Tesla to Supply Hilton Hotels With 20,000 EV Chargers
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Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. is partnering with Tesla Inc. to install 20,000 universal electrical vehicle chargers at 2,000 of its hotels in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
The McLean, Va.-based company said it plans to have at least six wall-mounted chargers at selected hotels that will work with any electric vehicle model, beginning in 2024. The move would make Hilton’s EV charging network the largest of any hospitality company, the hotel group said. It would also expand Tesla’s dominance in EV charging.
The installations are expected to be completed by 2025, according to Hilton’s Chief Brand Officer Matt Schuyler.
“We think in many ways this is going to meet a guest need and a growing need over time,” Schuyler said in an interview.
Hilton said it plans to have at least six wall-mounted chargers at selected hotels that will work with any electric vehicle model, beginning in 2024. (Hilton)
Schuyler said the expanded partnership was “born out of our experience already with Tesla combined with the universal charging approach they now have.”
In a move touted by the White House as a game changer, Tesla announced in February that it would make at least 7,500 of its charging stations across the U.S. available to all EV users by the end of 2024. The company later announced deals with Detroit manufacturers like Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co. to make Tesla chargers compatible with legacy competitors’ cars.
Rebecca Tinucci, Tesla’s senior director of charging infrastructure, said hotels are a prime target for the company’s expansion of its charging facilities.
“Installing infrastructure at popular destinations like Hilton hotels enables EV owners to charge where they park, meaning no unnecessary refueling stops along their journey,” Tinucci said in a statement.
Hotels and inns have lagged on offering EV charging to roadtrippers. A recent survey of 17,000 hotels in the American Hotel and Lodging Association found only about a quarter offered the amenity. Hilton has chargers at less than a third of its properties.
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The AHLA rolled out an initiative last year called Responsible Stay that calls on members to adopt sustainable practices, including access to EV ports. But the program is voluntary and doesn’t track industry progress. The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act also has some incentives for private companies, like hotels, to apply for $2.5 billion in grants intended to fill gaps in the national charging system.
Tesla says its wall charger can add up to 44 miles of range per hour to the batteries of both Tesla and non-Tesla EVs.
The U.S. charging network has vastly expanded in recent years. There are more than 63,000 places to plug in on the road scattered around the U.S. and Canada, with more coming soon, including at major gas stations.
