Mercedes Invests $1B For New EV Charging Network In North America

Mercedes-Benz uses CES 2023 to announce a global charging network that launches first in North America. Construction at sites in the United States and Canada begins this year. Later, there would be locations in Europe, China, and other key markets for the automaker. The goal is to have the full network in place before the end of the decade.

Mercedes partners with MN8 Energy to create this charging network. They'll share a 50:50 investment of over 1 billion Euros ($1.05 billion at current exchange rates) to build the North American network over the next six to seven years. By 2027, there will be a planned 400 hubs across, which will provide more than 2,500 chargers to drivers.

Mercedes will prioritize building charging hubs in cities and urban population centers. The specific locations will be near retail destinations, restaurants, and the automaker's dealers. Most sites will have 4 to 12 chargers, and some will have as many as 30.

The hubs will have chargers supporting up to 350 kilowatts. They will have intelligent charge-load management so that each vehicle will recharge at its maximum capacity. Plugging in will be possible from either side of a model, which will make things easier for drivers. Where possible, Mercedes will use renewable energy certificates for sourcing the electricity. Some locations will have solar cells.

This network will prioritize Mercedes customers by giving them preferential access to the chargers. Drivers of other EVs will also be able to use the sites, though.

The Mercedes-Benz Electric Intelligence navigation system will be able to adjust route planning based on a vehicle's destination and will be able to take them to one of these chargers, including reserving a space in advance. According to the company's claims, the system will know the available capacity at a hub and will get the driver immediate access to the charging point without any waiting.

Once there, the charger will communicate with the vehicle. For Mercedes models, a driver won't have to do any manual authentication. Paying for the service will happen through the Mercedes Me Charge service. Owners of other EVs will have a separate payment method.

 

How will the hub notify people arriving that a reservation holder is imminent so the space is not blocked by someone else?

 

“Mercedes will prioritize building charging hubs in cities and urban population centers.”

Of course. Only natural. And it will leave me out in the cold.

 

They'll have an excellent scheduling app with a method to close a non-MB customer session, keep a port open all the time or use smoke and mirrors..

 

And I thought we’d have to use dueling pistols at ten paces to decide who charges next…..😊

 

Would be awesome if they developed stations along major highway corridors as well as urban centres, etc.

 

Good news. I'll be happy the day I get to use one!

 

I mentioned this on the cold weather range thread but didn’t have these details. I can’t wait till this plan becomes a reality!

 

Great news for sure.

 

Why not use the money to improve EA instead of creating another brand new network. Just wondering 💭

 

All kinds of reasons to not invest in another company’s poorly run business.

Would you invest in EA⁉️

 

MB needs network control over the placement of chargers in business & shopping districts where consumers are located. EA's philosophy is to avoid chargers in populated areas by only servicing remote highway locations.

 

Probably the same reason why someone would start a new competing business instead of investing the crappy one that already exists.

 

For all the reasons above and adding the fact that EA is owned by their competitor Volkswagen (i.e. Porsche)?

 

I think its all the Germans. Its part of their disel cheating settlement. VW is the principal.

 

I think MB is probably a little different. They don't want to rely on Tesla opening up or the poor experience of EA. But I'm guessing MB will basically make these charging "HUBS" their dealerships. They said 400 hubs and if you google they have 383 dealers in the US and I'm guessing a few more in Canada.

Not a bad idea because ultimately you may have to go a little out of the way but you can find a MB dealer in all major cities (and most minor ones). MB dealer will have staff to make sure the chargers stay up and running. And they will have the opportunity to have get non-MB users into the dealership to show off their cars and everyone can get a cup of coffee and use a very clean restroom while they wait

I know personally on road trips we have done in our ICE GL450, we have stopped in at MB dealers in the city and some of them would even wash our car for us while we use the restroom.

 

And I will add that from a sales and service perspective they will need a way at their dealerships to charge up EV loaners and customer cars that are in the service bat quickly and so superchargers at the dealership will be needed.

In Austin, Porsche built a beautiful new dealership and has 4 or 5 superchargers but only their dealerships customers are allowed to use them, so stupid considering they should want an MB or Tesla EV owner walking through their dealership

 

I think your math is right on the money. Dealerships are a perfect option.
Unfortunately not of any use for me. Dealerships are in big urban areas. Having chargers there will be good for congested urban chargers but will do nothing to expand charging infrastructure to areas that have none.

 

I guess it depends on how you define "big urban areas". In Texas there are dealers in places like Midland, Lubbock, Wichita Falls, College Station, Tyler, Beaumont, Texarkana and a bunch along the southern border towns. While these are not rural areas, they are also not big urban cities like Dallas, Houston, San Antonio. And in the big cities there are multiple dealerships easily accessible to the people living in those cities.

 

However, do these dealers have the fast chargers or are they more like 20 kW? The two dealers (one in Des Moines and one in Akron, OH) I’m familiar with only have chargers that reach about 20 kW. That’s just too slow.

 

I'm assuming if MB is creating their own network and if they make their dealerships their "hubs", then they will basically pay dealers to install superchargers at these locations. Makes the most sense and should not take a long time hopefully.

 

I was actually asking how fast the chargers at these dealerships in TX are right now.

 

I have not seen any superchargers at the Austin dealers. I've only seen L2 chargepoint which is not even free for owners. In other words 9.6kwh as far as we are concerned

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My dealer did the same thing. They installed 2 ChargePoint L2 chargers and they charge everyone to use them. For some reason although they are brand new only one functions. And to top it off they charge the highest rate I’ve seen to use them. I’ve never seen anyone use them although I’ve only been by them a few times. But when practically everyone charges 32 cents/kw and they charge 55cents they haven’t been utilized much. You would think they would lower their rates to get a return on their investment.

 

Thats what the have at most dealerships. This true fast DC fast chargers my guess is they will be, at least, 150kw. Until more information is provided we are just guessing.