Mercedes-Benz USA, together with its charging partners, is committed to raising the bar on EV charging with Mercedes me Charge – the official charging ecosystem of the EQS and other future electric mobility products. Mercedes me Charge offers important innovations and convenient charge management services for the groundbreaking new all-electric EQS Luxury Sedan including:
- An industry leading charging ecosystem, enabled by ChargePoint, that simplifies the process of finding, using and paying for charging sessions on all major networks in North America. The MBUX headunit and Mercedes Me app seamlessly handle trip-planning, locating stations and initiating payment for all charging sessions.
- More charging points: Through a strategic partnership with ChargePoint, Mercedes me Charge enables seamless access to a public network of almost 60,000 places to charge nationwide through ChargePoint and other major charging networks like Electrify America.
- As an industry first, the additional integration of more than 60,000 semi-public chargers at shopping malls, hotels and workplaces makes the Mercedes me Charge network the largest integrated charging network in the US1.
- Free and easy: Through collaboration with Electrify America, Mercedes me Charge enables complimentary 30-minute charging per session for the first two years from account activation and allows customers to simply “Plug & Charge” at all Electrify America DC fast chargers.
- Green Charging: This ensures the subsequent use of energy from renewable resources at public charging points within the Mercedes me Charge network.
With a range of up to 770 kilometers (WLTP)2 and an output of up to 516 hp, the highly sophisticated powertrain of the EQS exceeds every expectation of a progressive electric sedan in the flagship S-Class segment. The new battery for the EQS has a usable energy content of 107.8 kWh, which sets standards in terms of performance, efficiency and charging capacity. Furthermore, high charging currents can be maintained for long periods of time through temperature and charging management. The EQS can be charged with up to 200 kW at DC fast charging stations, with the ability to add an additional 300 kilometers (WLTP) of range in just 15 minutes. At home, the EQS can be conveniently charged with a home charger connected to 240V AC3.
Unmatched integration with Mercedes me Charge
For the first time, with the single sign-up function an EV driver can access almost all charging stations in North America. Once an EQS driver creates their Mercedes me account and activates their Mercedes me Charge service, they automatically gain access to all charging opportunities available to them, without having to setup an account with each network, subscribe to additional services or carry various charging cards –all enabled by ChargePoint. To further simplify the charging process, Mercedes-EQ provides step-by-step solutions for customers, from route planning to finding a station along your route or in your area, down to using and paying for charging. Customers can utilize the Mercedes me App, now with EV-specific functions in conjunction with Mercedes me Charge, such as a filter option that helps refine search results according to availability, access method and level of charge provided. Availability forecast allows the customer to plan their route accordingly with an intelligent system that is able to identify how busy a particular charging point will be in real-time, or even in advance of the trip.
Across the entire Electrify America DC fast charger network, Mercedes me Charge customers will benefit from Plug & Charge functionality based on the ISO 15118 standard, allowing for a seamless, convenient charging process. Simply open the flap, plug in and the current immediately starts flowing without any further customer interactions. Plug & Charge is a significant enhancement to the EQS charging feature-set which also allows drivers to enable charging via MBUX on the vehicle’s media display, through the Mercedes me App or by using the Mercedes me Charge card. Similar Plug and Charge features will be offered on the ChargePoint DC network and others as the Mercedes me Charge network continues to grow in 2021 and beyond.
Mercedes me Charge customers will also benefit from the integrated payment function with automatic payment. The customer is only required to choose their preferred payment method once. Subsequently, every charging process is then automatically debited. The individual charging processes are then clearly listed in a monthly invoice. Additionally, for added convenience, charging rates are displayed prior to charging, ensuring full cost transparency.
As an exclusive benefit of the collaboration with Electrify America, Mercedes-Benz USA provides new EQS drivers with an unlimited number of 30–minute charging sessions throughout the entire Electrify America network at no additional cost for the first 2 years, from account activation starting in 2021. This benefit extends to Electrify America’s more than 2,600 ultra-fast DC chargers across the continental United States. What’s more, Electrify America’s 350kW chargers can deliver the maximum possible charging speeds for the EQS and future Mercedes-EQ vehicles.
In combination with the EQS Navigation with Electric Intelligence, Mercedes me Charge offers a truly hassle- free charging experience as the vehicle is able to plan the fastest and most convenient route, factoring in the current charge status along with charging stops along the way, where every charger is accessible within Mercedes me Charge network, allowing you to determine the state of charge desired when arriving to your final destination.
Mercedes me Charge – the nationwide charging network continues to grow
The Mercedes me Charge network enables access to almost 60,000 public charging points in the USA and over 80% coverage of all public charging networks; in addition, over 60,000 semi-public charging points will also be available to Mercedes me Charge customers – both enabled by ChargePoint. In an industry first, the Mercedes me Charge network can provide EQS drivers access to the expansive network of semi-public stations connected to ChargePoint that reside in access-controlled environments like workplaces, shopping malls and hotels ensuring that EQS, future Mercedes-EQ BEV and Mercedes-Benz PHEV drivers have easy access to the charging stations for their daily commutes as well as for longer road trips. This combination of public and semi-public access makes the Mercedes me Charge network the largest integrated charging network in the US1. Additional network partners will join the service after launch, ensuring coverage will continue to grow as Mercedes-EQ expands its electric portfolio.
Green Charging – more sustainability and transparency for customers
Green power, more specifically electricity from renewable resources, is a significant factor in the lifecycle of an electric car as a means of avoiding CO2 emissions. The CO2 footprint of a battery-electric vehicle is largely comprised of the energy provided to the vehicle during its use by the customer and is dependent on how that energy is produced. It is difficult to discern whether a public charging station sources green electricity or electricity from non-renewable resources. Because of this, Mercedes-Benz utilizes a proprietary Green Charging feature which ensures that an equivalent amount of electricity from renewable resources is fed into the grid for charging electric vehicles. This creates more demand for renewable energy which promotes further development of green power sources. Mercedes-Benz therefore provides Green Charging at public charging points in the Mercedes me Charge network.
1. Charger count includes ChargePoint-operated and –enabled chargers in both public and access-controlled environments in the United States. Access to all chargers is not guaranteed.
2. EPA range not yet determined.
3. “Level 2” at maximum rate of 9.6 kW. Charging times vary based on home charging set-up.
SOURCE: Mercedes-Benz USA
