By Bronson Winslow
Tesla now qualifies for federal subsidies after agreeing to universalize a portion of its nearly 17,000 electric vehicle (EV) chargers to assist the Biden administration’s goal of 500,000 EV chargers by 2030, according to Axios.
Over the next year, Tesla will open 7,500 charging stations to all EVs, which will allow the company to qualify for federal dollars limited to EV charging stations that support more than one type of EV, according to Axios. The decision is connected to the Biden administration’s goal of creating “convenient, reliable and Made-in-America electric vehicle (EV) charging network,” and follows the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law which invested nearly $25 billion into EV infrastructure, according to a White House fact sheet.
Of the $25 billion for EVs, Tesla will receive a portion of the $7.5 billion in federal incentives set aside for EV charging stations, according to Politico.
“Tesla, for the first time, will open a portion of its U.S. Supercharger and Destination Charger network to non-Tesla EVs, making at least 7,500 chargers available for all EVs by the end of 2024. The open chargers will be distributed across the United States,” the White House said.
Tesla joins a growing list of private companies that aim to install 100,000 public EV chargers in America, including General Motors, EVgo, Pilot, Hertz and BP, according to the fact sheet. “All EV drivers will be able to access these stations using the Tesla app or website. Additionally, Tesla will more than double its full nationwide network of Superchargers, manufactured in Buffalo, New York,” the White House continued.
Tesla initially resisted the idea of opening its charging stations to other EV manufacturers, as it called its charging ports the “North American Charging Standard” and is the second-largest supplier of EV charging stations in America, accordingto U.S. News. It later expressed interest in cooperating with the Biden administration after funding though the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was introduced last year, according to Politico.
“His intent was to work with us to make his network interoperable,” the Biden administration’s Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu told reporters. “He was very constructive. [Tesla was] one of the early folks out there in this space — it was critically important to us that everybody be included in the conversation.”
Tesla did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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