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Mercedes-Benz Builds Its Own Network of Superchargers, but Won't Do It Alone

Mercedes-Benz has announced that is planning on developing its own network of fast chargers. The brand’s portfolio of electric vehicles is growing, so this decision makes sense. Arguably, the Stuttgart-based manufacturer should have done this before launching its EVs.
Mercedes-Benz Charging Hub Render 80 photos
Photo: Mercedes-Benz
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As one of the world’s leading premium and luxury carmakers, Mercedes-Benz should have insisted on making its fast-charging network for EVs well before launching its new zero-tailpipe emission units. Doing it alone would have been an expensive yet worthy venture, but with the help of partners who already have a foot in the door, things might have gone smoother. And, of course, it would have helped tremendously with customer confidence in battery-electric vehicles (BEVs).

Learning more and more about the ownership experience throughout the years from early adopters has shown internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV) users that managing an all-electric car requires a little bit more planning when thinking about long trips or day-to-day charging cost-effectiveness. Putting electrons in the battery at home may be budget-friendly, but it’s slow. Using DC stalls, on the other hand, doesn’t come cheap and they are sometimes unreliable or may require complicated authentication processes.

Similarly, customers must learn what one-pedal driving is, how to conserve energy when highway travel is involved, and what usage limits they should apply to prolong the cars’ battery pack life.

Mercedes\-Benz Charging Hub
Photo: Mercedes-Benz
Since Mercedes-Benz customers are statistically older (averaging at 44 years of age, according to Carmax) than those who buy, for example, Tesla’s cars, the German automaker would have done a lot better by presenting its first high-tech BEVs together with solid plans to compete with the Supercharger network.

Still, it’s great news that Mercedes-Benz decided to go on this route and is finally launching its fast-charging network in North America, China, Europe, and other of the brand’s key markets. The Germans will focus their efforts on the U.S. and Canada first, and the network will consist of “more than 10,000 high-power chargers worldwide.”

Depending on how many cars can use these stalls simultaneously, this figure may or may not be enough, considering that the automaker plans on opening its network to everyone.

The new paradigm

The automaker intends to have the charging network working at full capacity until the end of 2030. Mercedes-Benz says it will open a dedicated space in “key cities and urban population centers” but does not specify where exactly. It does, however, tell us that dealerships will have stalls on-site and that Canada and the U.S. are set to have 400 charging hubs open by 2027. Once finished, these hubs will comprise over 2,500 chargers. Expect to find them first within and around major cities.

The first stalls will open until the end of 2023. They will have up to 350 kW of power, meaning that we could end up paying various DC charging levels when the network is completed. The good news is that, in some places, the fast-charging spots will be covered, and the roofs might have solar panels on them that could power lighting and surveillance cameras.

The first renderings also show a charging hub design that's eerily similar to what owners of gas-powered cars currently see when they stop to fill up. This shows that our above assessment is right and strengthens our argument that Mercedes-Benz should have made this investment sooner for its more conservative customer base. It could have given the company a much-needed edge in the fight against domestic rivals like BMW or Tesla in North America.

2022 Mercedes\-Benz EQS
Photo: Daimler AG
The brand’s customers will enjoy preferential treatment through an in-car reservation platform and probably better rates, but other BEV owners will be allowed to charge as well. In the meantime, the automaker doesn’t give up on the partnerships it has with Ionity in Europe and Electrify America in the U.S.

MN8 Energy – one of America’s largest solar energy producers and battery storage owners – will assist the marque as a partner in the endeavor to build a fast-charging network in the U.S. and Canada. The total development cost is split between the two companies almost equally. Considering that Mercedes-Benz announced an investment of €1 billion ($1.06 billion), this tells us that MN8 will come up with at least €500 million ($533 million).

In it to win it

Mercedes-Benz and MN8 currently plan to continue on this road together until the car brand implements its “Ambition 2039” program, which turns the company’s entire portfolio into a fully electric one.

Chargepoint, a company Mercedes-Benz owns shares in, will help with laying down the basics needed for reliable high-power charger technology. Chargepoint is also one of the companies that makes sure existing Mercedes me Charge users (including plug-in hybrid owners) can enjoy various options when their cars’ batteries need to be replenished.

Finally, Mercedes-Benz might have joined the fast-charging game a bit later than others, but it surely has the means to become a mighty competitor in the space. Besides developing a better charger for its customers (and others!), the marque had the time to learn from others’ mistakes.

Tesla may have over 40,000 Superchargers and continue to expand its network at a rapid pace, but in the U.S. at least, its proprietary charging connector requires an adapter for virtually every other BEV owner who has their car equipped with the Combined Charging Standard (CCS) connector. Releasing the "North American Charging Standard" did not help Tesla's port to become more popular because nearly everyone already agreed to implement a solution that works almost everywhere.

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About the author: Florin Amariei
Florin Amariei profile photo

Car shows on TV and his father's Fiat Tempra may have been Florin's early influences, but nowadays he favors different things, like the power of an F-150 Raptor. He'll never be able to ignore the shape of a Ferrari though, especially a yellow one.
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