Mercedes-Benz And BMW Are Cooperating To Build A Supercharging Network in China

Following the successive introduction of Changan and Geely by NIO as battery swap partners, BMW and Mercedes-Benz have also made "big moves" in the field of new energy vehicle replenishment.

On November 30, BMW Brilliance Automotive Co., Ltd. and Mercedes-Benz (China) Investment Co., Ltd. announced that they have signed a cooperation agreement to establish a 50:50 joint venture in China to operate a supercharging network in the Chinese market to meet the growing demand for luxury charging services from Chinese customers.

BMW and Mercedes-Benz are in a competitive relationship in the global market, and the two auto giants can join forces, which shows the fierce competition in the market, and also reveals the determination of these two leading car companies to switch to the new energy vehicle track.

According to the plan, by the end of 2026, the joint venture plans to build at least 1,000 high-tech supercharging stations and about 7,000 supercharging piles in China. The first batch of charging stations is planned to start operation in China's key new energy vehicle cities from 2024, and the subsequent construction of charging stations will also cover other cities and regions across the country.

BMW Group told the Securities Times that the joint venture's charging network will be open to the public. As planned, customers of the BMW Group and Mercedes-Benz Group will be able to enjoy exclusive and exclusive services, such as Plug & Charge, online appointment and other seamless digital charging experiences. In addition, the joint venture plans to procure renewable electricity as conditions warrant to provide a sustainable charging experience for customers in China.

Mercedes-Benz China said that it chose to join forces with BMW because BMW has rich experience in charging operations in both the international and Chinese markets and insight into China's new energy vehicle market. The same goes for Mercedes' advantages. The combination of the two companies will not only benefit the customers of the two brands, but will also benefit society as a whole and all new energy users by meeting the growing public demand for a luxury charging experience.

According to public data, from January to October this year, the BMW Group's sales of pure electric models increased by 211% year-on-year to 78,568 units, and Mercedes-Benz pure electric models also achieved a year-on-year increase of more than 70%.

In terms of charging network construction, Mercedes-Benz and BMW have their own achievements. In terms of Mercedes-Benz, as of the end of November 2023, the company's public charging services have been connected to more than 500,000 public charging piles across the country, covering more than 340 cities and the "ten vertical, ten horizontal and two ring" highway fast charging network.

In October this year, the first batch of Mercedes-Benz super charging stations in China and the first batch in the world were completed and put into use in Chengdu and Foshan. Next, Mercedes-Benz super charging stations will be completed in key new energy vehicle markets such as Beijing, Shenzhen, and Hangzhou, and a number of stations have begun to be built and will be launched in the near future.

As for BMW, as of the end of October 2023, 600 BMW authorized dealers have been equipped with charging facilities, including BMW AC charging wallboxes and DC charging piles. At the same time, BMW's public charging network has access to more than 580,000 charging piles across the country, including 320,000 DC fast charging piles, covering more than 320 cities.

In 2023, the BMW Supercharger project will be officially launched, with high-power charging piles supporting up to 600 kW of charging power, and the Supercharger network will be open to all brands of electric vehicles. It is reported that since the launch of the super charging station in Chengdu in August this year, BMW's super charging station network has covered nine major cities, and it is expected to build about 50 charging stations by the end of 2023.