Why Tesla Is Letting other EVs Use Its Superchargers and What It Means for You
Tesla will offer faster, cheaper, and more convenient charging to all EVs while boosting its own brand and revenue
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Charging infrastructure is vital for electric vehicles to succeed. The Biden Administration just announced that Tesla will open part of its charging infrastructure to other EV brands “as part of a $7.5 billion federal program to expand the use of EVs to cut carbon emissions” according to Reuters.
As Tesla has the largest fast-charging network in the US, this is great news for both transport electrification and Tesla investors.
Tesla’s Supercharger Network
Tesla has the highest reliability rate in the US, with around 1,700 stations and over 17,000 stalls between them. That’s about 60% of all fast chargers in the country.
The company plans to double this number by the end of 2024, and the deal with the US government is to open 7,500 of those to all-electric vehicles using the Combined Charging System (CCS) standard.
In Europe, Tesla has already begun opening their network to third parties in 2022, as they use the CCS standard for both chargers and cars, so there is no need for additional hardware.
In the United States, Tesla has yet to figure out how to solve the socket and cable problem, as all their chargers use their proprietary port.
One goal: vehicles electrification
Although there are Tesla owners who don’t like this proposal, as they think having other vehicles charging will make it more difficult for them to get a free spot, this decision perfectly aligns with the company’s mission to “accelerate the advent of sustainable energy”.
In a recent interview, Tesla Board Member, Hiromichi Mizuno stated that the company “doesn’t care about the competition” when talking about other EV companies sharing the market with them.
Tesla is focused on replacing fuel-powered vehicles with electric vehicles, and they are pleased if other manufacturers do the same. Their fight is not against Lucid or Rivian but against carbon…
