Atlanta is now home to the first Mercedes-Benz High Power Charging (HPC) center in North America. This innovative EV charging station offers fast charging and attractive facilities. This is the first station in a network of more than 400 that drivers of all make and types of cars in the United States will be able to use. Mercedes says that the ChargePoint 400 kW fast-charging technology can charge electric cars faster than is possible right now. Even experienced electric car drivers, let alone the average person buying a car, may need to have EV charge fees clarified. But everyone agrees that speed is better. The first of a new line of charging stations from ChargePoint has been released. These stations offer rates that are so high that no light-duty electric car on the market can handle them yet. The Power Link 2.0 DC fast-charging system at ChargePoint can give up to 500 kW of power, which is more than the 350 kW maximum that is rated at some Electrify America and other charging network stations. Today, only a few EVs (Porsche being the first) can charge at 350 kW, let alone 400 kW and more. The Mercedes-Benz High Power Charging (HPC) network now has its first site in North America, where you can get the Power Link 2.0. There are currently three Mercedes HPC sites: one in Mannheim, Germany, and two in Chengdu, China. One of them is the Mercedes HPC center, which is close to Atlanta. The high-end business wants to have 10,000 stores worldwide by 2030. The new network’s plan for charging electric vehicle is shown by the facilities that will be added in the future, such as bathrooms, canopies, security cameras, and workers, to ensure everyone’s safety. That’s very different from most high-speed charging stations on the market today, which are usually found in the huge parking lots of big-box stores or redone interchanges. Rates of Prices: Don’t forget the “Up To” Mercedes said that charging at the HPC sites could go as fast as 400 kW, but it would depend on where it was and what charge standard was used. In North America, it would be CCS or NACS (Tesla); in Europe, it would be CCS2; and in China, it would be GB/T. There are, however, good conditions and progress in battery architecture that make it easy to imagine EV makers using 800-volt architectures to improve peak charging rates in both current and future cars. In the same way that “your mileage may vary,” the real charge speed depends on many factors, such as the temperature of the room, the temperature of the battery, and the ability of the charging station and power supply line to maintain high rates through liquid-cooled cables. When the battery is less charged, it charges faster. The company needs to say how fast the Express Plus technology can charge two cars at high rates from the same station at the same time. The system, which is made up of what ChargePoint calls a “Power Block,” can handle up to five Power Modules that can be switched between the different cars that are being charged. The current is dynamically spread among the cars because they are at various points on their charging curves. This means that not all of them will need to use the highest rate. It goes on to say that “intelligent charge management” will cut down on the time a driver needs to be plugged in by letting each car charge to its fullest potential. The name of Mercedes-Quality Charging is catchy The first of the new Mercedes HPC network facilities is in Sandy Springs, Georgia, the company’s North American headquarters. Before the end of the year, the company plans to build more centers in the Southeast and possibly even in Texas. The luxury carmaker says that what sets them apart is “a pleasant and safe customer experience.” This has been a sore spot for EV drivers, including Tesla users, so Tesla has tried to put charging stations near businesses that offer some services or drinks. Mercedes says that its sites can be found at auto shops and in “main traffic areas,” which are places with lots of services like bathrooms, snack bars, and drinks. Canopies will protect you from the weather, but why not none at all, like in gas stations? Safety cameras will be put to “select” Charging Hubs to make people feel safer. The company’s HPC charging hubs will be open to all EV drivers, but Mercedes drivers can reserve a charge spot ahead of time through the “me Charge” service to avoid having to wait. Like older models, the EV’s navigation system will plan routes that take you to the right high-speed charging sites. Mercedes will keep offering the Plug & Charge protocol, which lets cars plug in and go without having to start charging first. The payment and verification processes behind the scenes are smooth, as they have been for Tesla since the start of the Supercharger network ten years ago. Things will only get better for users As more networks are built, the extras at EV fast-charging stations will become a big plus in the future. When seven electric car manufacturers announced in July that they would be supporting a high-speed charging network, they specifically asked that lounge-like amenities be added. At this point, we don’t know anything else about that thing, not even its name or goals. EV early adopters may have loved sitting in a poorly lit Walmart parking lot, next to another big-box store, or behind a gas station hut to use a fast charger, but more is needed to get more people to buy EVs. This year, more attempts to charge have failed, and EV drivers are less satisfied with their cars, according to statistics from JD Power. Because of this, automakers have reluctantly—and maybe too late—admitted that they won’t be able to sell cars until they can make sure that charging for new electric vehicles is at least as safe and fun as charging at a big-box store.
