Mercedes-Benz has announced it will roll out a high-power charging network across North America, Europe, China and other markets, and it’ll be open to vehicles from other brands.
The charging network will be Mercedes-Benz-branded but developed in partnership with solar energy and battery storage company MN8 Energy and charging network company ChargePoint.
The rollout will begin in North America this year, with Europe, China and unspecified “other main markets” to follow.
The North American network will consist of more than 400 hubs with more than 2500 high-power chargers, with work scheduled for completion by 2027.
Each hub will, depending on the location, offer between four and 12 chargers with up to 350kW charging power. Mercedes-Benz says the hubs will “ultimately [have] as many as 30” chargers.
By the end of the decade, Mercedes-Benz says its charging network will have expanded worldwide with more than 10,000 high-power chargers.
While they’ll be open to all brands, Mercedes-Benz says owners of its vehicles will enjoy additional benefits like being able to reserve a charging spot – something Audi offers with its charging hubs in Europe.
Chargers will be “spaced conveniently at regular intervals”, close to motorways, major intersections and metropolitan areas, and with food outlets and restrooms nearby.
Mercedes-Benz promises a “premium, sustainable and reliable” charging experience, with the hubs featuring surveillance cameras and “other measures” to provide a safe and secure charging environment. Selected points will also be covered for protection from the elements.
Mercedes-Benz will “preferably ensure” the hubs are supplied with energy via green electricity supply contracts or through renewable energy certificates from an accredited supplier.
They’ll also accommodate a roof equipped with photovoltaic systems to provide power for lighting and surveillance cameras.
“At Mercedes-Benz, we’re fully committed to making the charging of battery electric-vehicles easier and more accessible,” said Markus Schäfer, member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG and chief technology officer in charge of development and procurement.
“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.”
Audi charging hub 
Tesla Supercharger
Mercedes-Benz won’t be the first company to have a branded charging network.
Tesla’s Supercharger network is the most expansive and well-known, but Audi has also rolled out its first four ring-branded charging hubs in Europe.
Though its chargers don’t wear the Volkswagen logo, the German company established the Electrify America charging network in the US, while Ionity in Europe and Chargefox in Australia have partnered with myriad automakers to give owners of their vehicles access to public charging.
