Tesla and Mercedes-Benz just teamed up to make it way easier to charge electric cars — here’s what’s changing
In another win for Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) plugs, Mercedes-Benz just announced that it will integrate NACS in its electric vehicle lineup in 2025, according to reporting from Business Wire.
In the meantime, Mercedes-Benz will also offer an adapter that enables the company’s existing Combined Charging System (CCS) to work with NACS plugs starting in 2024, giving Mercedes drivers access to more than 12,000 Tesla Superchargers across North America.
In a press release, Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management Mercedes-Benz Group AG, said, “Our strategic priority is clear: Building the world’s most desirable cars. To accelerate the shift to electric vehicles, we are dedicated to elevating the entire EV-experience for our customers — including fast, convenient, and reliable charging solutions wherever their Mercedes-Benz takes them.”
Källenius further added, “That’s why we are committed to building our global Mercedes-Benz High-Power Charging Network, with the first sites opening this year. In parallel, we are also implementing NACS in our vehicles, allowing drivers to access an expansive network of high-quality charging offerings in North America.”
As Källenius mentioned, Mercedes-Benz is not abandoning its plan to build its own global charging network, but it is acquiescing to Tesla’s NACS as the dominant charger type.
The new Mercedes-Benz Charging Network will include more than 2,500 high-powered chargers across North America, which will be usable by both Mercedes-Benz drivers and non-Mercedes-Benz drivers alike, according to Business Wire.
Mercedes-Benz will be the first German car manufacturer to include NACS ports, Business Wire said, signaling that the tides are shifting in favor of the NACS in the NACS-CCS war for charging supremacy.
However, even with NACS gaining ground, there are still far more CCS chargers in the United States and an even greater discrepancy favoring CCS in Europe.
It is also worth noting that China, one of the world’s leading producers and consumers of electric vehicles, has its own charging standard — so, while this announcement from Mercedes-Benz is good news for Tesla and NACS, they are still a long way from world dominance.
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