In July, GM announced it was working with EVGo to build a coast-to-coast charging network for its electric vehicles. On Thursday, Mercedes Benz announced that – in partnership at least with Chargepoint – it will be building its own network that can be accessed regardless of the make or model of electric vehicle you drive.
Mercedes and Chargepoint plan to deploy 400 new charging stations across the US and Canada — totaling 2,500 new DC fast chargers — “in key cities and urban population centers, along key highway corridors and near convenient retail and service destinations,” it said Thursday announcement. The automaker and MN8 Energy will fund the program, while Chargepoint will provide the hardware and infrastructure. Chargepoint partnered with NATSO for a billion-dollar project in 2020 to install its chargers along rural highways. These efforts continue.
The hubs and DC fast chargers will all be accessible to EV drivers of all stripes, regardless of their vehicle type – the opposite of Tesla’s proprietary network. But since Mercedes pulls the strings in the wallet, its customers can look forward to a few extra perks when they pull into a hub. These include the ability to reserve a spot in advance and automatic handshake authentication at the vehicle station.
