Mercedes launches vehicle charging network, starting in North America

The automaker will begin construction in North America this year and aims to have 2,500 charging stations in 400 locations across most U.S. states and Canada by 2027, the company said at the auto show. CES in Las Vegas, which runs from January 5 to 8.

The company will share just over €1 billion ($1.06 billion) in investment required by 2030 for North America with Goldman Sachs spin-off MN8 Energy, a producer of renewable energy and battery storage operator, and partners with charging network company ChargePoint for technology. -How? ‘Or’ What.

MN8 chief executive Jon Yoder said the company expects to turn a profit in five to seven years, possibly sooner if it receives subsidies or if occupancy rates are higher than planned.

Discussions are underway with potential partners to expand the network in Europe and China.

The United States has about 140,000 public EV chargers, according to July 2022 data from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Studies show that consumers around the world are discouraged from buying electric vehicles due to a lack of charging infrastructure.

In Europe, where Mercedes-Benz is already part of a charging joint venture with Volkswagen, BMW, Ford and Hyundai called Ionity, infrastructure is more advanced, with around 375,000 charging stations available by the end of 2021, according to a McKinsey study.

Still, the region will need at least 3.4 million charging stations by 2030 to meet the projected increase in demand, according to the study.

Separately, Mercedes-Benz in California and Nevada has applied for certification for Level 3 automated driving, which would allow its electric vehicles to take over driving at up to 60 kilometers per hour on stretches of road. ‘highway or in heavy traffic,’ the company also said at the CES auto show.

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