Tesla charging station in California
The group operates around 12,000 fast charging stations in the USA.
(Photo: AP)
With Mercedes-Benz, another car manufacturer wants to make Tesla’s North American charging network available to its electric car customers in the future. From 2024, Mercedes customers should be able to use Tesla’s fast charging stations in North America, the Stuttgart-based company announced on Friday. Volkswagen and the US automakers General Motors and Ford had previously announced plans to do so.
Mercedes plans to incorporate Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) into its new electric cars from 2025. In 2024, however, Mercedes cars previously equipped with the competing CCS standard should already be able to be charged with an adapter. In total, there are over 12,000 Tesla fast charging stations in North America.
Mercedes also reiterated its plans to build 2,500 of its own fast charging points in North America by the end of the decade, with the first expected to be operational by the end of this year. They are said to be equipped with both NACS and CCS connectors. More than 10,000 Mercedes charging points are planned worldwide.
Last Thursday, Electrify America, which belongs to the Volkswagen Group, also offered plugs for Tesla’s charging standard until 2025 in its network in the USA and Canada. CCS should also continue to be supported.
VW also stated that it is currently examining the “implementation” of NACS technology in its cars. According to information from the Handelsblatt, this test has come a long way. Accordingly, VW and Tesla are already talking about installing the Tesla plug in VW vehicles and a possible opening of the Tesla charging network for Wolfsburg customers.
Tesla has established a dominant position in North America
According to group circles, this is initially about the North American market. However, it is also conceivable to adopt the Tesla standard in other markets. Exactly how this is supposed to work is still open. A VW spokesman did not want to comment on the information last week when asked.
For Tesla boss Elon Musk, the run on his supercharger network is a success. Tesla, which recently struggled with weakening sales figures, can use the additional income. In North America, the Group has developed a unique position in the charging market as an electric pioneer. According to the US Department of Energy, Tesla’s superchargers account for around 60 percent of all US fast charging stations.
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