Tesla will open part of his charging network in the United States for electric vehicles (VE) manufactured by its rivals as part of a $7.5 billion federal program to electrify the country’s highways in order to reduce carbon emissionsas announced on Wednesday by the government of the president, Joe Biden.
This move could make Tesla the universal service station of the era of electric vehicles and I could erode the competitive advantage of company vehicleswhich has exclusive access to the largest network of high-speed “superchargers” in the United States.
By the end of next year, Tesla will open 3,500 superchargers new and existing along highway corridors, as well as 4,000 chargers slower in places like hotels and restaurants, to non-Tesla customers, the Biden administration reported.
A White House official told a briefing that Tesla could qualify for a subsidy — including retrofitting its current fleet — as long as its chargers allowed other vehicles to be charged using a federally-backed charging standard called CCS.
A Tesla SuperCharger station is seen in Los Angeles, California, United States, July 9, 2020. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File
Tesla has 17,711 superchargers, which is about 60% of all US fast chargers that can add hundreds of miles of range in an hour or less. There are also nearly 10,000 “destination” chargers with Tesla plugs that can charge a vehicle overnight.
Opening up access to Tesla’s grid would be a quick win for an ambitious federal program that aims to build 500,000 electric vehicle chargers by 2030, up from 130,000 today.
Tesla was “one of the first companies in this sector. It was very important to us that everyone participate in the conversation,” he said. Ali ZaidiWhite House National Climate Advisor, at a press conference prior to the announcement, in which he called Musk a constructive and “very open”.
In a conversation with senior US government officials last year, Musk stated that “his intention was to work with us to make his network interoperable,” Zaidi revealed.
Tesla founder Elon Musk attends Offshore Northern Seas 2022 in Stavanger, Norway August 29, 2022. NTB/Carina Johansen via REUTERS/File
plug and pay
Tesla owners stop at a charging point, plug their car into the Tesla charging device, and the station automatically adds power from the battery and bills the car owner’s account. Adding non-Tesla owners would require a potentially different outlet and form of payment.
According to the administration, all electric vehicle drivers will be able to access these stations through the Tesla app or website.
“Tesla has a solution hardware and software” to allow the use of CCS, assured the White House official at the press conference.
Administration officials did not say whether a contract has been signed, but federal officials will monitor the disbursement of about a third of the $7.5 billion of the federal program. The state They will control the other two-thirds.
US President Joe Biden sits in a Chevrolet Corvette Z06 during a visit to the Detroit Auto Show to highlight American electric vehicle manufacturing, in Detroit, Michigan, United States, September 14, 2022. REUTERS /Kevin Lamarque/File
Investors and EV enthusiasts in the US have been waiting for a performance from Musk, who in mid-2021 said the goal of his charging network was “not to create a walled garden and use it to beat our competitors up.” ”. The company has opened some superchargers in Europe and Australia to non-Tesla owners since 2021.
Analysts said the amount of federal funds at stake meant Musk had to act on the plan or risk other charging companies, including EVgo Inc (EVGO.O) and ChargePoint Holdings Inc (CHPT.N), taking over. the market.
“The amount of money that the National Infrastructure Program for Electric Vehicles represents represents a strong incentive for Tesla to adapt its strategy and include the installation of CCS ports”, stated sam houstonSenior Vehicle Analyst for the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Tesla electric vehicle chargers are seen during winter in Hofn, Iceland, February 16, 2022. REUTERS/Nacho Doce/File
Chris HartoConsumer Reports senior policy analyst, stated: “There is no question that the $7.5 billion federal investment in charging threaten Tesla’s competitive advantage. In fact, that’s the whole point of the show.”
Opening up its networks could grow a source of financing and revenue for Tesla, analysts say, but could erode the exclusivity of the brand and make it difficult for the car manufacturer to manage the network.
“It is very likely that if they open up the supercharger network to other vehicles, its excellent current reliability index will drop significantlysaid Sam Abuelsamid, an analyst at Guidehouse Insights.
(With information from Reuters)
