EVwire brief: Mercedes-Benz is adding off-peak discounts to its fast-charging network. The program, called Power Hours, cuts the price to charge at participating Mercedes-Benz High-Power Charging stations during set overnight windows, with the same DC fast charging of up to 400 kW.
There's no code or sign-up. Plug in during a station's Power Hours window and the lower rate applies automatically to whatever payment method you'd normally use, and it can stack with other promotions. The rate and the exact hours vary from site to site.
Mercedes-Benz announced the program on LinkedIn:
For now, it's a small rollout, with about 21 stations across seven US states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia), plus several in British Columbia, Canada. The discounted rates run from as low as $0.19/kWh in North Charleston, South Carolina and Ashburn, Virginia, up to $0.45 during shoulder hours in Sandy Springs, Georgia, mostly during late-night stretches like 9 or 10 p.m. to 7 or 8 a.m.
Power Hours discounts kick in overnight at participating Mercedes-Benz High-Power Charging sites.
Details:
The participating locations, as listed by Mercedes-Benz. British Columbia rates are in Canadian dollars (the $0.20 CAD sites work out to roughly $0.14 USD):
Location | Rate (per kWh) | Power Hours |
|---|---|---|
North Charleston, SC | $0.19 | 10pm–8am |
Ashburn, VA | $0.19 | 10pm–8am |
Austell, GA | $0.22 | 9pm–8am |
Roswell, GA | $0.22 | 9pm–8am |
Birmingham, AL | $0.23 | 9pm–8am |
Round Rock, TX | $0.23 | 9pm–8am |
Norfolk, VA | $0.23 | 10pm–7am |
Denton, TX | $0.25 | 11pm–8am |
Katy, TX | $0.25 | 11pm–8am |
Greensboro, NC | $0.27 | 9pm–8am |
Fort Worth, TX | $0.27 | 10pm–8am |
Braintree, MA | $0.29 | 8pm–8am |
Alpharetta, GA | $0.32 | 9pm–8am |
Savannah, GA | $0.32 | 9pm–8am |
Tampa, FL | $0.34 | 9pm–8am |
Sandy Springs, GA | $0.45 (super $0.25) | 6–8am & 8pm–12am; super 12–6am |
Abbotsford, BC | $0.20 CAD | 11pm–8am |
Coquitlam, BC | $0.20 CAD | 11pm–8am |
Pitt Meadows, BC | $0.20 CAD | 11pm–8am |
Surrey, BC | $0.20 CAD | 11pm–8am |
Tsawwassen Mills, BC | $0.20 CAD | 11pm–8am |
South Windsor, CT | $0.35 | 9pm–8am |
The same up-to-400 kW fast charging, just cheaper during the late-night window.
Context:
Mercedes-Benz High-Power Charging is the automaker's own branded fast-charging network in North America, open to any EV rather than just Mercedes drivers, and part of a plan to build thousands of stalls at hubs across the region. Power Hours is its take on a tactic spreading across the industry: time-of-use pricing that nudges drivers to charge off-peak, easing strain on the grid and filling stalls that would otherwise sit idle overnight.
The catch is in the fine print. This is a pilot at a couple dozen sites, and the discounts only kick in late at night, so the savings mostly reward drivers who can plug in after hours. Rates also swing a lot by location, so the deal is far better in some cities than others.
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