Tesla has submitted a plan to build nine electric semitruck charging stations between California and Texas.
As we reported yesterday, Tesla is still producing the Tesla Semi electric truck, only in low volume for a few customers and its own operations. It limits the need for charging stations specifically for electric semitrucks, which Tesla calls Megachargers.
The automaker has deployed some at its customers’ distribution centers and at its own facilities, like at Gigafactory Nevada. Tesla has also installed mobile Megachargers at some strategic spots at times.
Now Tesla is looking to build permanent Megachargers as it originally promised when unveiling the Tesla Semi in 2017.
Bloomberg reports that Tesla has submitted a plan to build nine Megachargers between California and Texas.
The report comes through a request for $97 million in federal funding to help build what would be the first network of electric truck charging stations in the US – Tesla would contribute $24 million to the project.
Each charging station would be equipped with eight Megachargers, with each a capacity of 750 kW, and four chargers designed for other electric trucks, likely the Megawatt Charging standard.
The way the route is designed, it appears to support transport between Tesla’s Fremont factory and its upcoming factory in Monterrey, Mexico. It would likely also help with transport between Tesla’s operations in California and Texas, and Texas and Mexico.
The federal government is expected to announce which projects will receive the grants later this year. It’s unclear if Tesla plans to proceed with the semitruck charging network without the grants.
Author: Fred Lambert
Source: Electrek
Top comment by Carpe Diem
Liked by 7 people
Meanwhile hydrogen stations are 10x more expensive yet the government grants Nikola $65MM to support those (and despite so few existing there have been explosions at H2 stations in Europe, Asia & the US)… and NKLA has somehow increased share price 6x in the last month when they have still accomplished nothing.
They sold their battery truck division (massive losses after bankrupting their Romeo acquisition), sold their hydrogen production hub (so they rely on others to build hydrogen stations & rely on others to produce hydrogen), laid off most of their workers, have NO innovative tech or business strategy & somehow are worth billions by rushing an FCEV to market with insufficient testing that is assembled from 3rd party suppliers with no relevant in house IP.
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