Mercedes me Charge expands its charging network with 2 million charging points.
Digital Charging Service Mercedes me Charge Expands Rapidly: Global Charging Network Reaches New Milestone of 2 Million Charging Points.
Highlights:
- Mercedes-Benz announces that as of October 2024, the Mercedes me Charge** network offers customers access to more than 2 million charging points, making it one of the largest charging networks worldwide.
- In the first three quarters of 2024, Mercedes-Benz integrated around 500,000 charging points – a record increase since the service’s launch in 2019, particularly in high-power fast charging points with over 150 kW capacity.
- In Europe, the network has surpassed 750,000 charging points, which can be used across borders with just one Mercedes me Charge contract.
- In Germany, Mercedes me Charge covers 98 percent of all public charging points. Currently, users can charge at around 150,000 points with M and L tariffs at fixed prices for AC/DC charging.
Stuttgart, Germany, October 15, 2024 – Mercedes-Benz continuously expands its charging service and has set several records in October. The Mercedes me Charge network now includes over 2 million charging points worldwide from more than 1,600 different charge point operators. With the expansion to Australia and New Zealand, customers in 32 countries across four continents benefit from this convenient charging service. In Europe, users can charge at over 750,000 points across borders with just one Mercedes me Charge contract. Easy operation, transparent costs, and an extensive charging network – Mercedes me Charge meets key customer requirements for public charging.
Of the 2 million charging points, more than 250,000 are high-power fast charging points with at least 150 kW. The Mercedes me Charge network is also one of the fastest-growing charging networks: in 2024, an average of 55,000 new charging points were integrated monthly, more than ever before. The share of high-power fast-charging stations grew particularly strongly by 55 percent since the beginning of 2024, while AC/DC charging stations with less than 150 kW increased by 31 percent.
In Germany, Mercedes me Charge brings together around 150,000 charging points from more than 800 operators covering about 98 percent2 of public charging points in the country. The network offers easy access to around 20,000 high-power fast charging stations, distributed across 6,000 locations nationwide. According to a study by market research institute UScale, network coverage is the most important factor for German electric vehicle drivers when choosing their e-Mobility Service Provider (eMSP).
“Our extensive Mercedes me Charge network provides our customers with confidence in finding the next charging point, ensuring peace of mind about their vehicle’s range. The entire charging process is straightforward and intuitive. With a single charging contract, users can seamlessly access and operate charging stations from various providers in a consistent and user-friendly way.” Franz Reiner, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Mobility AG
Further Advantages of Mercedes me Charge
As an automobile manufacturer, Mercedes-Benz can fully integrate its digital charging service into the vehicle, enabling intuitive operation via the MBUX multimedia system or the Mercedes-Benz smartphone app. Mercedes me Charge sets the standard for digital services, as confirmed by Auto Bild, one of Europe’s largest and most renowned automotive media: In Auto Bild’s 2024 charging app comparison, Mercedes me Charge emerged as the test winner and the best value-for-money service among manufacturers’ charging services.
Mercedes me Charge features include:
- Intelligent Route Planning: Navigation with Electric Intelligence calculates a time-efficient route including charging stops or guides the driver to the nearest charging point in the vicinity and at the destination.
- Easy Authentication: Authentication at the charging station is always done in the same user-friendly and familiar way via the MBUX display, the Mercedes-Benz app, the RFID card, or Plug & Charge[6] at participating charging station operators.
- Transparent Costs: Before charging, the exact prices per kilowatt-hour or minute, as well as the estimated costs to reach the maximum charge level for fully electric vehicles, are displayed.
- Fixed Charging Prices: In Europe, customers with a smart Mercedes me Charge tariff can charge at attractive AC/DC fixed prices.
- Renewable Energy: In Europe, the US and Canada, Mercedes-Benz ensures that an equivalent amount of electricity from renewable energy sources is fed into the power grid for charging processes in Mercedes me Charge, if no electricity from renewable energy sources is provided.
* *To use the Mercedes me connect service “Mercedes me Charge,” a separate charging contract with a selected third-party provider is required, through which payment and billing for charging sessions are handled. The use of Mercedes me connect services requires a personal Mercedes me ID and acceptance of the terms of use for Mercedes me connect services.
**Comparison with figures from the charging station register of the German Federal Network Agency (Ladesäulenregister der Bundesnetzagentur https://www.bundesnetzagentur.de/DE/Fachthemen/ElektrizitaetundGas/E-Mo…), as of September 1, 2024.
**Mercedes me Charge tariffs M and L, a service provided by Digital Charging Solutions GmbH. Charging tariffs and charging prices vary depending on the country (tariffs for Germany can be found here https://eu.charge.mercedes.me/web/de/daimler-de/tariffs).
**UScale eMSP Loyalty Benchmarking Study 2023.
**With Plug & Charge, the charging process starts by plugging in the charging cable. The vehicle communicates the charging contract data directly to the charging station. A Mercedes me Charge contract is required for billing.