Tesla must unlock EV chargers for billions of dollars
Technology
Department of Transportation poised to approve Tesla to install charger used by its rivals
(Reuters) - Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has frequently mentioned exposing his Supercharging network to rivals but he has never really done so in the United States where his business dominates the market for electric vehicles.
The brazen CEO may have 7.5 billion reasons to get such ambitions along.
The Department of Transportation is poised to approve a rule next week that will put pressure on Tesla to install the charger used by its rivals in addition to its proprietary charging equipment in the United States, Reuters reported quoting US administration sources.
With President Joe Biden's aim to cover the country with 500,000 EV chargers in the coming years up from 100,000 in 2021 the automaker will be excluded from the $7.5 billion in subsidies coming out of Washington if this doesn't happen.
Network is a key component of Biden's strategy to combat climate change by shifting 50 percent of new car sales in the US to electric by 2030. According to proponents, a lack of chargers on American roadways has stunted the rise of EV sales and their beneficial environmental effects.
Last month in Washington, Musk met with representatives of the White House. The EV charging scheme was one of the topics addressed, White House's infrastructure czar Mitch Landrieu said.
With over 40,000 charges globally, Tesla's U.S. Supercharger network is frequently cited as the industry standard since it is quick, dependable and extensive.
The network has only been available to Tesla owners for years because to a plug that only attaches to Tesla cars making it unavailable to anybody driving a Volkswagen, Ford or Chevy.
The Department of Transportation will outline the final specifications next week so that all chargers for electric vehicles may be funded as part of the $7.5 billion nationwide project to electrify roads and interstates. Along with cybersecurity, those specifications will cover how much of the charger must be manufactured in America and whose components.
With the exception of Tesla's well-known Superchargers practically all charging stations in the United States must use the combined charging system or CCS for chargers to qualify for inclusion in the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program.
