Mercedes Launches Its Own High-Speed Charging Network for EVs, But You Won’t Need a Benz to Use It

The company hopes to have 400 stations in operation by 2027. Owners of other brands of electric vehicles can use the stations too, with 10,000 coming to North America, Europe, and China by decade’s end, in a venture shared with ChargePoint and MN8 Energy.

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Mercedes-Benz is doing everything it can to make its EVs as appealing as possible.

The German luxury marque announced at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that it plans to launch a high-power EV charging network in North America later this year. Best of all, the stations will be open to all battery-powered vehicles, not just those manufactured by the automaker.

With EV adoption picking up pace around the world, access to chargers is becoming more critical. That’s why Mercedes—which produces one of the most attractive EVs on the market, the EQS—is teaming up with MN8 and ChargePoint to start its own charging networks. The stations will begin operation later this year, and the automaker hopes to have 400 hubs with over 2,500 chargers up and running by 2027. Locations have yet to be announced, but Mercedes said the stations will be placed at “regular intervals” close to motorways, major intersections and metropolitan areas.

Mercedes Benz EQS exterior revealed - meet Stuttgart's first EV luxury sedan — EV Brief — 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS. Photo: Courtesy of Mercedes-Benz AG.

The network will offer charging power of up to 350 kW and be open to all battery-powered vehicles, something which hasn’t been the case with other automakers’ stations. Until last year, Tesla’s superchargers were only open to its own EVs. Of course, there will be perks for Mercedes owners—they’ll be able to pre-book charging appointments and be prioritized by the network.

“At Mercedes-Benz, we’re fully committed to making the charging of battery electric vehicles easier and more accessible,” Mercedes-Benz Group AG board member Markus Schäfer said in a statement. “By selecting MN8 Energy and ChargePoint as our partners in North America—two of the leaders in their respective fields—we’ll be able to continue to drive the transformation towards an electric future, which is one of the main pillars of our holistic, sustainable corporate strategy.”

Mercedes Building Tesla-like US Electric Vehicle Charging Network — A rendering of one of Mercedes-Benz’s high-speed EV charging stations

Mercedes’s charging stations won’t just be coming to North America. The company said its network will extend to Europe, China and other markets where it sells EVs. The goal is to have over 10,000 chargers available globally by the decade’s end.

Video: Mercedes-Benz plans to unveil its own charging network this year