Mercedes-Benz and Starbucks to install 400 kW chargers at 100 stores

Mercedes-Benz High-Power Charging and Starbucks will install 400 kW chargers at over 100 US Starbucks locations, beginning along the 1,400-mile Interstate 5 corridor. The partnership illustrates how retail footprints can host fast-charging infrastructure, a model relevant to Indian retailers and EV charging buildout.

Mercedes-Benz High-Power Charging and Starbucks announced a collaboration to install industry-leading 400 kW DC fast chargers at over 100 Starbucks locations across the US, starting with the 1,400-mile Interstate 5 corridor stretching from Canada to Mexico. The initial phase targets the I-5 west coast route as a model for expansion into urban areas, charging deserts, and other corridors. Starbucks customers can already charge at over 1,000 stores in the US.

EV drivers and both companies' customers are the direct beneficiaries, with charging integrated into retail visits. Starbucks Chief Sustainability Officer Michael Kobori said the partnership extends the company's EV charging network so customers can refuel sustainably, and it aims to connect communities lacking renewable and clean energy infrastructure. Mercedes-Benz, pursuing its Ambition 2039 carbon-neutrality goal with a network powered by 100% clean energy, has expanded into Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky since launching in November 2023.

Retailers and charging network operators should monitor how co-located fast charging on high-traffic corridors performs, as the companies plan to use the I-5 deployment as a template for urban and charging-desert expansion. Starbucks aims to cut carbon emissions 50% by 2030, supported by renewable energy and EV charging projects. Indian retailers, fuel networks, and EV infrastructure planners should watch how brand partnerships and 400 kW charging scale across high-traffic locations.

Key figure — Charger power: 400 kW units at over 100 Starbucks locations