Mercedes-Benz has just launched its first ultra-fast station in the United States thanks to ChargePoint terminals with a remarkable power of 400 kW and possibly 500 kW in the long term. The German brand is therefore rushing into the race for power which has been taking place for some time. Enough to recharge an electric car in just 10 to 15 minutes.
Mercedes-Benz has just announced it to us in a press release: it is at its American headquarters in Georgia that the brand has installed its first new generation ultra-fast charging station. Thanks to 500 kW ChargePoint terminals (configured at 400 kW for the moment), the brand now offers the fastest charging network in the west, well ahead of Tesla Superchargers. And the good news is that it is open to all electric cars, of any brand.
Cozy and practical
Mercedes-Benz is therefore launching its own network of charging stations, but doing so with Mercedes-Benz style. Understand: the charging experience is intended to be as simple and comfortable as possible, in line with the image (and price) of the brand’s cars. Thus, each station has, for example, a dedicated lounge, with refreshments, Wi-Fi, toilets and others – a real snub to Tesla’s Superchargers, often isolated, even if the users don’t seem to care. ‘complain about it.
A Plug & Charge system, allowing charging to begin automatically, without using validation on an app or by a charging card, is also present, making the charging experience easier. It is also possible to pay by credit card.
At the same time, the German brand has formed partnerships with networks of shopping centers in order to offer a network that is as close as possible to the real uses of drivers. Other features? Each station is powered by renewable energy, notably via an enormous solar canopy covering the terminals.
Finally, the stations are open to everyone (something important to clarify in the USA, since the Teslas sold there have a specific connector), even if owners of electric Mercedes-Benz will logically have an advantage: the current EQs will benefit from six months of free charging, an advantage which should even increase to two years for new drivers! A system comparable to what BMW offers on the Ionity network in Europe.
Super fast charging, and that’s just the beginning
But where this network comes into its own is in terms of power: with 400 kW per terminal, Mercedes-Benz quite simply offers itself the fastest charging network in the United States. To put it in context, 400 kW promises rapid charging in less than fifteen minutes, while the best current cars recharge in 18 minutes.
And it doesn’t stop there: the terminals provided by ChargePoint can go up to 500 kW, enough to aim for charging in ten minutes! The company in fact offers a modular system, allowing the available power to be adjusted to demand. If the current 400 kW are more than sufficient (only a Chinese car offers better, the Xpeng G9 in 4C version, while an EQS is limited to 200 kW), this development allows Mercedes to be able to offer a charging network which can adapt to developments in the sector.
The race for power is in fashion
This announcement is timely, just a few days after Huawei presented a 600 kW terminal. 600 kW is also the power reached by the Geely terminal, which could also arrive in Europe where it risks making the 360 kW of Lidl stations or the 400 kW of Fastned out of date. 600 kW allows you to recharge an electric car from 10 to 80% in less than 10 minutes.
This continued increase in power is a logical consequence of the increase in battery capacities, even if certain manufacturers, such as Renault or Ford, have announced that they want to limit the size of the latter while increasing their charging power. The idea: to offer the smoothest driving experience possible, while lowering the prices and weight of their next electric cars.