Virta, E.ON and Mercedes-Benz present an innovative reservation feature

At this year's IAA Mobility in Munich, Virta, E.ON Drive and Mercedes-Benz jointly presented a new reservation feature for the MB.CHARGE charging network. The feature has been specifically tailored to the needs of customers of Mercedes-Benz and is fully in line with the premium standards of their charging network.

In the "Premium Charging & Smart Energy" panel at the E.ON NeX25 IAA partner event, Christian Girardeau (CSO, Virta), Jonas Prudlo (COO eMobility, Managing Director E.ON Drive) and Nico Dettmer (COO Mercedes-Benz Charging Solutions) jointly discussed the benefits of the new feature and provided exclusive insights into the successful collaboration. The feature was also demonstrated live at the event.

Reservation feature: More convenience and planning security

With the industry's first reservation feature of this kind, Mercedes-Benz drivers can reserve a charge point in the MB.CHARGE charging network in advance. Available charge points are displayed in real time and accessed directly via the MBUX multimedia system in the vehicle or in the Mercedes-Benz app.

The smart navigation takes into account the current availability status of nearby chargers and plans the optimal route including charging stops. The system automatically reserves a charge point 15 minutes before the scheduled arrival, with no manual intervention. Mercedes-Benz customers can enjoy the simplicity of arriving to a reserved charge point without having to make the reservation themselves.

Partnership for premium charging experiences

Virta acts as E.ON Drive's technology partner and provides the charging platform for the new feature. E.ON Drive then offers the reservation function exclusively for the Mercedes-Benz MB.CHARGE charging network. This close cooperation sets new standards for convenience and premium user-friendliness of public charging and underlines the common goal of making electromobility even more attractive.

Future outlook

The reservation function is initially available at selected Mercedes-Benz charging hubs in Germany and the USA. A Europe-wide rollout is planned still in 2025. The aim is to continuously expand the premium charging experience for the MB.CHARGE charging network and set new standards in the field of electromobility.

Further information on the reservation function and the charging offers from Mercedes-Benz can be found here.

Watch the panel discussion: