Travel center operator Buc-ee’s Ltd. has joined forces with Mercedes-Benz HPC North America LLC to launch a network of premium electric-vehicle (EV) charging stations across North America. The collaboration “represents two well-loved brands’ shared commitment to providing top-tier service and convenience to their valued customers,” the companies said.
Mercedes-Benz HPC NA will build charging hubs at most Buc-ee’s existing travel centers, starting with about 30 by the end of 2024. It has already begun work on charging hubs at Buc-ee’s locations across the country, with some to be open by the end of this year.
“Mercedes-Benz HPC North America’s collaboration with Buc-ee’s represents an important moment in our pursuit of a national charging network that sets a new standard in both convenience and quality,” said Andrew Cornelia, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz HPC NA. “Within a remarkably short period, we’ve made significant strides towards opening several charging hubs at Buc-ee’s travel centers. Buc-ee’s strategic locations along major travel routes, combined with their commitment to clean and accessible amenities, aligns perfectly with our vision. Together, we’re not only providing exceptional value, but also redefining the EV charging experience for drivers nationwide.”
- Buc-ee’s is No. 153 on CSP’s 2023 Top 202 ranking of convenience-store chains by number of company-owned locations.
Founded in 1982, Buc-ee’s has 46 locations. Since beginning its multi-state expansion in 2019, Lake Jackson, Texas-based Buc-ee’s has opened travel centers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Tennessee, and has broken ground on locations in Springfield, Missouri, Hillsboro, Texas, Amarillo, Texas, Harrison County, Mississippi, Smiths Grove, Kentucky, Luling, Texas, and Johnstown, Colorado.
“Buc-ee’s values people and partnerships,” said Buc-ee’s General Counsel Jeff Nadalo. “Our new collaboration with Mercedes-Benz HPC North America will continue our traditions of elevated customer convenience and excellent service that have won the hearts, trust and business of millions in the South for more than 40 years.”
This new strategic relationship represents another step for Mercedes-Benz HPC NA toward fulfilling its promise of expanding the EV charging map in North America, it said, through a “value-based approach” by building charging hubs where EV drivers are and where they are going. Buc-ee’s travel centers provide value to EV drivers through their strategic placement along key transit corridors in the South and Southeast, including the Texas Triangle, I-75 and I-95, in addition to offering amenities like freshly prepared food and beverages, souvenirs, friendly service and clean highway restrooms.
The collaboration enables Mercedes-Benz HPC NA to seamlessly integrate sustainable charging, using 100% renewable energy, into the background of EV drivers’ lives, ensuring the Mercedes-Benz brand legacy of quality meets the practical needs of EV drivers today and into the future.
Further, by teaming up with MN8 Energy, a renewable energy company that owns and operates nearly 900 renewable energy projects across 28 states, Mercedes-Benz HPC NA aims to achieve industry-leading uptime, a critical component of delivering a high-quality, premium experience to EV drivers, it said.
Mercedes-Benz HPC NA develops and operates the Mercedes-Benz high-power charging network in North America, helping realize the next step forward in Mercedes-Benz’s electrification strategy, which is expansion of the overall North American EV charging map to help propel EV adoption. Its mission is to deliver an industry-leading premium charging experience, with plans to deploy 400 charging stations and more than 2,500 high-power chargers across North America by the end of this decade, it said. The company is a joint venture between Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Investment Co. LLC and MN8 Energy, New York, a renewable energy company. MN8 will develop and operate the EV charging stations that form the Mercedes-Benz HPC North America network. Farmington Hills, Michigan-based Mercedes-Benz HPC North America is part of the Mercedes-Benz Mobility AG family of companies, the financial and mobility services division of Mercedes-Benz Group AG.
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