Electric vehicle drivers will soon have more charging options as Tesla plans to open more stations
The carmaker plans to open about 7,500 charging stations across the U.S. before the end of 2024
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Tesla plans to open a portion of its U.S. charging network to competing electric vehicle makers, the Biden administration said on Wednesday.
The carmaker plans to open about 7,500 charging stations across the U.S. before the end of 2024, officials said.
The update from Elon Musk's car company comes as the White House rolls out new measures to expand EV charging across the country.
"I think Tesla understood that $7.5 billion is an awful lot of money, and if they can grab a significant chunk of that, then that's great news for them, but then that does have to be offset against the fact that they're giving away what most people see as their critical advantage," explained Alistair Weaver, the editor-in-chief at Edmunds.com.
The Biden administration announced it had partnered with Tesla and other companies -- including General Motors and Hertz -- as part of a 2-year project that aims to use "private funds to complement federal dollars and putting the nation's EV charging goals even closer within reach."
"I think the biggest single reason for buying a Tesla right now is the infrastructure, which, generally speaking, is more plentiful and more reliable in a majority of areas, especially in the bigger conurbations and that's been the main reason to buy a Tesla," said Weaver.
Tesla plans to install about 3,500 new stations on highways across the country, the White House said. Those new charges are expected to be open to other vehicles. The other 4,000 chargers available to the public will be slower charging units, not counting at home chargers.
"All EV drivers will be able to access these stations using the Tesla app or website," the White House said. "Additionally, Tesla will triple its full nationwide network of Superchargers, manufactured in Buffalo, New York."
The government wants nearly 500,000 new EV chargers in the U.S. but it's unknown where the power for all those charges is going to come from.
"It feels like a sensible pragmatic move from Tesla, but it's also to remember that there are only actually making available a small number of their superchargers, in the overall scheme of things, so it feels like they're giving a little bit, but they've definitely given an inch but not a mile," said Weaver.
ABC News' Ahmad Hemingway contributed to this report.
