Charging station network Archives

The sale of electric vehicles is on the rise, and with that comes the problem of an insufficient number of charging stations. State authorities cannot solve such a problem by themselves, so car manufacturers decide to open their own charging stations. Mercedes-Benz has announced the opening of a network of charging stations with chargers of up to 400kW.

Mercedes previously revealed plans to partner with ChargePoint to build a network called the Mercedes-Benz High-Power Charging Network. The first installations will include CCS and Tesla’s NACS connectors and will also be available for electric cars from other manufacturers.

Charging stations will be in Atlanta, Georgia, Chengdu and Mannheim this fall, and depending on the region, the stations will offer charging power up to 400kW via the standard systems CCSI (North America), CCS2 (Europe), NACS (Tesla) and GB/T (China ). The plan is to build 400 stations with 2,000 chargers in the US, as well as 2,000 stations worldwide by the end of next year.

Mercedes has already agreed with Tesla to access its Supercharger network with a CCS-to-NACS adapter that will arrive in 2024. However, this agreement with Tesla does not refer to a new network of charging stations, as Mercedes has announced a partnership with six other manufacturers including BMW, GM, Honda, Hyundai, KIA and Stellantis to build a network of 30,000 new charging stations for electric cars across of North America. These stations will have CCS and NACS connectors.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

The increased demand for electric cars necessarily requires an increase in the number of charging stations. Thus, Mercedes-Benz decided to start building a network of stations in North America, and the goal is to establish a complete network before the end of the decade.

Mercedes’ long-term plan is to go all-electric, and it’s currently trying to make that happen in North America. The company believes that this strategic move will significantly improve the usability and practicality of the new generation of electric vehicles, differentiate the Mercedes-Benz ownership experience and accelerate the transformation of electric vehicles.

Creating a network of stations will improve the customer charging experience, accelerate the journey towards an all-electric future and create a global infrastructure asset with future potential for value creation. Mercedes-Benz charging hubs will be located in key cities and urban centers of population, close to major arteries, convenient retail and service destinations.

Depending on the region and location, the hubs will offer 4 to 12, and eventually even 30 high power chargers (HPC) with up to 350 kW of charging power. Intelligent charging management will allow each vehicle to charge at its maximum capacity, which will keep waiting times to an absolute minimum.

Although the focus of this decision is on owners of Mercedes vehicles, this network will also be open to drivers of all other brands with compatible technology. This comprehensive initiative, with ongoing support from collaborative networks such as IONITY, also aims to drive the global adoption of electric mobility.

The total investment will be around 1 billion euros, and the plan is to realize it in the next seven years.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

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