The release of the Megawatt Charging System (MCS) is just around the corner, as more and more manufacturers are successfully testing EV charging levels of 1 megawatt and higher.

Siemens Smart Infrastructure, a leading player in the EV charging sector, has recently marked a significant achievement. They have successfully completed the first-ever 1 MW charge, a milestone that underscores their expertise and commitment to advancing EV charging technology. This breakthrough was made possible through a pilot project that brought together a prototype MCS charging station from Siemens and a long-haul prototype eTruck from a well-established OEM. This OEM, Mercedes-Benz Trucks, also shared the news in their own press release, showcasing the 1 MW charging of their prototype eActros 600 model.

Siemens’ MCS charging solution is modular. It consists of multiple Sicharge UC150 power cabinets, a switching matrix, and a customized MCS dispenser. The company explains, “The switching matrix is the central element in the MCS, bundling the output power of the charging stations and, depending on the requirement, directing the power to the MCS dispenser.”

A view of a touchscreen charging using the Megawatt Charging System (MCS).

Thanks to the MCS, electric trucks are expected to recharge from 20 to 80% in about 30 minutes, like cars.

In the case of the Mercedes-Benz eActros 600, as its name indicates, it has roughly 600 kilowatt-hours of battery capacity (621 kWh to be precise), so moving from 20 to 80% means absorbing 372 kWh of energy. Doing it in half an hour requires an average power level of almost 750 kW.

The truck will have a driving range of 500 km, which is over 300 miles—not bad for a 4×2 tractor unit with 40,000 kg total towing weight. The capability to recharge quickly in 30 minutes will help the truck cover a much longer distance in a single day, although Mercedes-Benz noted that around 60% of long-distance journeys of Mercedes-Benz Trucks customers in Europe are shorter than 500 kilometers anyway.

A view of the charging plug of the Megawatt Charging System (MCS).

The Megawatt Charging System will probably be adopted globally (potentially with some exceptions), including in Europe and North America. Its power output, depending on the charger, cable, plug, and vehicle, can theoretically be over 3 megawatts.

Manufacturers are currently refining the MCS for series production. Mercedes-Benz wrote:

“Going forward, the work of development engineers at Mercedes-Benz Trucks involves further trialing of the communications interface between vehicle and charging station, defined as part of MCS standardization, and ongoing development of prototype components to series maturity.”

Rainer Müller-Finkeldei, the head of Mercedes-Benz Trucks Product Engineering, said:

“Our developers have put the newly defined MCS Standard into the e-truck in the shortest of times with full charging capacity – an outstanding feat of engineering. Customers placing high demands on range and vehicle availability will benefit in particular from megawatt charging at 1,000 kilowatts in future.”

Peter Ziegler, the head of E-Charging Components at Mercedes-Benz Trucks, said:

“The first successful megawatt charging test with our e-truck is an enormous step forward. Within the industry, a charging capacity of more than 700 kilowatts is already referred to as MCS charging. We, however, understand the importance of our customers being able to charge the eActros 600 at a full 1,000 kilowatts and thus benefit from short charging times with a long range. We are now working at full speed to take the MCS technology in our eActros 600 to series maturity.”

The Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 will enter production before the end of 2024. In the beginning, the vehicle will be equipped with a CCS charging port, which will be good only for up to 400 kW charging. The MCS option will be introduced later once it becomes available. Customers will be able to retrofit their trucks with MCS.