With an investment of billions in a global fast-charging network, the carmaker wants to make buying a vehicle with a battery-electric drive more palatable for its customers. The first stations are to be set up in two countries this year.
Mercedes-Benz wants to boost sales of electric cars with its own charging station network. By the end of the decade, more than 10,000 fast charging stations are to be set up in North America, Europe, China and other core markets, as the carmaker announced at the CES electronics trade fair in Las Vegas. The USA and Canada are the first countries where the brand with the star will set up its own charging stations with US partner MN8 Energy starting this year. The two companies each share half of the investment costs of a good one billion euros. For the global network, Mercedes-Benz is calculating in the low single-digit billions, said CEO Ola Källenius.
"This is another component of our strategic journey," said Källenius, referring to the planned expansion of the range of electric cars. With the charging stations, which are accessible to all manufacturers but offer advantages to Mercedes customers, the company wants to make it easier for car buyers to switch to electric cars. "We don't want to watch and wait until it's built. That's why we're building a global fast-charging network ourselves." The business model, which should be profitable within five to seven years, is not based on subsidies. Nevertheless, Mercedes is checking whether the US government's support package, the Inflation Reduction Act, which is controversial in the EU, can be used, said Head of Technology Markus Schäfer.
The lack of charging options and the associated concern of being stranded with an empty battery still deters many people from switching to electric cars. In the US, consumers are slower to embrace e-cars than in Europe. The Mercedes charging station network is a contribution to reducing fear of range, said MN8 Energy boss Jon Yoder. In North America, more than 400 charging parks with over 2,500 high-power chargers (HPC) are planned by 2027. They should be open to all car brands, but Mercedes customers can reserve for a fee and have their turn without waiting. Locations are sought in large cities or metropolitan areas - where Mercedes customers like to be, for example in luxury shopping malls.
For Europe, talks with partners are still ongoing, said Källenius. The company's own charging network should complement the provider Ionity, which German car manufacturers founded with partners in 2017 for quick charging stations on motorways. Ionity now operates around 430 locations in two dozen European countries and is aiming for more than 1000 stations with around 7000 charging points by 2025. Compared to the demand in Europe, that's little: The consulting firm McKinsey puts it at at least 3.4 million charging points by 2030. The car manufacturers association ACEA considers twice as many to be necessary. Källenius said that the infrastructure will be promoted by many players, including the oil companies, in the coming years.
The Volkswagen subsidiaries Audi and Porsche have also started to offer charging stations under their own brand. Audi is testing charging stations in Nuremberg and Zurich that offer a rest area with their own lounge. Together with the Spanish energy supplier Iberdrola, Porsche opened the first of 35 planned fast charging stations in Spain.
