According to a new strategy announced by the White House on Wednesday, electric vehicle juggernaut Tesla will, for the first time, make some of its charging stations available to all U.S. Electric vehicles by the end of next year.
By the end of 2024, the plan would make at least 7,500 chargers from Tesla's Supercharger and Destination Charger networks available to EVs made by other automakers, according to the White House. A game-changer in boosting EV use and a crucial element of President Joe Biden's commitment to combating climate change is the plan to provide the largest and most dependable charging network in the country to all vehicles.
By 2030, Biden wants to see 50% of new cars sold in the United States be electric. He also pledged to deploy 500,000 chargers around the country and create a network of fast-charging stations along 53,000 miles of freeway.
"As President Biden said, the great American road trip will be electrified,' ' said Mitch Landrieu, a White House aide who oversees implementation of the 2021 infrastructure law signed by Biden. Soon, charging an EV "will be as easy as filling up at a gas station," the White House announcement on Tuesday, Landrieu told reporters.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated, "No matter what EV you drive, we want to make sure that you will be able to plug in, know the price you're going to be paying, and charge up in a predictable, user-friendly experience,"
Effective immediately, the Transportation Department's standards demand that EV chargers paid for by the infrastructure bill be constructed in the country. 55% of the cost of all components must originate in the United States by July 2024.
Before the rules were published, the auto industry cautioned that requiring made-in-America standards for EV parts could stunt the growth of the technology. On Twitter, the social media site Musk purchased last year, President Joe Biden, who has sparred with Musk on a number of occasions, complimented the businessman.
Biden tweeted late on Wednesday that Musk's decision to allow all drivers to use Tesla's charging network is "a big deal, and it'll make a big difference," Tesla is glad to support other EVs via our Supercharger network, Musk tweeted in response to Biden's appreciation.
Tesla will be eligible to apply for federal grants to support the development of a nationwide charging network by opening up its network. Federal subsidies for chargers that exclusively support one brand are forbidden by the infrastructure law.
The addition of thousands of public charging ports by Tesla, General Motors, EVgo, Pilot, Hertz, and other businesses over the course of the next two years, using private funding and federal spending from the infrastructure law, "putting the nation's EV charging goals even closer within reach," the White House said.