Mercedes-Benz has opened its first electric vehicle (EV) charging station in the Mercedes-Benz Charging Network, with an inaugural station located at its US corporate headquarters in Sandy Springs, Georgia. This marks the first step in the German automaker’s plan to build at least 2,500 chargers at 400 charging stations by the end of the decade.
The Mercedes-Benz Charging Hub, located just north of Atlanta is available to all brands of EVs. The charging stations are provided by ChargePoint and powered by renewable electricity, offering charging speeds of up to 400 kilowatts (kW) with both the CCS and NACS plugs. The station also features a lounge to relax in while your EV is plugged in, and a solar canopy for carbon-neutral operations.
Mercedes-Benz is set to invest over US$1 billion in this initiative, forming a joint venture with MN8 Energy Inc. to ensure the network’s success by 2030. The Charging Network will leverage the Plug and Charge standard, facilitating automatic charging initiation when the vehicle is plugged in, similar to Tesla’s approach.
The company plans to expand its charging infrastructure, targeting gas stations in Texas, Florida, Alabama, and Georgia by the end of this year in partnership with Buc-ee’s, and outlet malls in the first half of 2024 in Canada and the US through a partnership with Simon Property Group.
This announcement follows Mercedes-Benz’s involvement in a collaborative effort with six other automakers to establish a North American charging network, adding at least 30,000 fast-charging plugs by 2030. The Mercedes-Benz Charging Network will operate independently of this joint initiative, and is also independent of the automaker’s recent deal with Tesla to adopt the North American Charging Standard (NACS) and gain access to the Supercharger network.
