset of the charger unit. Wait, then try again.

3. 3

   Try a different stall

   Ionity stations typically have multiple charger units. A frozen screen on one unit does not affect the others.

4. 4

   Report the charger in the Ionity app

   Open the Ionity app, find the station, and report the specific charger as out of order. This helps Ionity dispatch maintenance faster.

App shows station available but charger is faulted

The Ionity app shows green (available) status for a station, but when you arrive, the chargers display errors or are physically out of service.

Symptoms

• App shows 'Available' but charger displays 'Out of Order'
• All stalls at the station are faulted despite the app showing availability
• Charger has a maintenance sticker or barrier but the app has not been updated
• You drove to a station specifically because the app said it was free

How to Fix It

1. 1

   Refresh the station status in the app

   Pull down to refresh the station view. Status updates can lag by several minutes, especially after a charger was recently reported or rebooted.

2. 2

   Check individual charger status, not just the station

   Tap into the station details in the Ionity app. Even if some stalls show faulted, others at the same station may still work.

3. 3

   Try plugging in anyway

   Occasionally a charger shows a stale error on its screen from a previous session but works fine for the next user. Plug in and attempt to start via the app.

4. 4

   Plan a backup station

   Before driving to an Ionity station, check if there is an alternative station within 10 to 15 minutes. Ionity stations along highways sometimes have another Ionity or competitor station at the next exit.

5. 5

   Report the discrepancy

   Use the 'Report a problem' option in the Ionity app. Accurate reports help Ionity fix status sync issues and prioritize maintenance.

Unexpectedly high ad-hoc price

You charged without an Ionity subscription subscription and the per-kWh price is significantly higher than you expected. Ionity's ad-hoc rate is one of the most expensive in Europe.

Symptoms

• Invoice shows 0.75 EUR/kWh or higher
• Total cost for a short session is much higher than expected
• Price displayed on the charger screen was not noticed before starting
• You assumed the price would be similar to home charging or other networks

How to Fix It

1. 1

   Check if Ionity subscription would save you money

   Ionity offers subscription plans that reduce the per-kWh price significantly. Check the Ionity app for current plans and rates. If you charge at Ionity more than once or twice a month, a subscription usually pays for itself.

2. 2

   Check your vehicle manufacturer's charging plan

   Many EV manufacturers (Hyundai, Kia, BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen Group, Ford) offer bundled Ionity pricing through their own apps. You may already have access to a discounted rate through your car brand.

3. 3

   Look at the charger screen before starting next time

   Ionity displays the per-kWh price on the charger screen before the session starts. The ad-hoc price is always shown.

4. 4

   Consider roaming providers for occasional use

   If you do not want a subscription, some roaming apps (like Shell Recharge, Chargemap, or Maingau) offer lower Ionity rates than the ad-hoc price.

Charging speed much lower than 350 kW

The station advertises 350 kW but your vehicle is charging at a fraction of that speed. This can be normal or it can indicate a problem.

Symptoms

• Dashboard shows 50 to 100 kW at a 350 kW charger
• Charging started fast but dropped sharply after a few minutes
• Other vehicles at the same station seem to charge faster
• Speed is lower than what you normally get at Ionity

How to Fix It

1. 1

   Check your battery level

   Charging speed drops significantly above 60 to 80% state of charge on most vehicles. This is normal battery behavior, not an Ionity issue. For the fastest stop, charge from 10 to 80% and move on.

2. 2

   Check the battery temperature

   Cold batteries charge slowly. If your vehicle supports battery preconditioning, set the Ionity station as your navigation destination. The car will warm the battery on the way there.

3. 3

   Verify your vehicle's max DC charging speed

   Not all EVs can accept 350 kW. Many popular models top out at 100 to 150 kW. The charger delivers only what the vehicle requests.

4. 4

   Try a different stall

   Individual charger units can occasionally have hardware limitations or faults that reduce output. Moving to another stall at the same station can sometimes restore full speed.

5. 5

   Check for power sharing

   Some Ionity stations share power between adjacent stalls. If the neighboring stall is also in use, both vehicles may receive reduced power. Try a stall that is not next to another active session.