Mercedes-Benz said it will open its first high-power electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in October in Atlanta, Georgia, Chengdu, China, and Mannheim, Germany.
The rollout is part of the automotive OEM’s plan to expand its global charging infrastructure. By the end of 2024, Mercedes-Benz plans to expand the charging network to more than 2,000 high-power charging points. The long-term goal is to create more than 2,000 hubs with more than 10,000 charging points by the end of the decade.
Depending on the region, the charging hubs will offer charging rates of up to 400 kW via standard charging systems CCS1, CCS2, Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) and GB/T. The charging points will be able to charge at its maximum power rating due to intelligent charging management, the company said.
The charging network hubs will be open to all brands, but Mercedes-Benz drivers will be able to reserve a charging point through the company’s app to reduce waiting times. These new hubs will be complementary to the 1.3 million charging points that drivers have access to globally.
Additionally, the new charging hubs will be integrated into route planning and will offer plug and charge capability, which will automatically connect the drivers to the network with billing and payment automatically deducted.
The company said the charging hubs will be equipped with as much renewable green electricity as possible including the use of solar panels. The goal is to use 100% renewable electricity for the nationwide charging network.
