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Mercedes-Benz has announced that it’s going to develop its own “global high-end EV charging network”. With the exception of Ionity – a charging network supported by a partnership of different car makers – so far Tesla is the only car maker that has developed its own charging network.
Mercedes is aiming to establish more than 10,000 high-power chargers worldwide across North America, Europe, China and other main markets. Construction on the network will start this year in North America, followed by other regions around the globe. The aim is to have the full network in place before the end of the decade, when the brand says it intends to go all-electric “wherever market conditions allow”.
The hubs will offer 4 to 12 high-power chargers (and ultimately as many as 30), with up to 350 kW of charging power, depending on region and location.
The plan is to offer more than 400 hubs across North America with more than 2,500 high-power chargers by 2027. The total investment cost for the North American network will be just over 1 billion Euros over the next 6-7 years.
The charging hubs will be located in key cities and urban population centres, close to major arteries, convenient retail and service destinations, including participating Mercedes-Benz dealership sites.
Mercedes-Benz customers can pre-book a charging station from their car, but the network will be open and accessible to all brands.
A “Plug & Charge” function will also allow the charging station to communicate directly with the vehicle via the charging cable, meaning that manual authentication via card or app isn’t required. Mercedes-Benz customers can use this function via Mercedes me Charge.
