By Saundra Latham, Editor at LinkedIn News — Mercedes-Benz aims to build a North American network of 2,500 high-powered EV chargers by 2027, putting it in direct competition with Tesla and its extensive network of Superchargers. The plan, announced Thursday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, will see the chargers spread among some 400 hubs and is expected to cost more than US$1 billion. Mercedes drivers will get priority access by being able to pre-book chargers, the automaker says. MN8 Energy, a renewable-energy firm, is partnering with Mercedes on the project and will foot half the bill.

Tesla’s Supercharger network, which includes about 16,000 U.S. locations, has been a major lure for customers who want easy access to chargers, The Wall Street Journal writes.