A Tesla electric charging point lies idle in a parking lot as the United Kingdom sets a new ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2030, bringing forward the original plan by five years.
In a recent move to cater to the increasing demand for electric vehicles, British petrol station operator EG Group intends to acquire Tesla’s superchargers to boost its electric vehicle charging network in Europe.
Undertaken by the Issa brothers, who also own UK supermarket chain Asda, EG Group aims to expand its charging stations to over 20,000 EV chargers across its sites in due time, from its current deployment of above 600. The first batch of Tesla chargers is projected to be operational later this year.
These “open network” Tesla chargers will be accessible to all EV drivers, regardless of their vehicle’s brand. With the rapid and reliable installation of EV charging infrastructure, sustainable development can be achieved, according to Rebecca Tinucci, Tesla’s senior director of charging infrastructure.
The car industry has called for the quick expansion of public charging networks to accelerate EV adoption, which is crucial for British and European climate targets. In February 2021, Tesla announced that it would permit competitors’ EVs to use part of their U.S. charging network as part of a $7.5 billion plan to increase EV use and decrease carbon emissions.