Mercedes-Benz High-Power Charging Is Growing Its Texas Charger Network

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At the moment, electric vehicle news tends to be about the vehicles themselves, an in particular, about what is happening with Tesla because of Elon Musk’s conduct. As Zach and some other CleanTechnica writers have continued to document, non-Tesla electric vehicle sales march onward steadily. The quieter infrastructure partner in the EV revolution is the charger networks. Mercedes-Benz has been consistently growing its EV charger offerings in the US, and in this specific instance is expanding in Texas, the second largest US state by population and land area.

The EV charger growth trend is demonstrable and is one of the integral solutions to relieving anxiety some drivers have about electric vehicles. The more available, reliable, efficient, safe, public EV chargers there are, the less reason there is to have range anxiety.

Heiko Schmidt, Vice President, Network Strategy & Monetization, Mercedes-Benz High-Power Charging, answered some questions about the Texas buildout for CleanTechnica.

Why did you choose Texas to create your first intrastate charging network?

Texas has the third largest number of EV registrations in the country, yet its infrastructure is lagging behind other national EV hotspots, with just 13 EV chargers for every 100,000 residents in the state. To support and sustain its state-wide interest in EV ownership, Texas clearly needs more chargers. This mismatched ratio of EV adoption to available infrastructure is a trend we’ve seen throughout the country. Our end goal is to give drivers the freedom they crave to hit the road in whatever type of vehicle they choose. It’s also worth noting that our first site partner and fan favorite, Buc-ee’s, calls Texas home, making the state a natural fit to jumpstart our network.

Why do you think Texas will be a transportation hub of tomorrow?

Texas is a state synonymous with growth and innovation. Texas’s population has grown at the fastest rate in the nation for almost 15 years, and job growth consistently outpaces the rest of the country. But most importantly, Texas is the largest energy producer in the nation. That’s why Texas is in the driver’s seat for becoming the transportation hub of tomorrow: So much of the state’s history is tied back to leading the country in this area, which would not be possible without a thorough knowledge of the latest trends. 

By High-Power Charging, do you mean fast charging, and, if so, how fast are your Texas EV chargers?

Mercedes-Benz High-Power Charging stands out for its uncompromising speed and reliability. We offer 400 kW charging across the board at all our Texas sites and manage demand efficiently to split power evenly (200 kW) when two vehicles are plugged into the same charger. Some sites also include a dedicated 400 kW charger for compatible vehicles. For reference, that means certain vehicles (depending on the vehicle and battery architecture, as well as weather conditions) can receive a charge from 20% to 80% in less than 20 minutes. Our uptime, or the amount of time in a day that chargers are available, also currently leads the industry at 99%.

How many EV chargers have you installed so far in Texas, and how many are in the process of being installed?

So far, we’ve installed over 150 charging stalls as of mid-March, which increases the DCFC infrastructure in Texas by nearly 6%. Texas is only one piece of our ambitious build-out plan to expand access to charging infrastructure for all EV drivers, however, and we aim to deploy 2,500 charging stalls in North America by 2030.

How do you choose a location for an EV charger, or more than one?

Choosing a charging location is a bit of an art and a science, looking at today’s vehicle registration data, but also into the future to anticipate demand. We offer several types of charging layouts and work with site partners ranging from small mom & pops to large real-estate groups, to offer our customers amenities that match charging time. From there, the site will go through a standardized development and construction process followed by testing before we open the site to the public. This approach yields not only a consistent and cohesive result for our site partners, but also an enjoyable experience for all end users.

Are your Texas chargers compatible with NACS or CCS, or both?

Today our network is fully equipped to support CCS-1 charging and we’re in the process of adding NACS cables at every charging stall to give our customers the power of choice. Beyond this, our team has also carefully considered small but important details like cable length, to improve convenience no matter what type of vehicle you drive. 

Are your EV chargers also connected to a whole charging experience so they are near restrooms and food and beverages, and in safe locations? Are they also located near or at some hotels? Or shopping areas?

The close connection between amenities and charging is a direct response to what we hear from drivers time and time again: the best customer experience happens around the discrete act of charging. Even in the early stages of site selection, we consider aspects of the customer experience like bathroom access, proximity to amenities that align with dwell time, 24/7 safety, and lighting throughout the site selection process. To this end, we’ve already partnered with leading brands like Starbucks, Buc-ee’s, and Simon Malls to meet drivers where they are with the exact amount of charge they need.