Electric car owners that don’t drive a Tesla will also benefit.
Currently, buying an EV involves more intensive research than buying a gasoline-powered car. You’ll need to investigate the vehicle’s range in relation to your own driving routes along with your proximity to fast chargers. Even if you have a fast charger close by, it may be too busy for you to reliably use when you need it. These challenges have not gone unnoticed by major automakers. Ford’s CEO admitted that the charging infrastructure needs work and GM is working on a new, nationwide charging network. Tesla, which has had a huge headstart with its own Supercharger network, has now come up with a brilliant solution to charging woes that will benefit owners of both Teslas and other EVs. It could also reap immediate rewards for EV owners as the country’s charging network gets up to speed.
Tesla
For anyone owning a property equipped with Tesla Wall Connectors with Wi-Fi or cellular capability – also known as Destination Chargers – there is a new option available that allows these owners to set a price to charge other EV owners who may want to use the Wall Connector. Previously, the cost of charging via one of these points would be covered by the business such as a hotel, since customers will already be paying to stay there. Charging via one of these Wall Connectors will typically add over 40 miles of range per hour.
A user who goes by Whole Mars Catalog on Twitter shared a screenshot of what the feature looks like, presumably from the Tesla app. It stipulates the owner’s name, that the site is private, and a charging price of $0.21/kWh. In places like apartment blocks, even owners of non-Tesla EVs like the Chevy Bolt EV or Nissan Leaf can use the charging points if they find the price agreeable.
Owners of hotels or large supermarkets would be incentivized to install charging points, providing their customers with this added convenience while not having to worry as much about costs. In time, the initial outlay of purchasing and installing the Wall Connectors will be recouped by customers who pay to use the chargers.
We did, however, find one limiting factor under Tesla’s terms and conditions for the commercial registration of Wall Connectors. The pay-for-use charging function will only be available if the property manager or owner installs at least six Wall Connectors. If that isn’t a problem, setting a price, viewing analytics, or collecting fees for the electricity provided is all easily done. The new feature coincides with the launch of a new “Charge Your Non-Tesla Option” – this aligns with the company’s goal to open up the Supercharger network to non-Tesla models.
