Photo: @HinrichsZane, @RodneyaKent via Twitter
Tesla announced its intention to build nine electric semi-truck charging stations along a route from the southern border of Texas to northern California. The stations would be open to other electric truck models, which is why Tesla is seeking nearly $100 million in federal subsidies.
Tesla Semi is currently in pilot production at Giga Nevada, but Tesla plans a new production facility to accelerate the decarbonization of the transportation sector. The first 36 Semi trucks have been delivered to PepsiCo and are hauling beverages and chips around Pepsi and Frito Lay production facilities in California. They cannot stray too far from their base because there is no compatible charger to charge them.
Tesla designed a special charging station for the Semi, with a capacity of up to 1 MW of power, which gave it the name Megacharger. It uses a special connector called Megawatt Charging System (MCS). The standard is not finalized yet, and Tesla uses an earlier connector version. There are no such chargers on the roads yet, only those Tesla installed at PepsiCo locations. However, things are about to change as Tesla begins to install Megachargers across the US. This should also be helpful for the upcoming Cybertruck, which is rumored to be compatible with the Megachargers.
Last month, we learned that Tesla is installing the first Megachargers at its charging station in Baker, California. People have been visiting the site and sharing pictures with the Megacharger's connectors, confirming they are indeed Semi chargers. Elon Musk previously said that the Megachargers and V4 Superchargers are the same. However, the V4 charging stalls installed in Europe look smaller and, obviously, don't feature the MCS connector.
Tesla wants to make the Semi more useful by creating a Megacharger corridor between Laredo, Texas, and Fremont, California. It's a 1,800-mile trucking route that could benefit greatly from electrification. That's why Tesla wants to build nine charging stations that would serve not only Tesla Semis but also other electric trucks.
According to emails seen by Bloomberg, Tesla seeks to get up to $100 million in incentives to build the stations. Each would be equipped with eight 750-kW chargers for Tesla Semi and four chargers for electric trucks made by other companies. This should be the first charging network in the US destined for electric trucks, enabling long-haul electrified trucking from Texas to California. It should also help companies move goods locally using electric trucks in Texas, Arizona, and California.
Tesla thinks the corridor could qualify for federal grants under the bipartisan infrastructure program created to modernize US transit systems. A representative for the US Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration confirmed for Bloomberg that the agency currently reviews the application. Tesla is seeking $97 million of federal money and plans to spend $24 million itself to build the stations.
Interestingly, Laredo is about 240 miles (386 km) from Giga Austin, making it transparent what Tesla wants to connect. It's even closer to the new gigafactory it builds in Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Given the strategic importance of this corridor for Tesla, it's safe to assume that it will build the Megachargers with or without federal subsidies.
Tesla designed a special charging station for the Semi, with a capacity of up to 1 MW of power, which gave it the name Megacharger. It uses a special connector called Megawatt Charging System (MCS). The standard is not finalized yet, and Tesla uses an earlier connector version. There are no such chargers on the roads yet, only those Tesla installed at PepsiCo locations. However, things are about to change as Tesla begins to install Megachargers across the US. This should also be helpful for the upcoming Cybertruck, which is rumored to be compatible with the Megachargers.
Last month, we learned that Tesla is installing the first Megachargers at its charging station in Baker, California. People have been visiting the site and sharing pictures with the Megacharger's connectors, confirming they are indeed Semi chargers. Elon Musk previously said that the Megachargers and V4 Superchargers are the same. However, the V4 charging stalls installed in Europe look smaller and, obviously, don't feature the MCS connector.
Tesla wants to make the Semi more useful by creating a Megacharger corridor between Laredo, Texas, and Fremont, California. It's a 1,800-mile trucking route that could benefit greatly from electrification. That's why Tesla wants to build nine charging stations that would serve not only Tesla Semis but also other electric trucks.
According to emails seen by Bloomberg, Tesla seeks to get up to $100 million in incentives to build the stations. Each would be equipped with eight 750-kW chargers for Tesla Semi and four chargers for electric trucks made by other companies. This should be the first charging network in the US destined for electric trucks, enabling long-haul electrified trucking from Texas to California. It should also help companies move goods locally using electric trucks in Texas, Arizona, and California.
Tesla thinks the corridor could qualify for federal grants under the bipartisan infrastructure program created to modernize US transit systems. A representative for the US Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration confirmed for Bloomberg that the agency currently reviews the application. Tesla is seeking $97 million of federal money and plans to spend $24 million itself to build the stations.
Interestingly, Laredo is about 240 miles (386 km) from Giga Austin, making it transparent what Tesla wants to connect. It's even closer to the new gigafactory it builds in Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Given the strategic importance of this corridor for Tesla, it's safe to assume that it will build the Megachargers with or without federal subsidies.
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