Tesla pause causes rivals to charge electric vehicles during $5 billion federal construction project

Amid uncertainty about the future of the Tesla Supercharger network, rival charging networks see opportunity for growth.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently laid off most of the Tesla Supercharger team, but has since reversed that move and tried to rehire people. Tesla has also made clear that it will continue to build out any new infrastructure already underway, but could still pivot from the even faster growth of its Supercharger network. That, reports politicscreate opportunities for other networks.

According to the report, these networks are now planning to build more charging stations and look to hire abandoned Tesla employees. For example, Atlanta-based EnviroSpark Energy Solutions hired “dozens of Tesla employees” last month and received $15 million in funding in the days after Tesla’s layoffs. The company started out installing chargers for Tesla before looking to create its own network.

Image of the EnviroSpark EV charger at Waffle House

Last week, New York City-based Revel hired Tesla veteran Edward Noseworthy to lead its design and construction team, Politico noted. And EVgo vice president Sara Rafalson told Politico that the company is having “a lot of conversations with talent.”

Immediately after the Supercharger-related layoff announcement at Tesla, BP also announced that looking to buy stranded sites from the charging network for private use. The oil giant plans to spend $1 billion by 2030 to install more than 3,000 chargers in the US

Part of the motivation for this was to gain a portion of Tesla’s shares in the company Federal electric vehicle toll is worth $5 billion infrastructure push, Politico reports. As part of the Biden administration’s infrastructure legislation passed by Congress in 2021, the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program is expected to spend that money on Fast charger on the road within 5 years.

Nissan Ariya 2023 at EVgo charging station

Installations for the NEVI-funded network began last year, with Opens first site in Ohio in December. NEVI is one of the factors involved The national fast charging network is filling upbut construction still has a long way to go.

Federal guidance calls for NEVI funding for four 150-kw connectors every 50 miles. A 2023 analysis shows 1,104 new EV fast charging stations will be needed to meet those parameters.