Mercedes-Benz is the latest automaker to join the growing North American Charging Standard (NACS) alliance, announcing on Friday its electric vehicle (EV) owners will soon have access to Tesla’s Supercharger network.
As with previous deals announced by other major automakers, existing Mercedes-Benz EV owners will receive a NACS adapter in 2024. Then in 2025 Mercedes-Benz EVs will be built with an integrated NACS port, eliminating the need for an adapter to plug in at Supercharger sites across Canada and the United States.
With the agreement, Mercedes-Benz becomes the first, but not the last, German automaker to adopt Tesla’s charging technology. Ford was the first to get the ball rolling, announcing it was going with NACS last month. It only took a few weeks after that before General Motors announced it was doing the same, and then Rivian, Volvo, and Polestar also climbed onboard.
While Mercedes is going with NACS, they will continue their plans to build out their own fast charging network in the US. In January the automaker announced it had teamed up with MN8 Energy, a Goldman Sachs spin-off, to build 2,500 chargers across 400 sites in the US and Canada by 2027. In a statement Mercedes reaffirmed that commitment, saying the first sites will open by the end of the year and include both NACS and the Combined Charging System (CCS).
“Our strategic priority is clear: Building the world’s most desirable cars. To accelerate the shift to electric vehicles, we are dedicated to elevating the entire EV-experience for our customers – including fast, convenient, and reliable charging solutions wherever their Mercedes-Benz takes them. That’s why we are committed to building our global Mercedes-Benz High-Power Charging Network, with the first sites opening this year. In parallel, we are also implementing NACS in our vehicles, allowing drivers to access an expansive network of high-quality charging offerings in North America,” said Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management Mercedes-Benz Group AG.
Mercedes launching new EV charging network; to kick off in North America this year
