Mercedes-Benz consistently embraces an all-electric future, providing customers with a seamless charging and payment experience through its charging service, Mercedes me Charge. In January, a significant milestone was achieved: the Mercedes me Charge network now bundles more than 1.5 million charging points worldwide from over 1,300 charge point operators. Mercedes me Charge is currently one of the largest public charging networks globally, consistently operated under the same product name worldwide.
Mercedes-Benz offers customers in 31 countries a comprehensive charging service thanks to a close-knit, cross-border charging network. Approximately 600,000 charging points are located in Europe, more than 800,000 in Asia and around 100,000 in North America. The charging stations in the Mercedes me Charge charging network are strategically situated at key locations, including city centers, shopping malls, hotels and along highways. In Germany, for example, the Mercedes me Charge network has more than 100,000 charging points, integrating more than 90 per cent of all charging points in the country. Of the total of 1.5 million charging points, 170,000 are fast charging points delivering 150 kW of power or more.
“Mercedes me Charge is one of the fastest-growing charging networks. In 2023, an average of 40,000 charging points were integrated every month. By doing so, we provide our customers a comprehensive network featuring transparent prices and easy access. Mercedes me Charge fulfils essential customer needs for public charging.”
Franz Reiner, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Mobility AG
Mercedes-Benz is actively advancing electric mobility and reinforcing its commitment to sustainable and customer-focused mobility with Mercedes me Charge. 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.
Easy charging initiation and automated billing
Thanks to the seamless integration of Mercedes me Charge into the MBUX multimedia system, public charging is effortlessly manageable. The navigation with Electric Intelligence feature calculates a comfortable and time-efficient route, including charging stops. Authentication at the charging station is done through the MBUX multimedia display, the Mercedes me app, the Mercedes me Charge RFID card, or directly through Plug & Charge at cooperating charge point operators. Customers benefit from their charging contract via Mercedes me Charge, which makes them independent of contracts with the respective charging station operator. Each charging process is automatically debited through Mercedes me Charge. All charging transactions are automatically billed monthly.
Maximum cost transparency and attractive fixed prices
Mercedes-Benz ensures transparent pricing for public charging stations. Users can view the specific cost per kilowatt-hour or per minute, along with an estimate of the total cost to fully charge on the MBUX display or in the Mercedes me app before starting the charging process. Customers pay the standard rate set by the operator of the charging station they use. In Europe, customers have the option to charge at an attractive fixed price, independent of the operator. They can select between three Mercedes me Charge smart charging tariffs[3] (S, M, L) and thus adjust the costs optimally to their personal driving profile and individual charging needs.
Mercedes me Charge will be expanded consistently: The 10,000 charging points of the globally planned Mercedes-Benz Charging Network, set to be established by the end of the decade, as well as the existing European joint venture IONITY and the ongoing collaborations to establish a charging infrastructure in North America and China, will also be fully integrated into Mercedes me Charge.
[1] In order to be able to use the “Mercedes me Charge” service of Mercedes me connect, a separate charging contract with a selected third-party provider is required via which payment and invoicing of the charging process takes place. The use of Mercedes me connect services requires a personal Mercedes me ID as well as agreement to the Terms of Use for Mercedes me connect services.
[2] With Plug & Charge, the vehicle communicates directly with the charging station, initiating the charging process automatically upon plugging in the charging cable. Available for the Mercedes-Benz EQA, EQB, EQE and EQS model series as well as the plug-in hybrid versions of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, S-Class and GLC with optional DC charging.
[3] A service of Digital Charging Solutions GmbH.
SOURCE: Mercedes-Benz
