As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, a number of major companies are committed to building EV chargers across the nation. Included in that list is, as Elon Musk sees it, often maligned Tesla. The pioneering EV brand has committed to producing new Supercharger equipment that will allow non-Tesla vehicles to use the Supercharger network across North America, according to a White House fact sheet.
“Later this year, Tesla will begin production of new Supercharger equipment that will enable non-Tesla EV drivers in North America to use Tesla Superchargers,” reads the White House fact sheet titled “Biden-Harris Administration Catalyzes more than $700 Million in Private Sector Commitments to Make EV Charging More Affordable and Accessible” that was noticed by InsideEV.
The move comes as part of a package that includes some $700 million worth of investments from the private sector with a goal of creating 250,000 new chargers each year along with some 2,000 new jobs to go with them. While not a complete solution to all of the issues that EV adoption creates, it’s a step in the right direction.
Range anxiety, often considered one of the largest concerns for those on the fence about EV ownership, could be dramatically reduced with a larger and more extensive network of charging stations across the country. Tesla Superchargers are well regarded as some of the easiest charging stations to use but up until now, nothing but Tesla vehicles have been able to use them here in North America.
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Across the pond in Europe, the Supercharger network is already open to other brands so Tesla knows how to make the switch. Most likely it will require additional hardware, namely a CCS plug, and whatever software updates might be needed to allow non-Tesla vehicles to draw power from the supercharger.
At this point, we don’t know exactly when the shift will take place but the White House specifically stated that it will be “later this year.” Along with Tesla, a number of other brands are investing in EV infrastructure to aid in the transition to sustainable energy.
Siemens on its own is planning to build 1,000,000 EV chargers over the next four years. It’s also part of a new $450 million investment into Electrify America as that brand aims to deploy 10,000 ultra-fast chargers at 1,800 charging stations in the near future.
Has range anxiety and charging infrastructure held you back from seriously considering an EV and will these investments make you think twice about such a purchase? Let us know in the comments below.
