Mercedes-Benz has announced a new agreement to deploy technology from European EV charger developer Alpitronic as the latter expands its presence in North America. Mercedes plans to install its new partner’s 400 kW EV fast chargers, built locally in the US, as part of a broader $1 billion investment to expand North American charging infrastructure.
Mercedes-Benz remains a household name in the automotive segment, but as it has evolved for the all-electric age, the German automaker has invested big bucks in adjacent technologies to support its transition, including next-generation battery development and charging infrastructure.
In addition to its own line of home chargers, Mercedes has developed and begun implementing a global EV charging network for the public, which currently consists of 100,000 piles in the US alone.
In November 2024, the German automaker opened its first branded Charging Hub in North America near its US headquarters outside Atlanta. The station is part of a $1 billion joint venture to establish at least 400 Hubs that will become home to 2,500 DC fast chargers by 2030.
The automaker is also part of the IONNA joint venture with six other OEMs to install at least 30,000 additional fast chargers across the continent.
As part of the significant investment in chargers mentioned above, Mercedes-Benz is helping a European technology expand its US presence using 400 kW fast chargers built locally.
Mercedes EV chargers
This morning, Mercedes-Benz announced a new agreement to make it the first DC fast-charging network to deploy Alpitronic America, Inc.’s HYC 400 at scale in the US. Per Mercedes’ president and CEO of high-power charging, Andrew Cornelia:
To unlock this next era of charging, we must bridge the gap in quality and that starts with the customer’s experience at the charger. As we continue to scale Mercedes-Benz High-Power Charging, we are investing in both this critical infrastructure and the workforce behind its success. We’re proud to partner with Alpitronic who has not only designed a best-in-class product with some of the fastest charging speeds available, but is a company equally committed to investing in America’s clean energy workforce.
Alpitronic’s Hypercharge 400 piles offer up to 400kW charging and support for a wide output voltage range. They can also simultaneously charge two EVs at once at rates up to 200 kW. Alpitronic currently offers an array of charging port standards to EV owners, including CCS1 and CC2, but Mercedes states that the EV chargers it will roll out in the US will also offer NACS cables.
Although it was founded in Europe, Alpitronic has recently expanded to North America, opening a US corporate headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, in November 2023.
To further add to the new partner’s goal of creating new jobs and expanding EV charger infrastructure stateside, Mercedes shared the HYC 400 chargers it will be deploying will be built at a local facility in Wisconsin. Mike Doucleff, CEO of Alpitronic Americas, also spoke about the new partnership:
Our partnership with Mercedes is a natural fit, as both our companies are synonymous with quality, reliability, and design. Mercedes sets the standard for luxury and performance, while Alpitronic provides top-tier, elegantly designed EV charging solutions. Following our successful partnership in Europe, we are excited to expand together into the American market, bringing a similar customer experience to the US.
The first Alpitronic EV chargers are expected to reach Mercedes-Benz charging sites in Q3 2024.