Eleven months after sharing plans to develop and implement a new series of EV charging hubs across North America, Mercedes-Benz, with the help of ChargePoint, has opened its very first location in the US, complete with a driver lounge and powered using 100% renewable energy.
This past January, Mercedes-Benz announced plans for the new network of fast charging hubs during a press conference at CES, alongside its new partner, ChargePoint.
At the time, we learned that both MN8 Energy and Mercedes-Benz would finance and jointly operate the network of over 400 planned charging hubs, becoming home to over 2,500 ChargePoint DC fast charging piles across the US and Canada.
The hubs are expected to be implemented in populated areas where more and more EVs are looking to recharge, offering a space for drivers to plug in near retail and other service centers in addition to busy highway corridors.
In early November, we learned the retail therapy Mercedes-Benz is planning to pair with its new charging network includes 55 charging hubs at properties owned by Simon – a US real estate investment trust and owner of countless shopping malls.
A week later, Mercedes-Benz announced a second retail agreement with beloved convenience store behemoth, Buc-ees, to erect Mercedes branded charging hubs at most of the former’s existing locations. That rollout will begin with about 30 hubs by the end of 2024.
Before then however, we are seeing the first Mercedes charging hub donning ChargePoint piles open for business in Georgia with plenty more on the way.
Mercedes opens first EV charging hub at US HQ
According to news from Mercedes High Power Charging (HPC) North America, it has officially inaugurated its first charging hub beside its US headquarters in Sandy Springs, Georgia. The hub comes equipped with a solar canopy enabling carbon neutral energy usage, fifteen-foot intelligent indicators that easily display whether a pile is available, and a charging lounge complete with vending, restrooms, and places to relax.
The star of Mercedes’ first first EV charging hub however is ChargePoint, whose initial piles (seen above) can offer rates up to 40 kW, supporting any and all EV brands looking to replenish (as long as they use CCS1 and NACS connectors). Thanks to ChargePoint’s tech, some EVs will be able to recoup a charge from 10-80% in under 20 minutes, depending on the vehicle’s platform architecture of course. Franz Reiner, chairman of the board of management at Mercedes-Benz Mobility AG spoke:
The Mercedes-Benz Charging Network expands global charging options for customers of all EV brands to promote clean, electric mobility. In North America, our strategy is clear: focusing on where EV drivers are and where they are going to enhance the North American EV charging map while setting new standards for quality and customer experience. These efforts will pave the way for greater EV adoption here in North America and around the world.
While the new hub network opens its piles to all EVs from day one (except maybe the LEAF), Mercedes EV owners can take advantage of special benefits, including automatic charger reservations through the EQ vehicle’s native navigation, plus ‘Plug & Charge’ capabilities using the Mercedes me Charge app – allowing drivers to simply plug-in and walk away without having to tap a card.
Lastly, Mercedes-Benz says it is offering current EQ owners six months of complimentary charging at its hubs, while drivers of 2024 model year EQ EVs will receive two years of unlimited free charging.
Following today’s news, those free charging perks will only be an option in Georgia, but don’t worry, there are plenty more Mercedes hubs on the way. The initial location near headquarters is the mere start of a $1 billion investment from the German automaker, who intends to build and operate over 400 additional locations by the end of the decade.
That will begin with additional hubs at Buc-ee’s travel centers in Texas, Florida, Alabama, and Georgia before year’s end, followed by further expansion through the convenience stores and Simon malls through 2024 with the help of MN8 Energy and ChargePoint.
If you’re near Sandy Springs, why not take your EV over to Mercedes-Benz HQ, have a charge, and tell us about it? We’d love to hear about your experience!
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Although the Nissan Juke EV is set to debut next year, the crossover SUV may still be offered with a gas engine after all.
Nissan looks to sell gas-powered Juke SUV alongside EV
After announcing an investment of up to £3 billion ($3.9 billion) to upgrade its Sunderland, UK, plant, Nissan revealed plans to convert three of its top-selling vehicles to electric.
The new EV models include the next-gen LEAF, Qashqai, and Juke. All will be built at the Sunderland facility as part of the Japanese automaker’s brand revamp.
Nissan is preparing to launch the electric version of its iconic LEAF hatchback later this year, followed by the Juke EV in 2026 and the Qashqai EV in 2027. According to Automotive News, Nissan is looking to keep the gas-powered Juke SUV alive for a little longer.
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The Juke is Nissan’s second-best-selling vehicle in Europe, behind the Qashqai. The report claims Nissan is worried about regulations and the demand for EVs in parts of Europe.
Nissan Juke and Qashqai (Source: Nissan)
Like it did with the Qashqai, Nissan could continue selling the Juke with an upgraded hybrid powertrain. Nissan launched the next-gen Qashqai last month, claiming its e-POWER hybrid powertrain has the “best in C-Crossover segment fuel efficiency, with 4.5L per 100km and a potential range of 1,200km (WLTP).”
Although it uses an electric motor to power the wheels, it still has a gas engine that acts as a generator to charge the battery.
