Mercedes-Benz is investing in the electric charging station market, starting this year in the United States and Canada, before expanding globally, the group announced in a press release published Thursday, January 5, as part of CES 2023.
“A complete network” by 2030
“The goal is to have a full grid before the end of the decade, when Mercedes-Benz intends to go fully electric, where market conditions allow,” the statement said.
The German manufacturer attacks the North American market this year, where it plans to set up a network of 400 stations on the map of the United States and Canada before 2027.
To do this, it has joined forces with the American solar energy provider MN8, with which it announces the creation of a joint venture, which will involve an investment of one billion euros, divided equally between both companies.
“Some Mercedes-Benz charging stations will also be equipped with photovoltaic systems to supply electricity for lighting and video surveillance, for example,” the statement said.
Each station should offer EV drivers between 4 and 30 charging stations per station, for a total of 2,500 stations on the North American continent.
These terminals must offer “up to 350 kW” of electrical current, says the group. This ceiling represents a much higher power than what is currently accepted by the best equipped vehicles.
A future competitor to Tesla superchargers
The group comes several years after its competitor Tesla, which has already installed more than 6,000 stations in the United States, currently offering more than 28,000 terminals to US drivers, according to the Ministry of Energy site, or 22% of the US market. . .
The manufacturer should take advantage of the policy voted this summer in Washington to subsidize the electric vehicle sector, which worries Europeans a lot, with the risk of discriminating against foreign companies outside the United States.
Le groupe allemand “regardera” s’il peut en effet profiter de ces grants, admis son PDG, Ola Kaellenius, lors d’una férence de presse en ligne depuis Las Vegas, où se tempted el salon de l’automobile CES jusqu’ until Sunday.
Source of income and loyalty
Another interest of Mercedes: retaining a clientele of buyers for its own car models. While its charging stations will be accessible to all electric vehicles, they will offer exclusive services for Mercedes owners who will be able to reserve terminals in advance.
This feature could “perhaps persuade more customers to join the Mercedes brand,” explained Ola Kaellenius.
Eventually, Mercedes is targeting a total of 10,000 chargers worldwide in North America, but also in Europe, China and other major markets.
Source: BFM TV
