Mercedes-Benz said it would expand its own fast-charging network with Alpitronic’s new HYC1000 hardware from 2026, installing the system at selected charging parks in Europe and North America.
The partners positioned the rollout as the basis for higher, more efficient public charging performance.
The HYC1000 moved away from conventional, column-integrated units to a modular, decentralised layout. An external power unit supplied up to 1,000kW at 800 amps and distributed output across multiple bays via smart load management.
Sites could be scaled by adding power units and connectors. A single charging point could deliver up to 600kW at 800 volts. Mercedes-Benz said this would cut stop times significantly; for example, the CLA could add up to 325 kilometres of range in about 10 minutes.
Alongside standard posts offering up to 600kW, Mercedes-Benz and Alpitronic were developing a dedicated high-performance charger.
Learnings from the Concept AMG GT XX’s recent benchmark of more than 1MW, achieved through a single CCS cable rated up to 1,000 amps, were being fed into the design.
In North America, hubs would support both CCS and NACS connectors. The target was charging performance beyond today’s norms.
The companies said the collaboration combined Alpitronic’s hardware and systems know-how with Mercedes-Benz’s integration and infrastructure expertise, spanning lab testing to extreme real-world trials. Hubs remained open to all brands.
Mercedes-Benz owners received added benefits via in-car connectivity, the MB.CHARGE Public service and the brand’s own network, including route planning with automatic bay reservations at Mercedes-Benz hubs.
The Mercedes-Benz Charging Network continued to grow, adding first sites in Austria and Japan to existing locations in Germany, the United States and China.
Around 80 hubs were operating, including 41 in the US.
Within a year the network was set to reach up to eight more countries, with more than 10,000 fast-charging points targeted by 2030.
Access also extended via Ionity (Europe), IONNA (North America) and IONCHI (China) through MB.CHARGE Public, which comprised over 2.5 million points from more than 1,700 providers.
