Will Tesla turn into the universal EV 'filling station'?
In a move that could help turn Tesla into the universal "filling station" of the electric vehicle (EV) era, Tesla will open part of its US charging network to rivals. The deal is part of a $7.5 billion US program to expand EV use and cut carbon emissions.However, experts believe this will risk eroding a competitive edge for vehicles made by Tesla, which has exclusive access to the biggest network of high-speed superchargers in the United States.
By late 2024, Tesla would open 3,500 new and existing superchargers along highway corridors to non-Tesla customers. It would also offer 4,000 slower chargers at locations like hotels and restaurants.Tesla would be eligible for a subsidy - including retrofitting its existing fleet - if its chargers allow other vehicles with a Federally backed charging standard called CCS to charge.
The US administration said Tesla had not committed to adopting CCS as its standard but must comply with the requirements to qualify for Federal funds. Tesla currently has 17,711 superchargers, accounting for about 60 per cent of the total US fast chargers, which can add hundreds of miles of driving range in an hour or less.
A win-win?
The US government's initiative to access Tesla's network significantly boosts the administration's initiative to create 500,000 EV chargers by 2030, up from 130,000 currently. There are also nearly 10,000 "destination" chargers with Tesla plugs that can recharge a vehicle overnight.
According to Reuters, Tesla tweeted, "select Tesla Superchargers across the US will soon be open to all EVs."
Tesla announced on Twitter that it would open its chargers, but it did not specify when, where, or how. By the end of 2024, Tesla claimed, it had already planned to double the size of its US Supercharger network.
A Reuters report showed US President Joe Biden tweeted that the plan to open a "big part" of Tesla's network to all drivers was a "big deal" and would "make a big difference."
But according to Reuters, analysts stated that while opening up its networks would increase funding and revenue for Tesla, it might also reduce the brand's uniqueness and make it more difficult for the manufacturer to maintain the network.
