2:00 pm, March 25, 2022
Tesla’s Supercharger network of public charging points could be opened up to ALL electric vehicle drivers in a matter of weeks.
The American electric car maker has 800 charging stations across the UK – and some 6,000 in Europe – and it’s believed will soon offer them to other electric vehicle owners to use.
Speaking to Electrifying.com boss Ginny Buckley, transport minister Trudy Harrison confirmed that Tesla was planning the move sooner rather than later.
She said that ‘Tesla recognise that they are part of the solution here’ and that the offer could come ‘within weeks and months rather than years’.
Electrifying.com says Tesla’s extensive Supercharger network is seen as a ‘major selling point for the brand’.
It warns that ‘some could see the move as a disadvantage for Tesla drivers’ who ‘value the exclusivity’ and ease of being able to charge quickly whilst on the go.
Buckley said: ‘The move directly supports Tesla’s mission to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy and from a business point of view, more customers using the Supercharger network enables faster expansion.’
The government announced yesterday that electric vehicle charging points will be increased from 30,000 to 300,0000 in the next eight years.
Its new Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy will aim to tackle the woeful lack of public chargers as sales of EVs soar.
Some £500m will be invested to install public chargepoints across the UK and new standards for charging points mandated
Operators will have to provide real-time data so drivers can check the status of devices and compare prices – as well as insisting they accept contactless payments.
The plans will also require a 99 per cent reliability rate at rapid chargepoints.
