Last month, Tesla CEO Elon Musk met with Senior White House officials John Podesta and Mitch Landrieu to debate the potential of expanding the automaker’s industry-leading charging network to incorporate non-Tesla electric vehicles. The White House finally admitted they couldn’t push sustainability forward at the speed they’d like without Tesla and Musk.
Because the Biden Administration took over the White House, they’ve been slow to acknowledge the progress that each Tesla and Musk have contributed to the EV industry. Love him or hate him, Musk is a pioneer on the subject of passenger transportation. If it was not for him and Tesla, it’s greater than likely that EVs wouldn’t be as popular or relevant as they’re today.
The small print of the White House meeting between Musk, Podesta, and Landrieu remained under wraps until The Washington Post spoke to 2 individuals with knowledge of it. The sources explained that Tesla was open to potentially working with the Biden Administration on relinquishing exclusive access to its charging network and as an alternative expanding it to incorporate other EV manufacturers, whether or not they are legacy firms or startups.
Even still, Tesla didn’t completely commit to the concept. As I discussed yesterday, the Tesla Supercharger Network is one among the largest (and, in my view, the largest) benefits the corporate has. Everyone already knows that Tesla has a large lineup of vehicles, it now has a business truck with the Semi, and it is also working toward launching the Cybertruck, its first pickup.
The 43,000+ Superchargers on this planet, with lots of them in the US, offer reliability, consistency, and a wonderful footprint that sprawls from high-traffic highways to even rural America. Many are situated near convenience stores, hotels, and other sources of entertainment.
But while Tesla has been constructing out its expansive network of charging piles, increasing manufacturing capability, and disrupting all the automotive sector, it has not won the popularity of the Commander in Chief. As an alternative, Biden has focused on other firms, like General Motors, and everyone knows the infamous “You probably did it, Mary” quote. Nothing against GM, they’re making strides in their very own right, however it is just plain unfair not to offer Tesla and Musk the popularity they a lot deserve.
The White House has put billions in government funding aside to assist spur the usage of sustainability. EVs are one among the largest contributors to this effort, as most individuals will find yourself in a vehicle of some kind throughout their day. Nevertheless, the White House has not loved mentioning Musk or Tesla by name specifically, and Musk has noticed. So have his biggest supporters.
Tesla’s snub from White House EV event: the Pros and Cons
However the Biden White Home is reaching a breaking point. With Tesla contributing a lot to the EV infrastructure and its goals of building 500,000 recent EV charging stations within the U.S. market, it’s time to swallow the pride that the administration has shown and just ask Tesla in the event that they’d consider it. It finally happened, and the ball now lies in Tesla’s court.
Quite a few things have happened that time within the direction of Tesla potentially opening the Supercharger Network to competitors. First, Tesla has been testing the concept through a Pilot Program in Europe. It’s open in fifteen countries, probably the most recent being Italy, which Tesla added in November. It also recently expanded to Australia.
Next, the White House said last 12 months that Tesla would “begin production of recent Supercharger equipment that can enable non-Tesla EV drivers in North America to make use of Tesla Superchargers.”
Finally, Tesla leaked details on what it calls “the Magic Dock” earlier this 12 months in its smartphone app. This showed a possible CCS-compatible connector being added to Supercharger piles, enabling other EVs to charge.
It’s a giant decision because there’s a slice of $7.5 billion at stake here, which Tesla could utilize for its own charging capabilities. To qualify for it, nonetheless, the corporate has to enable other EVs to charge at its Superchargers.
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