√Mercedes plans 10,000 electric vehicle chargers globally by 2030, but not Australia

German car maker Mercedes-Benz has promised to rollout 10,000 electric vehicle chargers by 2030, however Australian plans are yet to be announced.

Mercedes-Benz is promising a global network of 10,000 electric vehicle charging stations by 2030 as a cornerstone of its transition to electric vehicles including the EQE coming to Australia in 2023.

It’s a fraction of Tesla’s network of 40,000 chargers but still a significant investment from the German auto giant.

Mercedes-Benz says it will allow its charging stations to be used by all electric vehicle owners, not restricting access to Mercedes-Benz cars.

However, for now there are no plans to bring the Mercedes-Benz charging network to Australia.

Construction of the first stations will begin later this year in the US and Canada as Mercedes-Benz establishes a charging network across North America, Europe, China and what it calls “other key markets”.

Tesla currently has the biggest charging network globally for a car-maker, claiming more than 40,000 Supercharger sites around the world including 44 in Australia.

But Australia is not named in the Mercedes-Benz plan and, as yet, there is no indication of when – or if – it will be included.

“We have nothing new to announce. This is a global announcement,” the spokesman for Mercedes-Benz Australia, Jerry Stamoulis, told Drive.

“But it’s still very early. We are always looking at how we can best serve our (electric vehicle) customers.”

The initial cost of the program is estimated at €1 billion over the next six to seven years for the North American network, with the bill to be split 50:50 between Mercedes-Benz and its partner MN8 Energy – described as a “leading renewable energy and battery storage owner-operator in the US”.

The planned Mercedes-Benz network will be focussed on green energy and Benz owners will get preferential access by pre-booking chargers.

It will include an unconfirmed number of Mercedes-Benz dealerships but has a broader focus to include charger sites in “key cities and urban population centres, close to major arteries, convenient retail and service destinations,” the company said.

The early stage of the plan is focussed on the US, with a network of more than 400 hubs across North America with more than 2500 high-power chargers to be established by 2027.

Depending on the region and location, Mercedes-Benz is promising up to a dozen high-powered electric-car chargers – “ultimately as many as 30” – with up to 350kW of charging power at each of its hubs.

The post Mercedes plans 10,000 electric vehicle chargers globally by 2030, but not Australia appeared first on Drive.