Mercedes-Benz to launch high-powered charging network globally

Mercedes used CES 2023 to announce that it will be launching a new network of high-powered fast-charging hubs around the world starting very soon.

The rollout will apparently begin in North America, which is no real surprise, but will follow in Europe and China soon, according to its announcement.

The charging hubs will be clearly branded as Mercedes-Benz but will be open to all electric car brands, which is definitely the right starting point from drivers’ point of view.

Mercedes drivers, though, will be able to take advantage of special treatment including being able to reserve their spot ahead of time.

The chargers will offer up to 350 kW of power each, and each hub will have between four and 12 spots, although Mercedes says that many will be designed for potential expansion up to as many as 30 chargers down the line.

The network will apparently be constructed by the end of 2027 in North America, comprising around 400 hubs and a total of around 2,500 individual chargers. Those are good numbers, although they still don’t come anywhere close to the roughly 1,400 Tesla hubs dotted around the US.

That network has over 7,000 individual chargers, so is still the dominant force as you drive around. Still, with open charging points that aren’t locked to a given brand becoming far more widely available and accepted, the direction of travel on electric car charging is very good.