Tesla opening its Superchargers to all EVs might be a masterstroke — or a terrible mistake

After a decade of keeping its North American charging web closed to outsiders, Tesla appears poised to let different electrical vehicles to usage its Superchargers.

The White House announced connected Wednesday that nan institution would unfastened 7,500 chargers — including 3,500 250 kW stalls on highways — to immoderate EV pinch nan mixed charging strategy (CCS), nan modular broadly utilized successful nan U.S. (The institution has vowed to do thing akin before, truthful possibly don’t clasp your activity conscionable yet, though this caller Biden management fact sheet has immoderate difficult numbers, which were notably absent past year.) The first bricks successful nan EV charger wall should rattle loose by nan extremity of 2024.

If Tesla follows done — again, a large “if” fixed nan company’s penchant for splashy announcements and optimistic timelines — it could usher successful a oversea alteration successful EV charging infrastructure successful nan U.S.

Today, Electrify America, nan closest competitor, has astir 3,500 accelerated chargers. If Tesla were to make nan alteration overnight, it would double nan number of fast-charging stalls.

Tesla’s main motivator, of course, is getting a portion of nan $7.5 cardinal EV charging pastry that’s portion of nan Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. While opening a information of nan Supercharger web will thief nan automaker’s bottommost statement courtesy of nan government, nan move will besides person immoderate knock-on effects that are apt to upend EV charging successful nan U.S. Here are a fewer ways those could unfurl.

The cynical return is that Tesla is simply going to usage national money to put moreover much region betwixt itself and its competitors. It’s possible, moreover likely, that nan institution will usage nan caller backing to adhd caller stalls to its already enviable network.