Mercedes to Build Its Own EV Charging Network

Mercedes-Benz says it will build its own worldwide electric vehicle charging network starting in North America in a bid to compete with EV sales leader Tesla.

The German luxury automaker said that it will start building the North American network this year at a total cost of just over$1.05 billion. When completed in six or seven years, the network will have 400 charging stations with more than 2,500 high-power plugs. The move will help the company compete with Tesla, which says on its website that it has 40,000 charging ports worldwide.

Tesla's network is mostly for exclusive use of Tesla owners, although CEO Elon Musk has said there are plans to open it to other brands. Each Mercedes station will have four to 12 ports with up to 350 kilowatts of charging power. Mercedes will share the cost of the North American network equally with MN8 Energy, a large solar energy and battery storage operator in the U.S. EV charging network provider Charge Point also is a partner.

The network will address customer concerns about not having enough range to get to their destination, and finding a working charging station, said. The charging hubs will be built in key cities and population centers, close to major roads and near retail businesses and restaurants. Some will be at participating Mercedes dealerships, the company said.