Tesla (TSLA) seeking $100M for Texas to California truck charging network

According to emails viewed by Bloomberg News, EV giant, Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) is aiming to secure approximately $100 million in federal funds to construct nine electric semi-truck charging stations reaching from the southern border of Texas to northern California.

The company proposed in the emails that each charging unit be equipped with eight 750-kilowatt chargers for Tesla Semi vehicles and four chargers for trucks made by its competitors. If successful, it would be a first-of-its-kind charging network in the US. It would enable long-haul electrified trucking from Texas to California, along with regional-haul trucking in Texas, Arizona and California.

In the emails, the company suggested equipping each charging unit with eight 750-kilowatt chargers specifically designed for Tesla Semi vehicles, along with four chargers compatible with trucks manufactured by competing companies. If the proposal is approved, this be a first-of-its-kind charging network in the United States. The network would facilitate long-haul electrified trucking between Texas and California, as well as regional-haul trucking within the states of Texas, Arizona, and California.

It’s unclear if the company would pursue the project without a grant. However, the US Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration, responsible for managing the grants, has confirmed that they are “currently reviewing applications.” The agency expects to announce recipients “later this year.”

The approximately 1,800-mile route begins in Laredo, Texas, situated about 240 miles away from Tesla's headquarters in Austin and about 150 miles away from the site of a new factory under construction in Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

Shares of TSLA are down 1.41% in mid-day trading Tuesday.

By Michael Elkins | [email protected]

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