First up and running 400 KW DCFC ChargePoint system located at the company’s NA HQ in Georgia. Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – Nov. 15, 2023 First Mercedes-Benz Charging Hub in North America located at Mercedes-Benz USA Headquarters in Sandy Springs, GA. Powered by 100% clean energy using carbon neutral renewable energy sources. It will also be open to drivers of all brands of EVs with focus on quality and a Mercedes-Benz brand experience. Can you say Mercedes-Benz centric advertising without advertising? Earlier today, Mercedes-Benz announced the launch of their very first DCFC station while prepping for a transcontinental North American network. The first up and running Mercedes-Benz Charging Hub is located at the company’s NA HQ in Sandy Springs, Georgia. With the launch of the Mercedes-Benz Charging Network, Mercedes-Benz is sure to provide not only a fast network with high end conveniences, but a reliable and clean network at that. This first charging hub is just the beginning as Mercedes-Benz's has committed to invest over $1 billion, in a joint venture with MN8 Energy, to deliver 2,500 chargers at a minimum 400 charging locations across North America before the end of the decade. Their first charging hub at the Mercedes-Benz USA HQ sets the bar in terms of standalone charging hubs. Special features include: 400 KW Chargers provided by ChargePoint offering customers the fastest charging speeds in the industry. Open to all from day one for EV drivers from any brand who will enjoy a Mercedes-Benz brand experience A full on charging lounge including a clean and comfortable environment while their vehicle charges, complete with couches and lounge chairs, vending machines, refreshments, and restroom facilities. Finally!!! A Solar Canopy over all chargers providing weather cover for customers, overhead LED lighting for safety and solar to generate clean electricity. Intelligent Indicators with a pylon built to a height of 15 feet, visible from the street, indicating the status of the charging stall: in use, free or reserved. Accessibility including one handicap accessible charging spot closest to the charging lounge as well as one uncovered, drive-through charging spot that is designed for electric vans or EVs with trailers up to 26 feet in length. <-- Kick @$$, I know, right! Powered by clean energy via direct and indirect means. The charging hub uses renewable energy and is carbon neutral. Expanding National Network The Mercedes-Benz Charging Network will set a new benchmark for quality and customer experience in the industry. With proven partners to support ambitions for industry-leading uptime and reliability, Mercedes-Benz charging hubs will offer a seamless customer experience where charging fades into the background of EV drivers' daily lives. Key to Mercedes-Benz HPC NA's driver value network strategy is retail integration, and recently announced agreements with Simon and Buc-ees to demonstrate this strategy in action. Simon retail outlets are destinations for food, shopping and socializing located in key areas of EV saturation – where customers are – and Buc-ee's locations are the world's most-loved travel centers located strategically along key travel corridors and EV charging deserts – where customers are going. In addition to today's first Charging Hub opening, Mercedes-Benz HPC NA announced that several hubs will open at Buc-ee's travel centers in Texas, Florida, Alabama, and Georgia by the end of 2023, with further expansion in 2024. Charging hubs at Simon Mall locations are planned to launch in the first half of 2024, both showing the power of retail integration collaborations to facilitate a speedy network build out that has immediate customer impact. Key Mercedes-Benz Charging Network Highlights The Mercedes-Benz Charging Network will exclusively offer chargers of up to 400kW at all charging hubs. Intelligent charging management ensures swift charge times, enabling certain EVs to charge from 10% to 80% in as little as 18 minutes, enough time to enjoy a coffee, for applicable vehicles and conditions. Additionally, the company is committed to maintaining a future-proof network that moves with the speed of change – no matter the car, hubs are built to work hand in glove with the best-in-industry charging hardware and software, and feature BOTH CCS and NACS connectors. <-- Another great start! Mercedes-Benz extends its brand promise of quality and excellence to drivers of all brands of EVs with this open charging hub network, connected to and visible on all major charging hub aggregators. This is paramount to our commitment to expand the North American charging map and drive further EV adoption broadly. The Mercedes-Benz Charging Network promises premium customer experiences, complete with nearby amenities to integrate charging into EV drivers' daily lives. Exclusive charging lounges will be built at select locations, while retail integration will allow a stop at a Mercedes-Benz Charging Hub to be the backdrop to getting a coffee, checking out the latest fashions or meeting up with friends. By teaming up with MN8 Energy, a leading renewable energy company, Mercedes-Benz HPC NA aims to achieve industry-leading uptime. MN8's deep experience as an owner-operator of enterprise renewable energy solutions, brings unparalleled asset-ownership expertise at the largest scale – a critical component of delivering a high-quality, reliable and premium experience to EV drivers. <-- If there was one caveat to the non-Tesla networks, this is it. With MB, MN8, and ChargePoint behind the network build out, reliability and charging speed should prove to be world class from day 1. Mercedes-Benz HPC NA's national network strategy is based on value for drivers, focusing on where EV drivers are and where they are going. In this way Mercedes-Benz HPC NA simultaneously promotes EV adoption in areas of saturation and fills in charging gaps along popular travel routes. Mercedes-Benz Charging Hubs will also offer exclusive benefits for Mercedes-Benz EV drivers. These privileges include automatic charger reservations enabled by the native Navigation with Electric Intelligence feature on Mercedes-EQ models, and the 'Plug & Charge' feature for users of the Mercedes me Charge app. This allows Mercedes-EQ drivers to pull up, plug in and walk away as their charging session starts, ends and processes payment without drivers having to worry about a thing. Drivers of 2024 MY and later Mercedes-EQ cars and SUVs will receive two years of unlimited complimentary charging at Mercedes-Benz charging hubs, while current drivers of Mercedes-EQ vehicles will receive six months of free charging. All told, this is one of the best news items in the automotive world today. Way to go Mercedes-Benz!!!
Hi All: Although I was in the Prime vs a BEV on a job out to Knoxville last night, I stopped at the Crossville Buc-ee's on the way back to use the rest rooms. I am hoping to charge off one of the new Mercedes-Benz/ChargePoint 400 kW CCS DCFCs soon. The PlugShare Reliability Scores (almost exclusively 10.0s) and reviews are first rate across the country. The MB/CP DCFC's located at a number of Buc-ee's through much of the south makes it that much better. They are building a Buc-ee's in Goodyear, AZ and Kenosha, WI and once complete, I suspect there will be MB/CP 400 kW DFCs at those locations too! The pricing is just ok but if they are reliable, cross country in a CCS equipped BEV will become a non-issue. Mercedes-Benz/ChargePoint 400 kW DCFCs at Buc-ee's to date Athens, AL Leeds, AL Loxley, AL Daytona Beach, FL Saint Augustine, FL Warner Robins, GA Richmond, KY Florence, SC Crossville, TN Fort Worth, TX Royse City, TX Temple, TX Wayne
