Legacy German automakers and rivals within the luxurious EV phase, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, introduced they’ve teamed up for a brand new three way partnership to implement a EV quick charging community consisting of over 1,000 stations within the subsequent few years. The place the European firms intend to deploy these chargers nonetheless, might shock you.
When it comes to charging infrastructure, Mercedes-Benz has been main its German counterparts… no less than up to now. After asserting plans for its personal branded charging stations final January at CES, we noticed the posh automaker reduce the ribbon on its first location within the US earlier this month.
Simply this week, Mercedes opened its first station in Europe, the place else however its native Germany, alongside information that two extra stations had been already up and operating in China with extra on the way in which earlier than 12 months’s finish.
You might recall that Mercedes-Benz was one of many seven automakers that introduced they had been banning collectively this previous July to ship a common charging community throughout North America – additionally on that record – BMW.
Germany’s different luxurious automaker has been making progress of its personal, however with a extra collaborative method. Along with the “sustainable seven” auto alliance (coined the phrase), BMW has fashioned a brand new firm with Honda and Ford to bolster native electrical grids for the upcoming wave of latest EVs on the way in which.
In the present day, we’ve discovered that BMW is forming one other partnership to bolster EV charging – this time with Mercedes-Benz, to carry hundreds of stations to China.
Mercedes, BMW to carry 1,000 charging stations to China
Per a press launch this morning, Mercedes-Benz Group China Ltd. and BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd. have agreed to determine a 50:50 three way partnership in China, with the aim of delivering a high-power charging community and premium charging companies.
Collectively, Mercedes and BMW say they hope to raise the charging expertise for Chinese language drivers, who’ve embraced EVs extra rapidly than some other market up to now. The Chinese language entities of each German automakers will mix their experience within the native NEV market to attempt to present the perfect charging companies attainable. Per the discharge:
The premium charging community can be open to the broader public, whereas it’s supposed that prospects of Mercedes-Benz Group and BMW Group will be capable to take pleasure in a sequence of unique options, resembling plug & cost and on-line reservation for a seamless digital expertise. The three way partnership intends to obtain electrical energy generated from renewable sources, the place situations permit, to create a sustainable and eco-friendly charging expertise.
Wanting forward, the brand new three way partnership companions say they’re concentrating on a brand new community of no less than 1,000 EV charging stations, dwelling to roughly 7,000 high-power piles by the tip of 2026. The primary stations are anticipated to start operations in China subsequent 12 months, within the nation’s “prime NEV areas.”
Mercedes and BMW didn’t say the place these first charging stations can be constructed but, however areas like Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Beijing instantly come to thoughts. The three way partnership stays topic to approval from regulatory authorities.