Mercedes-Benz has announced its ambition to build a network of 2,500 fast charging stations for electric vehicles in the United States by 2027as the government encourages Americans to go electric.
« Move from words to deeds »
Washington wants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030and in the country of the machine, This necessarily involves the use of electricity and therefore by a significant increase in the number of charging stations to attract customers. Currently, there are approximately 41,000 public stations in the United States with over 100,000 outletsbut they often face criticism from motorists due to broken chargers, bad software or screens.
It is in this context that Mercedes has announced a partnership with MN8, a subsidiary of Goldman Sachs Asset Management specializing in solar energy and energy storage, to install 2,500 fast charging stations, distributed across 400 charging stations, in major cities and along major highways. of North America. In total, the two companies will each spend $1 billion, or $500 million, to implement these stations. They will be powered by the ChargePoint enterprise charging hardware and software.
Mercedes explains it the stations will be located in safe places and close to convenient shops and services. Mercedes dealerships, upscale shopping malls and other places frequented by Mercedes owners are also being considered by the German automaker. “ This is a strategic decision for us to support the direction we have already taken in recent years, pivoting to electric and putting the company in a position, by the end of the decade, in order to be able to serve the markets with an all-electric range said Ola Källenius, CEO of Mercedes-Benz.
The stations will be open to electric vehicles of all brands, but Mercedes drivers will benefit. For example, they will be able to reserve a pick-up in advance, unlike owners of other vehicles.
Photography: Michael Marais / Unsplash.
Spurred on by Washington, manufacturers are accelerating in the United States
With more than 1,400 charging stations across the US, Tesla largely dominates the industry, but many of them aren’t yet open to other vehicles. Other producers are now stepping up their efforts to strengthen their local presence. While Volkswagen undertook the project ” Electrify America General Motors is working with EVgo on the installation of 3,250 chargers in the country, which the automaker says will be completed by the end of 2025. For its part, Ford is asking its dealers to install chargers and is also helping its commercial fleet customers to do it like this. The limit it also clarifies that Volvo is working with ChargePoint to create a network of chargers in Starbucks parking lots in five states.
Mercedes has explained that it wants to switch to the marketing of electric vehicles only” where market conditions permit by the end of the decade. Its EV sales are also on the rise across the Atlantic, justifying its investments in building charging stations. As a reminder, the Biden administration adopted, in 2021, a sweeping plan to modernize the country’s infrastructure. This includes in particular $7.5 billion earmarked for the construction of charging stations in the United States.
The president recently announced initial funding of $900 million for this project, which aims to build stations in 35 states.
