Electric vehicle charging provider ChargePoint Holdings Inc., Mercedes-Benz and MN8 Energy are planning to rapidly expand the availability of DC fast charging with the development of over 400 charging hubs across the U.S. and Canada in key cities and urban population centers, along major highway corridors and close to convenient retail and service destinations.
Starting this year, ChargePoint, Mercedes-Benz and MN8 will roll out more than 2,500 ChargePoint DC fast charging ports at these hubs. MN8 and Mercedes-Benz will jointly finance and operate the hubs, powered by ChargePoint’s charging hardware and software solutions.
“Automotive leaders like Mercedes-Benz continue to lead the transition to electric mobility by bringing new EVs to market, and ChargePoint remains committed to enabling the simplicity that drivers expect and the charging speed they need for all vehicles whenever and wherever drivers want,” says Pasquale Romano, CEO of ChargePoint.
“With this partnership, we are expanding upon our existing relationships with Mercedes-Benz and MN8 to deliver a seamless charging experience for drivers, and turnkey charging solutions at no upfront cost to site hosts,” continues Romano. “We believe the expansion of charging hubs like these will enable the emergence of a new 30-minute retail economy, at the intersection of innovation and accessibility that combines charging and commerce, giving drivers a superior experience to charge quickly and easily.”
Available to all EV drivers, the Mercedes-Benz charging hubs will offer Mercedes-Benz drivers additional benefits including preferential access via reservation, as well as the convenience of automatic authentication functionality like “Plug & Charge,” enabling seamless and secure communications between the vehicle and the charging infrastructure. While authentication via card, app or head unit will be possible, it’s not required for Mercedes-Benz customers using the Mercedes me Charge service.
“Mercedes-Benz customers deserve a compelling charging experience that makes electric vehicle ownership and long-distance travel effortless and that’s why we are launching a global high-end charging network that will offer a charging experience to match the extraordinary Mercedes driving experience,“ states Ola Källenius, chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG. “We are excited to start right here in North America with two strong and experienced partners, ChargePoint and MN8 Energy.”
The Mercedes-Benz hubs will primarily be powered by ChargePoint Express Plus, an advanced high-power DC fast-charge platforms built for businesses looking to scale their EV charging operations for the long term. Express Plus is the ideal platform for fueling and convenience, retail and highway corridor charging locations. The system can deliver up to 500 kW per port, depending on the configuration.