► Due to be completed in 2027
► The first European bays open in Germany
► Separate to Ionity charging stations
Mercedes-Benz already has a growing range of EVs, but soon it’ll have its own network of public electric car chargers – and the first one in Europe launched this week.
The Mercedes-Benz Charging Hub launched in Mannheim in the Rhine-Main-Neckar region, one of Germany’s busiest transport hubs. Reserved exclusively for Merc electric car and van drivers, the base has six high-speed charging points running at 300kW for rapid top-ups on the go. Each charger has a single port, so the speed of charge shouldn’t vary.
It follows news at CES 2023 that the three-pointed star is moving into the charging network game, with 2000 sites planned globally. Mercedes already has a stake in the Ionity public charging network along with other brands such as BMW, Ford and the Volkswagen Group, but this latest venture is entirely a Mercedes production in partnership with energy giant E.On.
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How many public chargers is Mercedes-Benz proposing?
Mercedes has committed to 2000 sites globally, with over 400 of those being in North America. The exact number should be close to 430, and that equates to around 2500 individual high-powered chargers in total. It’s not going to be cheap; the North American part of the project is expected to cost $1 billion (£790 million). Do the maths, and you’ll find Mercedes intends to spend around $5 billion (£4bn) on its new global network.
When will the Merc EV chargers come to the UK?
Only details of the North American arm of the charging network are firm for now, and that’s expected to be completed in 2027.
That’s 100 extra chargers a year. From 2024, Daimler is committing to open branded charging bays in Germany, Italy, Spain and France. No word yet on when the UK will get its own Mercedes charging bays.
Where are Mercedes’ EV charging stations going to be located?
Mercedes says its chargers will be located close to motorways, major intersections and urban areas, though they exact locations of them will be decided using data from Mercedes cars, dealers – and Mercedes’ technical partner, ChargePoint.
The electric charger specs
Mercedes says most hubs will offer four to 12 chargers, although that could rise to as many as 30 high-power chargers in the busiest locations, capable of putting out 300kW. Each hub will also have the option of a solar roof for extra energy collection, and to power various possible services.
‘Amenities should be nearby,’ Schäfer told CAR magazine. ‘Food courts and restaurants are important, then safety, very important for us, especially to charge at night. Enough light, cameras, surveillance, very important. So these are all elements that we think are a part of a premium charging experience reservation for Mercedes customers.’
What’s in it for Mercedes EV owners?
The Mercedes network will be open to all EV cars, but only Mercedes EV owners will be able to reserve slots. This service only works when using Mercedes’ only navigation software, but keeping customers within the brand’s ecosystem is a long-term target now.
‘There are some preferential treatment on the packages that you can book. So today we have three packages; the S charging the M and the L like t-shirt sizes,’ Schäfer explains. ‘So that’s existing today. Depending on your frequency of charging, you have a base rate and you have a rate per kilowatt hour. And that’s somethings similar is going to happen in the future in this kind of network.’
In addition to priority when it comes to free chargers, using Mercedes software also unlocks functions like battery pre-conditioning, for faster charging:
‘We can combine infotainment, entertainment, ADAS functions, body functions of the car, to one holistic experience,’ Schäfer explains. ‘These guys cannot because they cannot access the car. So, they won’t know about the temperature of the battery. Even in the maps, there’s some data not available, that we’re using at the moment.
What’s in it for Mercedes?
As well as providing a more seamless, Mercedes-like experience – something Schäfer thinks the current charging networks have failed to do – this new venture should collect more anonymous data, improve EV adoption – and should turn profitable soon after creation.
‘It has to be a self-sustaining business,’ says Schäfer. ‘I think we think that this is a great asset for the future. And our reference is the Ionity network that we started to establish in Europe some time ago. The valuation of this network has grown so much. So it was a great investment. It was tough to get it up and running, [but] it’s turning positive also in terms of profits, and the valuation went up so we think we can do the same here. So we’re going to have some really great sites in our portfolio.’