Mercedes-Benz will Develop its Own EV Charging Network Around the World

• The company aims to have 10,000 stations globally, starting with North America.

• Stations will include 4 to 30 individual 350 kW chargers.

• The network will be open to drivers of any EV, not just Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

Mercedes-Benz has now committed to building and expanding an electric vehicle charging network that will ultimately include 10,000 stations across the globe.

This approach is similar to Tesla’s supercharging network except that drivers of any electric vehicle will be able to use the stations, which is still not possible everywhere on the Tesla network.

Mercedes says each station will be composed of 4 to 12 individual 350 kW chargers, with the goal of upgrading some stations up to 30 units.

In order to support the fast charging of many vehicles without overloading the grid, these stations will use Intelligent Charge Load Management.

The company says the stations will be built in areas where they will offer the best charging experience, which is to say they will be close to public toilets and food outlets. In addition, each station will feature video surveillance and most of them will offer protection against the weather.

In order to simplify the charging process, these stations will support Plug & Charge with many of the automaker’s newest models. This technology allows owners to plug the charging cable into the vehicle and go on about their day, without having to connect to the charger with an app or via the vehicle’s infotainment system.

In addition to this advantage, drivers of Mercedes-Benz vehicles will be able to reserve spaces at charging stations that are on their way in order to make sure they don’t have to wait for another car to finish charging before they can plug in.

North America will be the first continent to receive Mercedes-branded charging stations and the company wants to have 400 stations totalling 2,500 individual chargers in the United States and Canada by 2027.

That portion of the network alone should require an investment of 1 billion Euros (about $1.4 billion CAD) which will be provided equally by Mercedes-Benz and MN8 Energy, an American renewable energy specialist.

Mercedes says the motive behind this project is to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles around the world by improving the charging network, which is still a leading concern amongst buyers who are on the fence about EVs.

Obviously, the company also hopes that having its logo plastered on charging stations all across the globe will drive more people to choose its own electric vehicles over the competition.