Mercedes-Benz unleashes megawatt EV charging to rival Tesla and BYD

Mercedes-Benz is introducing public fast-charging technology, called the new HYC1000 system, to its network, along with a new ultra-fast charger, both developed in collaboration with Alpitronic, a leading European charging technology company. This charger, which will be installed at Mercedes-Benz charging parks in Europe and North America starting in 2026, will compete with other high-voltage charging technologies, such as those from BYD and Tesla.

With this upgrade coming on the heels of BYD launching its 1000V Super e-Platform for superfast charging, Mercedes is pushing to match and even surpass industry leaders in charging speed.

The German car maker’s current fast chargers usually have their power built into each charging column, limiting them to one or two cars at a time. The HYC1000, however, takes a different approach with a modular, decentralized design. Instead of cramming all the power into each charging column, a separate external unit supplies up to 1,000 kW at 800 amps. That’s nearly three times more than Tesla’s latest V4 Superchargers, which top out at 350 kW. The system can then share this power across several charging points, with each one delivering up to 600 kW at 800 volts. This will result in significantly shorter charging times, such as the Mercedes-Benz CLA gaining 325 km of range in just 10 minutes.

Alongside this new technology, Mercedes and Alpitronic are also developing a special high-performance fast charger. The charger, inspired by the Concept AMG GT XX, will support both CCS and Tesla’s NACS cables. The upgraded charging hubs will be open to all EV brands, with Mercedes customers getting extra perks like connecting via the MB.CHARGE Public Service, Navigation bots suggesting the best charging stops, and opportunities to reserve a charging point at selected hubs.

The auto company plans to expand the existing 80 charging hubs available in the US, Germany, and China to 8 more countries, with a goal of having 10,000 fast-charging points worldwide by 2030.