The White House just announced that Tesla will open up its U.S. charging network to all EVs from other brands as part of a $7.5 billion federal program. The move serves to drastically improve the nation’s EV infrastructure by the end of 2024. The effect on Tesla itself could be good or bad depending on the results.
At the end of 2024, Tesla has pledged to open up 3,500 new or existing superchargers along with 4,000 slower EV chargers to non-Tesla customers. It’s the first time that the pioneering EV brand has done so in America following similar moves in Europe back in 2021.
Opening up charging to non-Tesla customers will net the automaker a portion of the $7.5 billion allocated for the program. At the same time, it could make Tesla supercharger stations the gold standard for far more than just the Tesla faithful.
More: U.S. Gov Tells Tesla Sharing Is Caring; Open Up Your Charging Network Or Lose Grants
Perhaps no pain point of EV ownership is as great as the sometimes infuriating and inconsistent experience of charging away from home. In fact, satisfaction with the public EV charging network is at its lowest point on record right now. That’s not typically the way most Tesla owners describe their own experience though.
When a Tesla gets plugged into a supercharger station it begins charging automatically and then bills the owner’s account. Of course, by opening up its network, Tesla will not only gain the cash it gets from the government subsidy but it’ll grow its charging customer base.
At the same time, it’s reasonable to expect more problems and issues as that base grows. How effectively it handles those issues is key though. As for adapting its chargers to non-Tesla customers, a White House official said that “Tesla does have a hardware and a software solution.”
Again, Tesla’s already done this overseas so we don’t see any real trouble with it doing the same thing in the USA. Nevertheless, it could diminish the experience for Tesla owners while adding complications for the automaker itself.
