Mercedes-Benz, the luxury car manufacturer, has disclosed further details of its plans to build its own High Performance Computing (HPC) network across North America, Europe, and China. The development is scheduled to commence in the fourth quarter of 2023 in the United States, Germany, and France.
According to Franz Reiner, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Mobility, the first 20 charging parks, each equipped with multiple charging points, are set to be installed in the US this year. However, no precise figures were given for Europe. It remains unclear whether Europe will have more or fewer charging parks than the US.
Mercedes-Benz announced its intention to create its own HPC network with over 10,000 charging points at the CES event in January 2023. The HPC stations will offer charging power of up to 350 kW each and be available for public use. However, Mercedes-Benz customers will receive preferential access to the charging points, for example, by reserving them in advance.
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Out of the 10,000+ HPC charging points planned by the end of the decade, more than 2,000 will be built in the US and Europe, respectively. The remaining charging points will be constructed in China and other significant markets. Mercedes is investing “a low single-digit billion euro amount” to make this happen, according to Reiner.
However, Mercedes does not see its fast-charging parks as a complete replacement for the overall charging infrastructure, and as such, the network is not expected to become dense enough to support long-distance travel solely with Mercedes charging stations. “The charging infrastructure still has some potential,” Reiner told DPA. “We will definitely not be able to cover everything with our fast-charging stations.”
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Mercedes has already confirmed partnerships with MN8 Energy and ChargePoint to build its US charging parks. By 2027, a total network of over 400 locations featuring more than 2,500 HPC chargers will be established in the US and Canada. Mercedes and MN8 will share the expenses. However, Reiner did not reveal a partner for Europe or China in the DPA interview.
