Tesla is planning to open 7,500 of its electric vehicle chargers to other brands of vehicles by 2024, the White House said Wednesday.
The decision follows "intense" lobbying from the Biden administration, whose goal is to make 500,000 new EV chargers available across the country by 2030, reports The Washington Post.
Tesla has not allowed other brands to use their "superchargers" in hopes of making its technology the dominant on the market; now, however, CEO Elon Musk has indicated that his "intent was to work with us to make his network interoperable," said Biden administration Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu. "[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."
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Biden's infrastructure law set aside $7.5 billion in funding for electric vehicle infrastructure in hopes of creating "a national network of chargers that will work for everyone, everywhere, no matter what type of car or state they're in," Landrieu said. Along with Tesla, the Biden administration also secured commitments from General Motors, Pilot Co., and EVGo, reports CNBC.
Additionally, the Department of Transportation set new standards "meant to build out a national network of charging equipment that is interoperable," and launched a grant program providing $5 billion over five years, reports Politico. Up until now, Tesla was the only company with widespread chargers.
Remarked Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg: "No matter what EV you drive, we want to make sure that you will be able to plug in, know the price that you're going to be paying, and charge up with a predictable and user-friendly experience, just as when you are filling up with gas today."
