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Tesla is aiming to build charging stations for electric trucks, along a route of about 1,800 miles. With this network, electric trucks from various manufacturers could be charged for deliveries in Texas, Arizona, and California. This would be of great importance for the country to achieve its carbon-free goals.

Tesla is aiming to build charging stations for electric trucks on a route linking Texas and California. The company is asking the US for $97 million to build nine charging stations, while the manufacturer also intends to partially finance the construction on their own. They will be located from the southern border of Texas to northern California, according to emails seen by Bloomberg News.

Tesla offered to equip each station with eight 750-kilowatt chargers that would fit Tesla Semi trucks. In addition, they will be equipped with four electric truck chargers made by competitors. If successful, it will be the first charging network of its kind in the US.

This network of charging stations will enable long-distance electrified freight transportation from Texas to California. In addition, it will open access to regional transportation in Texas, Arizona, and California. Moreover, the route will also allow transportation from the Mexican state of Nuevo León to the United States.

The US relies heavily on commercial trucks to transport goods. However, they greatly pollute the environment. In 2021, trucks accounted for 1.1% of vehicles in the US but were responsible for 17.9% of emissions. Therefore, the government should be interested in switching to electric trucks in order to limit greenhouse gas emissions in this sector.

Tesla executives have told Texas officials that the corridor may qualify for federal grants to be made available as part of a major new bipartisan infrastructure program created to modernize US transportation systems, among other purposes. Tesla asked government officials to write a letter in support of a large charging project to be included in its funding application, which was filed in June.

A spokesman for the US Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration, which oversees the grants, said the agency is currently reviewing applications. The recipients are expected to be announced later this year.

California's South Coast Air Quality Management District led the bid on Tesla's behalf. Aaron Katzenstein, an executive at the office's technology advancement unit, said Tesla is seeking $97 million of federal money and plans to put up $24 million itself.

The approximately 1,800-mile route begins in Laredo, Texas. It is about 240 miles from Tesla's Austin headquarters and 150 miles from a new factory the company is building in Nuevo León, Mexico. Obviously, the company will be transporting a lot of components and vehicles every day, so building a charging network for electric trucks makes a lot of sense environmentally.

© 2023, Eva Fox | Tesmanian. All rights reserved.

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