Leading electric vehicle company Tesla Inc TSLA has one of the largest charging infrastructure networks in the United States that has been available for owners of its vehicles. Tesla is now testing its Supercharger stations for all electric vehicles.
What Happened: Tesla's pilot offering of its Supercharger charging stations to competitors is a move that could help it win tax incentives from the U.S. government.
Tesla announced that “select superchargers in the US are now open to other EVs” in a Tuesday tweet.
The automaker launched its pilot of Tesla Superchargers in November 2021 in select countries in a mission “to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.”
“Access to an extensive, convenient and reliable fast-charging network is critical for large-scale EV adoption,” the company said.
The company offers its charging networks to non-Tesla electric vehicle owners in select countries using the Tesla app. Tesla said it will monitor sites for congestion and ensure the expansion doesn’t impact its existing Tesla vehicle ownership base.
“It’s always been our ambition to open the Supercharger network to non-Tesla EVs, and by doing so, encourage more drivers to go electric.”
The expanded pilot follows up news that Tesla would open a “big part” of its Supercharger locations to non-Tesla owners, a move praised by President Joe Biden as a “big deal.”
“In building our EV charging network, we have to ensure that as many chargers work for as many drivers as possible,” Biden said.
The move by Tesla is part of a push by the government to make electric vehicle charging more readily available as part of new incentives for electric vehicle owners.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk thanked Biden in a tweet and said “Tesla is happy to support other EVs via our Supercharger network.”
Tesla has said by the end of 2024, it will have at least 7,500 chargers available for non-Tesla EV owners.
Related Link: Tesla Investor Day Preview
Why It’s Important: Tesla ended the fourth quarter with 4,678 Supercharger stations and 42,419 connectors.
Several electric vehicle websites are reporting on Tesla stations being open for rivals and seamless execution by the Tesla Superchargers.
Electrek highlighted a Chevy Bolt EV from General Motors Company GM connecting to a Tesla Supercharger using Magic Dock. The user shared details on using the Tesla app and a new tab called “Charge your non-Tesla.” The app brings up a map of nearby chargers that offer the Superchargers to non-Tesla vehicles.
The Electrek author called it a “huge day for EV charging in the US.
“With the flip of a switch, Tesla has now enabled almost every EV to get the type of charging experience they deserve,” the author wrote.
Teslarati highlighted Superchargers being used by owners of Rivian Automotive RIVN and Ford Motor Company F EVs after the locations were made available to non-Tesla users.
“This simplicity was showcased by a Rivian R1T owner who demonstrated how his all-electric pickup truck charged at a Tesla Supercharger,” Teslarati reported.
The website said the speed and ease of use were decent for the charging of the Rivian vehicle.
Benzinga's Take: Tesla’s Supercharger locations being opened to competitors could provide increased competition for existing charging station companies due to ease of use, charging speed and location proximity.
Some of the largest charging station providers are EVgo EVGO, ChargePoint Holdings CHPT, Blink Charging BLNK and Electrify America, which is owned by Volkswagen VWAGY.
Along with providing competition to charging rivals, Tesla could also realize another revenue stream by charging a premium to non-Tesla owners to use its Supercharger stations.
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Photo courtesy of Tesla.
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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