Today Mercedes proudly announced the opening of its first own-branded charging hub in Europe. This follows similar hubs that have recently opened in Atlanta, Georgia, in the USA, as well as Chengdu and Foshan in China.
The first Mercedes charging hub in Germany is located at the Mercedes subsidiary in Mannheim, in the Rhine-Main-Neckar region, one of the country’s most important transport corridors.
The hub has six charging points, each with an output of 300 kW. Each charger has only one port, in order to ensure that the maximum energy reaches the charging vehicle. Given the high capacity, certain models can go from 10% to 80% in less than 20 minutes.
The hub is open to all vehicles of all sizes. Mercedes owners will have support for plug-and-charge, a special welcome introductory rate, as well as complimentary charging via the Mercedes me Charge service “during the initial months”, but you can charge any EV here, and the same will go for the many more hubs Mercedes has planned. The hub is also added to the Mercedes navigation system, and in the future Mercedes owners will be able to book a charging point in advance.
The hub features “generously dimensioned parking spaces and a drive-through option”, and while you wait for your car to charge you can rest at the Mercedes subsidiary in the immediate vicinity. The hub has a photovoltaic canopy that protects against bad weather while also contributing to renewable energy production. LEDs provide information on the availability of each respective charging point as well as the charging status.
In Europe, Mercedes will develop future hubs in partnership with energy giant E.ON. Mercedes wants to have more than 2,000 of its own hubs worldwide by the end of the decade, encompassing over 10,000 fast charging points, of which 2,000 will already be available at the end of 2024, including more than 200 in Europe. Before the end of this year, more Mercedes charging hubs will be launched in the US and China, and from 2024 it will also open hubs in Italy, Spain, and France.
