As electric vehicle adoption continues to grow, charging options for drivers are becoming more important. A new partnership between GM and Tesla is helping to address a common criticism of EVs: the lack of charging infrastructure along long stretches of highways.
The deal announced Thursday will allow GM vehicles to access the 12,000-plus Tesla Supercharger stations across North America with an adapter. The company will also integrate Tesla’s charging port (called NACS) into future EVs starting in 2025.
Employers Tesla Charging Partnerships
EV charging is especially important for employees who drive long distances, such as those in the healthcare and logistics industries. To address this need, employers can establish workplace charging policies that encourage EV adoption and facilitate employee commuting.
The White House is working to expand EV charger availability across the country. The recent bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act allocat $7.5 billion for EV chargers to be install by 2024. The chargers will built using a combination of private and public funding. A key condition of chargers backed by federal funds is that they be open to all EVs, not just Tesla’s with its proprietary connector.
Black & Veatch designed the electrical switchgear for Tesla’s Supercharger sites and provided engineering, permitting and construction services. The company also helped train electricians for the project. Siemens recently chose Carrollton, Texas to become its second U.S. EV charger manufacturing hub. The facility will help the company meet demand for American-made EV chargers while supporting union jobs.
Apartments
Providing home charging for people living in apartments and other multi-residential homes remains one of the last major practical hurdles to wider EV adoption. That’s the goal of a new program announc by Tesla this month.
The new offering targets property owners like hotels, restaurants, and professionally managed apartment complexes that want to offer Tesla destination chargers as a tenant amenity. If you participate, your chargers will listed on in-car maps and also appear as a public charging station on Tesla’s online map.
The problem for many landlords is the upfront costs associat with installing EV chargers in garages or parking lots, and the misalignment of incentives between tenants and building owners. A company called Swtch is taking on this challenge, partnering with property managers and outfitting their buildings with shared charging stations that are automatically leas to EV drivers for a monthly fee. Swtch manages these charging sites to ensure they’re not all used at the same time, which can trigger expensive demand charges on a building’s electricity bills.
Business Owners
Tesla owners tend to be affluent and tech-savvy, so partnering with Tesla can attract this group and boost business. For instance, Sheetz, a chain of convenience stores with locations in Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia, offers EV charging stations at its gas pumps. These stations are designed for destination charging, which takes up to 45 minutes, and they are located near amenities that can keep drivers there for a while, like restaurants, groceries, shops, restrooms and Wi-Fi.
Other businesses that offer EV charging include EVgo, which has partnerships with automakers to add their Superchargers to its public network; Ford, which offers current owners access to Tesla’s network via an adapter; and GM, which works with FLO on local community EV charging initiatives. Additionally, Francis Energy, a manufacturer of DC fast chargers, has partnerships with municipalities, auto dealers and Tribal nations.
Government agencies also support EV charging by funding research and developing programs that promote the use of EVs. For example, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) develops energy efficiency specifications for EV charging equipment and forms partnerships with utilities and states to facilitate purchasing of ENERGY STAR certified chargers.
Individuals
If you are a private citizen with property and electricity supply, you may be able to benefit from becoming a Tesla charging partner. It will increase your property value and make your apartment a preferred choice for Tesla owners. You will also receive publicity and brand association. This is especially important for companies with environmental sustainability and priority programs.
Rival automakers Ford and GM have made partnerships with Tesla to expand their electric vehicle chargers in the US. The deals allow current Ford EV owners to use Tesla chargers with an adapter and will make Tesla’s NACS charging port the standard for the next generation of GM EVs. This is a victory for Tesla, as its chargers currently outnumber CCS stations in the United States. Swiss electrical-equipment giant ABB and California-based FreeWire Technologies will both offer Tesla’s NACS plug as an option on their EV charging products. Hopefully, more companies will follow suit.
