Tesla scales back on building electric vehicle charging stations
Tesla, led by Elon Musk, has decided to reduce its focus on expanding the electric vehicle charging network in the United States, leaving other companies to step up and meet the growing demand for public chargers.
Jack Ewing and Ivan Penn report for The New York Times.
In short:
- Tesla laid off 500 employees responsible for installing charging stations and scaled back on new station investments, creating uncertainty about future charging infrastructure.
- This shift places the burden on other companies, sparking doubts about their ability to keep up with the rising demand for electric vehicle chargers.
- Despite the setbacks, government subsidies and private investments are fueling an increase in the number of fast chargers nationwide.
Key quote:
“If Tesla is no longer bidding on these things, the agencies handing them out will go to other operators. There are a lot of different participants.”
— Badar Khan, the chief executive of EVgo
Why this matters:
Reliable charging infrastructure is key to the widespread adoption of electric vehicles, directly impacting the transition to cleaner transportation and achieving emission reduction targets. Read more: The role of electric vehicles in the push for environmental justice.
