Mercedes-Benz is working on a global fast charging network with 10,000 chargers up to 350kW
Mercedes-Benz wants to set up a network of fast chargers in the coming years with chargers that can supply up to 350kW. The company will first install chargers in North America. The network is incorporated into the navigation systems of Mercedes cars, but is also open to other cars.
The car manufacturer talks about a network of more than ten thousand fast chargers in North America, Europe, China ‘and other key markets’. At least 2,500 of these should be in the United States and Canada, spread over four hundred hubs. Construction of this North American network will start this year, with other markets to follow. The entire network should be ready before the end of the decade.
The network will work with hubs where four to twelve ‘high-power chargers’ will be installed. Ultimately, there could be up to thirty fast chargers per hub. The fast chargers deliver a maximum of 350kW. Some hubs will have roofs with solar panels to provide energy for lighting and surveillance cameras. The hubs must also have dining facilities and toilets nearby. Mercedes strives to ensure that the charging stations are supplied with green energy as much as possible.
The North American network requires an investment of more than one billion euros, spread over the next six to seven years. Mercedes-Benz and solar energy and battery storage company MN8 Energy will share these costs. EV charging company ChargePoint is also participating in the network. The charging stations should be located in and around major cities, close to major arterial roads and destinations, and Mercedes dealers.
The car manufacturer is already working with other car manufacturers on the Ionity network, but the Mercedes charging network must be able to work better with Mercedes cars. The navigation of these cars can see the occupancy rate of the Mercedes fast charging network and can also reserve charging stations for when drivers plan a route. Customers thus have no waiting time, the company says. The fast chargers also support Plug & Charge, meaning owners of supported Mercedes EVs do not need to authenticate with a card or app.