Nissan Juke HEV (Source: Nissan)
The next-gen LEAF, Juke, and Qashqai were expected to be a key part of Nissan’s recovery plans. After quietly delaying the electric Qashqai, will the Juke EV be next?
A report from Japan’s Kyodo News (via Reuters) last month claimed Nissan is already cutting production plans for the 2026 LEAF.
2026 Nissan LEAF (Source: Nissan)
In the US, Nissan is pushing back the production of two electric vehicles that were scheduled to be built in Canton, Mississippi. Is it time for the Japanese automaker to sound the alarm?
Later this year, Nissan will launch the new and improved LEAF EV. After dropping its signature hatchback look for a more crossover SUV-like design, the LEAF is a significant upgrade from the outgoing model, offering longer range, faster charging, and much more.
Should Nissan keep the gas-powered Juke on sale? Or go EV-only as initially planned? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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The case attempts to place some responsibility on Tesla for creating complacency with drivers, who were led to believe Autopilot could do more than it actually could.
George McGee was driving his Model S on Autopilot in Key Largo in April 2019 when he dropped his phone and looked down to pick it up when the car blew past a stop sign at a T intersection, and crashed into a parked Chevrolet Tahoe.
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22-year-old Naibel Benavides Leon and her boyfriend Dillon Angulo were standing next to the parked Tahoe. Benavides died and Angulo was seriously injured.
The police charged McGee with reckless driving, but the families of the victims sued both McGee and Tesla. McGee settled with the plaintiffs, but Tesla hasn’t.
The trial lasted almost a month, but both parties had their closing arguments yesterday, and the jury is now deliberating.
The plaintiffs have asked the jury to award them nearly $345 million in damages, comprising $109 million in compensatory damages and $236 million in punitive damages.
They have alleged that Tesla was careless in how it released and marketed Autopilot, leading owners like McGee to become overconfident in the driver assistance system, which contributed to the crash.
Tesla has been putting all the blame on McGee, who admitted to being distracted.
The automaker has also attempted to claim that it has telemetry data indicating the driver pressed the accelerator pedal. Still, the plaintiffs’ counsel has raised concerns about Tesla’s handling of the data.
It will be interesting to see the results of this trial, which I expect to see any day now. It is a bit of a complicated case, but I don’t think the jury will take weeks of deliberation.
In recent months, Tesla settled two similar cases and we don’t know for how much.
At this point, it’s unclear why the case did not settle before trial, as the trial is not a good look for Tesla, regardless of the outcome. Tesla is working hard to keep most of the information confidential, but specific details are emerging that make the Company look bad.
It’s possible that Tesla tried to settle, but the plaintiffs wouldn’t, or Tesla felt confident about winning this case.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this specific case is being watched by many other legal teams working on other fatal crashes involving Tesla’s ADAS systems.
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Despite sales in the US rising 9%, Ford’s (F) EV sales remained flat in July. Ford says the Mustang Mach-E is back on track, but CEO Jim Farley promises the company will reveal its next “breakthrough” EV in just a few days.
Ford’s US sales rise in July, but EV growth remains flat
Ford sold a total of 198,313 vehicles in the US in July, up 5% year-over-year (YOY). Although it outpaced the estimated industry average of about 5%, Ford’s electric vehicle sales fell a modest 0.2%.
With 5,308 Mustang Mach-Es sold last month, Ford said the electric SUV had its best July ever and is now ahead of its 2024 pace. The Mach-E was hit with a recall earlier this year, affecting nearly 200,000 models in the US.
Overall, Ford sold a total of 8,229 EVs in July, down slightly from the 8,242 it handed over last year. F-150 Lightning posted slightly higher sales (0.3%) with 2,831 units sold.
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Meanwhile, sales of the E-Transit electric van continued slipping with only 90 units sold last month, a decrease of 89% from July 2024.
Ford Mustang Mach-E (left) and F-150 Lightning (right) (Source: Ford)
With 47,217 units sold through the first seven months of 2025, Ford’s EV sales are down 9.9% compared to the same period in 2024.
During Ford’s second-quarter earnings call on Wednesday, Farley announced that the company would unveil “plans to design and build a breakthrough electric vehicle and platform in the US.”
2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E (Source: Ford)
Farley called it “a Model T moment” for Ford, adding that it will offer “a chance to bring in a new family of vehicles” with advanced tech, efficiency, space, and features.
Rather than competing with Japanese and South Korean brands in the mass-market EV market, Ford will focus on what it does best — trucks and SUVs. Ford is developing a new, low-cost EV platform and plans to manufacture LFP batteries in Michigan, enabling more affordable and profitable electric models.
2025 Ford F-150 Lightning (Source: Ford)
The first electric model built on Ford’s new platform is expected to be a mid-size pickup truck, set to arrive in 2027. Ford will reveal more about its big EV plans on August 11 in Kentucky.
Following the success of its “From America, For America” campaign, which offered employee pricing to all, Ford launched a new promotion in July, “Triple Zero.” The new campaign offers $0 down, 0% interest, and zero payments for the first 90 days.
Looking to test one out for yourself? You can use our links below to find deals on the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning at a dealer near you.
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