(NewsNation) — The Biden administration unveiled a new plan Wednesday aimed at improving America’s network of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, in which Tesla, for the first time, will open some of its fast chargers to other electric vehicles by the end of next year.
According to a fact sheet from the White House, Tesla will make at least 7,500 chargers from their Supercharger and Destination Charger network available to non-Tesla EVs by the end of 2024.
According to Axios, the automaker has 17,711 superchargers that make up 60% of U.S. fast chargers.
Tesla plans to triple its nationwide network of superchargers over the next few years, the White House said.
Under the plan, Tesla will set up charging sites at hotels, restaurants and other public spaces in urban and rural locations, the White House said.
All EV drivers will be able to access these stations using the Tesla app or website, officials 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.
There are now more than 3 million EVs on the road and more than 130,000 public chargers across the country.
The White House says the number of publicly available charging ports has grown by at least 40% since Biden took office.
“As President Biden said, the great American road trip will be electrified,” said Mitch Landrieu, a White House aide who oversees the implementation of the 2021 infrastructure law signed by Biden.
The president’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $7.5 billion in EV charging, $10 billion in clean transportation, and over $7 billion in EV battery components, critical minerals, and materials, according to the White House.
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.
The new standards are steps to ensure that everyone can use a charging network, no matter what car they drive or what state they charge in.
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.
Soon, charging an EV “will be as easy as filling up at a gas station,” Landrieu said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.