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Edit: Original post should have read "Why can't Tesla build their own charging stations in Europe?" Most of the responses focus on charging stations in the US.

Edit: Original post should have read "Why can't Tesla build their own charging stations in Europe?" Most of the responses focus on charging stations in the US. I should have remembered that HN's readership is mostly US. Why can't Tesla build their own charging stations and if EVs are so great then why don't some entreprising companies build some charging stations without the taxpayer getting involved?

zlsa 3y ago
> Why can't Tesla build their own charging stations They have. AFAIK, until recently there wasn't any major federal funding for charger installation in the US at least. > if EVs are so great then why don't some entreprising companies build some charging stations without the taxpayer getting involved? Because chargers have pretty thin margins and the upfront cost is extremely high (permits, hardware, grid hookup, etc.) It's the same reason there aren't all that many gas station startups.
toomuchtodo 3y ago
Tesla has invested over $1B in their global fast dc charging network. Taxpayers are contributing to accelerate the electrification of light vehicle transportation due to the climate change crisis. Public private partnerships are very common. The network is successful because they are the benevolent dictator who built and maintain it, and it has rigorous uptime and availability, versus other networks. This soothes range anxiety of buyers, selling more Teslas (as well as any other EV model that has Supercharger access). https://www.npr.org/2023/09/10/1187224861/electric-vehicles-evs-cars-chargers-charging-energy-secretary-jennifer-granholm https://www.npr.org/2023/09/10/1187224861/electric-vehicles-... https://highways.dot.gov/newsroom/biden-harris-administration-making-100-million-available-improve-ev-charger-reliability https://highways.dot.gov/newsroom/biden-harris-administratio... https://electrek.co/2022/06/16/study-finds-more-than-fourth-charging-stations-were-non-functional/ https://electrek.co/2022/06/16/study-finds-more-than-fourth-...
Kirby64 3y ago
Because the goal for taxpayer subsidies is to encourage behavior (or needs) that the government has decided they need more of. Europe wants more EV chargers. Simple as that.
- cptcobalt 3y ago
  More of is the most important part of this comment. Tesla would be building these anyway, since the stations will be built where the cars go, but the subsidy directly enables more stations, faster.
panick21_ 3y ago
For the same reason all almost all infrastructure is partly sponsored by the state. That said, I much rather see the money invested in removing cars from places and improving trains and bikes. But its not the worst thing in the world to build some chargers. And Tesla has higher production of both fast and slow chargers then basically anybody else on the planet.

zlsa 3y ago

> Why can't Tesla build their own charging stations They have. AFAIK, until recently there wasn't any major federal funding for charger installation in the US at least. > if EVs are so great then why don't some entreprising companies build some charging stations without the taxpayer getting involved? Because chargers have pretty thin margins and the upfront cost is extremely high (permits, hardware, grid hookup, etc.) It's the same reason there aren't all that many gas station startups.

toomuchtodo 3y ago

Tesla has invested over $1B in their global fast dc charging network. Taxpayers are contributing to accelerate the electrification of light vehicle transportation due to the climate change crisis. Public private partnerships are very common. The network is successful because they are the benevolent dictator who built and maintain it, and it has rigorous uptime and availability, versus other networks. This soothes range anxiety of buyers, selling more Teslas (as well as any other EV model that has Supercharger access). https://www.npr.org/2023/09/10/1187224861/electric-vehicles-evs-cars-chargers-charging-energy-secretary-jennifer-granholm https://www.npr.org/2023/09/10/1187224861/electric-vehicles-... https://highways.dot.gov/newsroom/biden-harris-administration-making-100-million-available-improve-ev-charger-reliability https://highways.dot.gov/newsroom/biden-harris-administratio... https://electrek.co/2022/06/16/study-finds-more-than-fourth-charging-stations-were-non-functional/ https://electrek.co/2022/06/16/study-finds-more-than-fourth-...

Kirby64 3y ago

Because the goal for taxpayer subsidies is to encourage behavior (or needs) that the government has decided they need more of. Europe wants more EV chargers. Simple as that.

cptcobalt 3y ago
More of is the most important part of this comment. Tesla would be building these anyway, since the stations will be built where the cars go, but the subsidy directly enables more stations, faster.

panick21_ 3y ago

For the same reason all almost all infrastructure is partly sponsored by the state. That said, I much rather see the money invested in removing cars from places and improving trains and bikes. But its not the worst thing in the world to build some chargers. And Tesla has higher production of both fast and slow chargers then basically anybody else on the planet.