Tesla will open some of its fast chargers, which had been exclusive to its customers, to all electric vehicles by the end of next year, the Biden administration said Wednesday as it announced a broad effort to improve charging and encourage more people to buy battery-powered vehicles.
The company’s network of fast chargers has been a key element in the company’s success by giving drivers confidence that they will be able to charge cars during longer trips.
Tesla’s network also has a reputation for being faster and more reliable than the networks available to owners of electric vehicles made by other manufacturers. Those chargers require drivers to download special apps.
Tesla accounts for more than half the fast chargers in the United States, and its network could provide a significant boost to the Biden administration’s plans to encourage electric vehicle ownership and fight climate change.
The Biden administration said 7,500 Tesla chargers will be open to other vehicles by the end of 2024. Of those, 3,500 are fast chargers capable of recharging a vehicle in about half an hour to an hour. The rest are slower chargers at hotels, restaurants and other destinations that are already available to owners of other car brands if they buy an adapter.
Tesla has about 17,700 fast chargers in the U.S., according to the Department of Energy, meaning that most of the network will remain closed to electric vehicles made by General Motors, Ford Motor, Volkswagen and others.
Tesla said the opening of its network would be part of a major expansion.
“Our U.S. network will more than double by the end of 2024 to support our growing Tesla fleet and new EV customers,” the company said on Twitter without providing further details.
Tesla’s decision to open its network means the company will become eligible for some of the $7.5 billion in grant money that Congress authorized as part of a bipartisan infrastructure law passed in 2021. The money is meant to help create a…
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