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Mercedes-Benz is busy planning a portfolio of electrified models with the upcoming launch of an all-electric EQ sub-brand around 2019 and—by 2020—a full range of complementary Mercedes plug-in hybrids. But the missing piece of the plan has been the infrastructure: With so many vehicles in the works, where do they charge, especially apartment dwellers in big cities or those who want to cover longer distances?
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Not anymore. Daimler has forged an important partnership by becoming the lead investor in an $ 82 million Europe-focused fundraising round in ChargePoint, the largest of the electric-vehicle charging networks in the United States. The move provides ChargePoint with a market entry into Europe and gives Daimler (and its customers) that much needed public-charging infrastructure. In North America, ChargePoint currently has more than 33,000 charging ports distributed among 7000 sites. Daimler’s involvement could make those accessible to its U.S. customers.
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The latest funding push includes additional support from existing investors in the charging company, including BMW i Ventures, the electromobility venture-capital affiliate of BMW Group. The BMW i lineup is expected to expand and go entirely electric, so it’s quite possible that these two brands will sharing some charging resources moving forward.
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ChargePoint notes that, at present, there are more electric vehicles on the road in Europe than in the U.S., and European EV and hybrid sales together are expected to more than quadruple by 2021. While Europe’s charging experience is rather fragmented now, ChargePoint boasts that its chargers are fully networked, monitored, and supported with cloud-based payment services and apps.
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- Mercedes-Benz’s EQ Sub-Brand Aims to Launch a New Electric Model Every Year
- Mercedes Design Boss Dishes on Generation EQ Concept and Future EV Sub-Brand
- Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive: Photos, Info, Full Review
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The European expansion would use the Combined Charging System (CCS) standard—also called SAE Combo—to cover power needs up to 400 kW. That would surpass both the 150-kW level that is expected to become publicly available at some charging stations in the next year as well as the high-power 350-kW standard that’s in the works as an upgrade.
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