Mercedes-Benz Wants Piece of Tesla’s NACS Pie, Too
Stop us if you’ve read something on this topic in the past few weeks. Mercedes-Benz drivers in North America will be able to use Superchargers starting in 2024 following a deal with Tesla.
The German automaker will initially offer an adapter that enables its existing CCS-compatible electric vehicles to charge on the North American Charging Standard (NACS) network. A year later, NACS charging ports will be implemented into the design of new Mercedes-Benz EVs.
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This comes after similar announcements made by Ford, GM, Rivian, Volvo and Polestar.
Mercedes-Benz still plans to establish its own “High-Power Charging Network” with more than 400 “Charging Hubs,” including more than 2,500 high-power chargers in North America by the end of the decade. The first of these will be opened by the end of 2023 and will be equipped with both CCS1 and NACS plugs.
The Charging Hubs will be universally open to electric vehicles from all brands, ensuring accessibility for a wide range of EV owners, the company explained.
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"To accelerate the shift to electric vehicles, we are dedicated to elevating the entire EV experience for our customers, including fast, convenient, and reliable charging solutions wherever their Mercedes-Benz takes them,” said Mercedes-Benz Group AG Chairman Ola Källenius. “That’s why we are committed to building our global Mercedes-Benz High-Power Charging Network, with the first sites opening this year. In parallel, we are also implementing NACS in our vehicles, allowing drivers to access an expansive network of high-quality charging offerings in North America."
On that note, check out our first-drive review of the upcoming 2024 Mercedes-AMG EQE 4MATIC+ in the video below: