Connect with us
Tesla-supercharger-50000-installations Tesla-supercharger-50000-installations

News

U.S. to invest $325 million into EV charger reliability and lowering costs

(Credit: Tesla)

Published

on

The U.S. Departments of Transportation and Energy have announced $325 million in new investments going toward improving electric vehicle (EV) charger reliability and cutting costs in the industry.

In a press release shared on Friday, the White House announced three programs to repair and replace existing, non-operational chargers across the country, to reduce costs for deploying charging in underserved communities, and to cut battery costs. Part of the funding includes almost $149 million in grants dedicated to fixing non-working charging equipment, expected to help bring 4,500 broken public chargers back into operation.

The White House says the programs will “increase the reliability and resilience of publicly accessible chargers, advance EV technologies, and support workforce development for EV charging deployment and maintenance.”

The statement also details the Biden administration’s notice of intent to propose regulations related to the 30C tax credit, recommending definition changes that would give around two-thirds of Americans access to up to 30 percent off on charging equipment.

Advertisement

EV charger reliability has long been under scrutiny from EV drivers and regulators alike, and especially from those who have had to charge their vehicles at non-Tesla charging stations. Last year, the California Energy Commission announced plans to create regulatory framework for public EV charger reliability and availability, though this is the first such funding to support maintenance on a federal level.

The newly announced funding programs also follow $623 million in awards announced earlier this month, which are expected to help fill gaps in the U.S. charging infrastructure.

The press release includes a list of financial commitments that are a part of the programs, including Tesla’s plan to open at least 7,500 Superchargers to non-Tesla owners throughout this year. Throughout much of last year and into this year, nearly every automaker also signed on to adopt Tesla’s charging hardware, dubbed the North American Charging Standard (NACS).

The list also includes several other automakers and a new charging station joint venture including BMW, General Motors (GM), Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis, which is expected to install 30,000 EV charging stations.

Advertisement

It also lists several companies that are not automakers as a part of the program, including the Hilton deal for as many as 20,000 Universal Wall Connectors, announced in September.

Below are all the companies listed on the private sector EV charging commitments document, or you can view full project descriptions from the White House here.

EV Charging Deployment

Automakers

Advertisement
  • JV created by BMW, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis
  • Tesla
  • Forum Mobility

Charging Companies

  • bp pulse (EV charging arm of bp, formerly British Petroleum)
  • EVgo
  • Francis Energy

Notable Charging Partnerships

  • Pilot, GM and EVgo
  • TravelCenters of America and Electrify America
  • Mercedes-Benz, ChargePoint and MN8 Energy
  • GM and FLO
  • Forum Mobility and local San Pedro and Oakland ports
  • EVgo and Meijer

Hospitality/Retail

  • Marriott
  • Hilton
  • Walmart

EV Charger Manufacturing

  • Kempower Inc.
  • EdgeEnergy
  • BorgWarner
  • Daimler Truck North America, NextEra Energy and BlackRock Alternatives
  • Ingeteam
  • Atom Power
  • XCharge North America
  • Star Charge
  • LG Electronics

What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send your tips to us at tips@teslarati.com.

Zach is a renewable energy reporter who has been covering electric vehicles since 2020. He grew up in Fremont, California, and he currently lives in Colorado. His work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, KRON4 San Francisco, FOX31 Denver, InsideEVs, CleanTechnica, and many other publications. When he isn't covering Tesla or other EV companies, you can find him writing and performing music, drinking a good cup of coffee, or hanging out with his cats, Banks and Freddie. Reach out at zach@teslarati.com, find him on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.

Advertisement
Comments

News

Tesla expands Robotaxi in a way that was long anticipated

Instead, it has to do with the consumer base it offers Robotaxi to, because it has not offered it to everyone in the past.

Published

on

Credit: Grok Imagine

Tesla has expanded Robotaxi in a way that was long anticipated, and it does not have to do with a new, larger geofence in a city where it already offered its partially autonomous ride-hailing suite, or a new city altogether.

Instead, it has to do with the consumer base it offers Robotaxi to, because it has not offered it to everyone in the past.

Tesla has taken a major step forward in its autonomous ride-hailing ambitions with the official launch of the Tesla Robotaxi app for Android users. Released on the Google Play Store on April 24. Titled simply “Tesla Robotaxi,” the app is now available to download directly from Tesla.

This rollout fulfills a long-anticipated expansion that opens the service to hundreds of millions of Android smartphone users who were previously unable to access it on iOS alone.

The app delivers a streamlined, driverless ride experience powered by Tesla’s automated driving technology.

Advertisement

Users sign in with a Tesla Account, view the current service area map within the app, enter a destination, and receive an estimated fare and arrival time before confirming the ride. When a Model Y from the Robotaxi fleet arrives, riders confirm the license plate, enter the vehicle, fasten their seatbelt, and tap “Start Ride” on either the app or the vehicle’s touchscreen.

During the trip, passengers have access to all the same controls that iOS users do, and can adjust climate settings, seat positions, and music while tracking progress on an in-app map. The interface also allows drop-off changes or support requests if needed. After the ride, users exit, close the doors, and submit feedback.

This Android availability directly broadens the rider base for Robotaxi in its initial service areas. Unfortunately, Android users are used to being subject to delayed launches of new features available to Tesla owners.

By removing the iOS-only barrier, Tesla instantly expands the addressable market, enabling far more people to summon and use the autonomous vehicles already operating on public roads.

Advertisement

The move is a foundational requirement for scaling ride volume and gathering the real-world data needed to refine the unsupervised Full Self-Driving system that powers every trip.

For the Robotaxi program itself, the launch signals steady operational progress. It prepares the service for higher utilization rates as the fleet grows and supports the transition from limited early deployments to a more robust network.

Tesla expands Unsupervised Robotaxi service to two new cities

Tesla has indicated that users outside current service areas can sign up at the company’s website for future notifications, pointing to a deliberate, phased geographic rollout.

Advertisement

Looking ahead, the company plans to incorporate Cybercab vehicles to increase fleet capacity and efficiency while continuing to expand service territories. With the Android app now live, Tesla has removed a key adoption hurdle and positioned Robotaxi for the next phase of growth in autonomous urban transportation.

The infrastructure is now in place to support significantly larger rider demand as production and deployment accelerate.

Continue Reading

News

UPDATE: SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy that launched a Tesla into space is back on a mission

SpaceX Falcon Heavy returns after 18 months away to deliver a satellite that only it could carry.

Published

on

By

UPDATE: 10:29 a.m. et: SpaceX is standing down from today’s Falcon Heavy launch of the ViaSat-3 F3 mission due to unfavorable weather. A new target date will be shared once confirmed.

After an 18-month absence, SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy is returning to mission on Monday morning when it’s scheduled to lift off from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center at 10:21 a.m. EDT.

The mission is called ViaSat-3 F3, and the heavy satellite payload needs to reach geostationary orbit, sitting 22,236 miles above Earth where its speed matches the planet’s rotation. Getting a satellite that heavy to that altitude demands more thrust than a single-core Falcon 9 can deliver.

This marks the Falcon Heavy’s 12th flight overall since its debut in February 2018, and its first since NASA’s Europa Clipper mission in October 2024.

Advertisement

Arguably, the most exciting element for spectators will be watching the booster recoveries in action when the two side boosters, B1072 and B1075, will attempt simultaneous landings at Landing Zone 2 and the newer Landing Zone 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, while the center core will be expended over the ocean.

SpaceX wins its first MARS contract but it comes with a catch

Following satellite deployment, expected roughly five hours after launch, ViaSat-3 F3 will spend several months traveling to its final orbital slot before undergoing in-orbit testing, with service entry expected by late summer 2026

As Teslarati reported, NASA awarded SpaceX a $175.7 million contract on April 16, 2026, to launch the ESA Rosalind Franklin Mars rover aboard a Falcon Heavy no earlier than late 2028, which would mark the first time SpaceX has ever sent a payload to Mars. That contract came on top of an already deep pipeline that includes the Roman Space Telescope, the Dragonfly Saturn mission, and multiple national security payloads.

Advertisement

SpaceX executed 165 missions in 2025 and now accounts for approximately 85% of all global orbital launches. With Starlink surpassing 10 million subscribers and an IPO targeting a $1.75 trillion valuation still ahead, Monday’s launch is one more data point in a company that has quietly become the backbone of both commercial and government space access worldwide.

Continue Reading

News

Tesla launches solution to end Supercharger fights once and for all

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Tesla is launching its solution to end Supercharger fights once and for all, eliminating any confusion on who is to charge next at a congested location.

Last year, a notable incident at a Tesla Supercharger led to a fight, and it all stemmed from a disagreement over who arrived at the location first.

Congestion at Tesla Superchargers is a pretty infrequent occurrence for most of us, but there are more congested and popular areas where wait times can be extensive. An unfortunate growing pain of EV ownership is the plain fact that chargers are not as available as gas pumps, and there are, at times, lines to charge.

This can cause tensions to flare and people to get entitled when visiting Superchargers. Nobody wants to spend hours at a Supercharger, but now, there will be no more confusion when there is a queue, and that’s thanks to Tesla’s new Virtual Queue for Superchargers.

Advertisement

Tesla is finally starting to build out the Virtual Supercharger Queue, according to Not a Tesla App, but it still relies on drivers to make it work.

When a driver is near a Supercharger that is full, a message will pop up on the Tesla App, using the driver’s location to determine their eligibility to join the virtual queue.

The app states:

“While the app is closed, Tesla uses your location to notify you of accurate wait times at Superchargers when you arrive.”

Advertisement

Another message within the app states:

“There is a waitlist to charge. Are you sure you want to start a charging session now?”

This sounds as if it will require drivers to act appropriately and only plug in when the app prompts them to do so, by letting them know it is their turn.

The app will notify the driver of their position in the queue, as well as how many vehicles are ahead of them.

Advertisement

Tesla launches first ‘true’ East Coast V4 Supercharger: here’s what that means

The company announced a while back that it would be working on a solution for this issue. Personally, I’ve only had to wait at a Supercharger for a charge on one occasion, and there was a line of between 3 and 10 cars during this singular occurrence.

There were no conflicts or arguments about who had arrived first, but there was some discussion between several drivers during my time there about who was to charge first. Throw a non-Tesla EV into the mix, one that can only charge at a pull-in spot, and that causes even more of a complication.

Advertisement
Continue Reading