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Mercedes has reached a deal to install very fast 400kW EV chargers at 100 Starbucks stores across the US.
The first phase will place the chargers at coffee shops along Interstate 5, the west coast highway that can take Americans to Canada or Mexico. Future collaborations could put stations at Starbucks stores in “core urban areas,” other corridors besides I-5, and places with few if any chargers.
Both companies see this boosting their sustainability efforts. Starbucks wants to cut its CO2 emissions in half by 2030. Mercedes, in turn, hopes the stations (powered solely by clean energy) will help it reach a goal of total carbon neutrality by 2039.
The shorter-term benefits for both companies are clear. Starbucks may attract customers who want to charge their EVs, particularly those who don’t want to wait as long as they would at other locations. Mercedes not only makes it easier to justify buying an EV, but expands a fledgling charging network that currently includes just 12 locations across seven southern states.
The recharge speed is uncommon. Tesla’s Superchargers generally peak at 250kW, and even V4 models aren’t certain to go past 350kW. Provided a car has the high-voltage architecture needed to support it, 400kW can replenish a car in times more comparable to gas. EVBox’s charger can provide 62 miles in a claimed three minutes, for instance.
Mercedes plans to expand its EV charger network to almost half of the states within 12 to 18 months. It’s unlikely to reach the scale of Tesla’s network any time soon, but Mercedes’ planned switch to the NACS port standard reduces the pressure to match its rival. Once newer cars come with NACS, the Mercedes and Tesla networks will effectively complement each other.
