Mercedes-Benz unit partners with Starbucks for fast-charging stations in US

(Reuters) - A Mercedes-Benz unit said on Wednesday it had partnered with Starbucks to deploy its fast-charging stations at more than 100 locations across the United States.

The first phase of the program will have 400 kW EV chargers at Starbucks stores along Interstate 5, a west coast travel corridor spanning from Canada to Mexico, according to Mercedes-Benz High-Power Charging.

The Mercedes unit opened its first charging site in 2023, as part of an initial $1 billion investment.

Since its launch, the charging network has opened a dozen locations across Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky.

There are plans for the network to expand to nearly half of the states in the country over the next 12 to 18 months, and is expected to include around 10,000 charging points in the United States, Europe, China and other core markets by the end of the decade.

(Reporting by Nathan Gomes and Ilona Wissenbach; Editing by Shreya Biswas)