"Mercedes-Benz customers deserve a compelling charging experience that makes electric vehicle ownership and long-distance travel effortless, and that’s why we are launching a global high-end charging network that will offer a charging experience to match the extraordinary Mercedes driving experience," said Ola Källenius, chairman of the board of management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG.Mercedes also says the locations and surroundings will be carefully chosen—all too often, banks of DC chargers are located in desolate and lonely corners of mall parking lots that can make charging at night a stressful experience for some drivers."With this partnership, we are expanding upon our existing relationships with Mercedes-Benz and MN8 to deliver a seamless charging experience for drivers and turnkey charging solutions at no upfront cost to site hosts," said ChargePoint CEO Pasquale Romano."We believe the expansion of charging hubs like these will enable the emergence of a new 30-minute retail economy at the intersection of innovation and accessibility that combines charging and commerce, giving drivers a superior experience to charge quickly and easily."In fact, the initiative will cost more than $1.1 billion (1 billion euro) over the next six or seven years, with the costs split evenly between Mercedes and MN8 Energy."