Tesla, the major player in the electric car industry, will open some of its charging stations to all US electric vehicles for the first time.
Under the new plan, at least 7,500 charging points from Tesla’s Supercharger and Destination Charger networks will be made available to non-Tesla EVs by the end of 2024. This move has the potential to revolutionize the promotion of EV use, which is a significant part of President Joe Biden’s goal to fight climate change, and opening up the nation’s largest and most reliable charging network could be a game changer.
“As President Biden said, the great American road trip will be electrified,” said Mitch Landrieu, a White House adviser overseeing implementation of the 2021 infrastructure bill that Biden signed.
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New EV standards
The White House on Wednesday unveiled a series of new initiatives aimed at making EV charging networks more accessible and reliable for Americans, particularly those traveling long distances. These initiatives include the introduction of new standards that ensure everyone can use a charging network, regardless of their vehicle or location.
Tesla, General Motors, Pilot, Hertz, EVgo and several other companies have pledged to increase the number of public charging stations by thousands over the next two years. This expansion will be funded from private funds and federal spending from the Infrastructure Act, bringing the nation closer to Biden’s EV charging goals.
Tesla will install charging stations in public places like hotels and restaurants, which will be accessible to all EV drivers through the Tesla app or website. In addition, Tesla plans to expand its network of superchargers nationwide by 2030.
The implementation of standards will not only guarantee the effectiveness of the significant investments in electric vehicle charging infrastructure, but also encourage the creation of high-paying job opportunities and ensure that electric vehicle charging stations receive quality maintenance through the enforcement of strict labor standards such as the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program (EVITP) and Registered Apprenticeships. As part of the White House Talent Pipeline Challenge, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) has already certified 20,000 electricians through the EVITP program.
Part of the new infrastructure law
These actions will help the US meet the Biden administration’s ambitious goals to address the climate emergency, including building a nationwide network of 500,000 electric vehicle chargers on American highways and ensuring that at least 50% of new vehicle sales will be electric by 2030 In addition, they will promote an industrial strategy to advance the domestic electric vehicle and charging sector.
In addition to investing approximately $7 billion in battery components, essential minerals and materials for electric vehicles, the bipartisan Infrastructure Act earmarks $10 billion for sustainable transportation and $7.5 billion for EV charging.
Along with several other federal initiatives aimed at supporting domestic manufacturing and establishing a nationwide network of electric vehicle charging stations, these flagship programs are an essential complement in support of the Inflation Reduction Act for state-of-the-art batteries, new and expanded EV purchase tax credits, and financing for the construction of charging infrastructure.