Tesla has a huge lead in the electric car race, but almost every automaker has released at least one electric car in the last year or so. They’re starting to chip away at the Texas company’s head start.
A Lead In Cars Is One Thing. A Lead In Chargers Is Another.
Tesla, though, has one massive advantage no one has tried to take away: The company operates the world’s largest charging network. Its more than 4,000 worldwide charging stations (with more than 40,000 total chargers) are a closed ecosystem – only Tesla owners can use them.
The company has reportedly promised the federal government that it will open its network to owners of other brands’ cars but has not yet followed through.
Related: EV Charging Stations – Everything You Need to Know
Most other automakers use a common charging port, and their owners can use almost any non-Tesla charger. But no other network rivals Tesla’s in size or convenience – Tesla has Superchargers in all 50 states and along many interstate highway routes.
Mercedes Will Answer
Mercedes has noticed the advantage that creates. The company has now announced plans to build its own network. The company says it plans “to have the full network in place before the end of the decade.”
It won’t be closed – owners of any EV will be able to use the chargers. But Mercedes owners will be able to reserve them. Drivers of other brands’ EVs can dock to them only if no Mercedes owner has reserved time.
Related: How Much Does it Cost to Charge an EV?
Mercedes isn’t doing it alone. They’ll work with two partners. ChargePoint – one of the larger companies that already operates its own charger network – will build the chargers themselves. MN8, a solar energy provider, will provide battery storage and solar power for some.
Mercedes plans 10,000 chargers worldwide, with 2,500 in the U.S. by 2027. Stateside, the partnership says it will build “more than 400 hubs.” They’ll be “spaced conveniently at regular intervals close to motorways, major intersections, and metropolitan areas” and “equipped with surveillance cameras and other measures to provide a safe and secure charging environment.”
