Autobayng News Team
- Mercedes-Benz’s electric vehicle charging network is in for a big upgrade.
- Starting next year, the German automaker’s DC fast chargers will pump out up to 600 kW per vehicle.
- That’s a significant increase over today’s 350 kW fast chargers, and it should make charging stops shorter and more convenient.
China’s BYD has made worldwide headlines for its new megawatt charging technology, which can deliver 1,000 kilowatt speeds for five-minute charging stops. Now, Mercedes-Benz is upping its charging game too, boosting speeds to nearly double what’s considered “fast” today and working up to 1,000-kW power too.
This is all thanks in no small part to Alpitronic, one of the most well-known names in the EV charging industry. Starting next year, the German automaker, which also runs its own DC fast charging network, will start installing Alpitronic’s megawatt-capable stalls, both in Europe and North America.
The star of the show is the HYC 1000 charging system. Its external power unit provides up to 1,000 kilowatts at 800 amps to multiple dispensers. The individual stalls, meanwhile, can send up to 600 kW (1,000 volts at 600 amps) to a connected EV, but only if the right conditions are met.
Photo by: Ionity
According to Alpitronic, one Power Cabinet can power up to four stalls, each with dual liquid-cooled cables. If a single EV is being charged, the full 600 kW can be sent to it, provided the car can accept such a high power input. In the case of the new Mercedes CLA, for example, that means charging of 325 kilometers—about 200 miles—in 10 minutes of charging.
If multiple EVs are being charged simultaneously, the system can dynamically allocate power per charging point.
This is important because not all EVs are created equal. The new Mercedes-Benz GLC with EQ Technology can accept up to 330 kW, which is quite impressive, but other EVs, like the Hyundai Ioniq 5, manage a little over 200 kW. Meanwhile, the MG4 maxes out at less than 150 kW. As long as the total power input of eight EVs doesn’t go over 1,000 kW, Alpitronic’s system should be a great fit.
All of this means shorter charging times and less hassle. More Stories Like This
If that’s not enough, Mercedes-Benz said that it’s working with Alpitronic on a proper megawatt DC fast charger that will output 1,000 kW to a single EV.
The two companies already hit that benchmark using a prototype stall that powered the Mercedes-AMG GT XX concept during its record run late last month. With a single, liquid-cooled CCS cable, the electric grand tourer took in no fewer than 1,000 amps at a little over 1,000 volts.
As a reminder, Ionity, which is one of the largest fast charging operators in Europe, recently announced that it, too, will start installing the HYC 1000 system at its stations starting next year. Mercedes-Benz, which runs its charging network, is also a part of Ionity.
The Mercedes-Benz Charging Network currently has around 80 hubs in Germany, Austria, Japan, China and the United States. Eight additional countries are lined up for expansion, with the automaker planning on installing over 10,000 fast-charging stalls by the end of the decade.
