Tesla, White House says, to let all EVs be charged

WASHINGTON — Electric car giant Tesla will, for the first time, make some of its charging stations available to all U.S. electric vehicles by the end of next year, under a new plan announced Wednesday by the White House.

The plan will make at least 7,500 chargers from Tesla’s Supercharger and Destination Charger network available to non-Tesla EVs by the end of 2024, the White House said.

The plan to open the nation’s largest and most reliable charging network to all drivers is a potential game-changer in promoting EV use, a key component of President Joe Biden’s goal to fight climate change.

“As President Biden said, the great American road trip will be electrified,” said Mitch Landrieu, a White House aide who oversees implementation of the 2021 infrastructure law signed by Biden.

Soon, charging an EV “will be as easy as filling up at a gas station,” Landrieu said.

The plan to open up Tesla’s charging network was among a series of developments announced Wednesday by the White House, such as new standards to make EV charging networks convenient and reliable for all Americans, including those driving long distances.

Tesla, General Motors, EVgo, Pilot, Hertz and other companies also have agreed to expand their networks by thousands of public charging ports in the next two years, using private funds and federal spending from the infrastructure law, “putting the nation’s EV charging goals even closer within reach,” the White House said.

Under the administration’s plan, Tesla will set up charging sites at hotels, restaurants and other public spaces in urban and rural locations, the White House said.