Tesla to install charging stations at 2,000 Hiltons in North America

Tesla plans to install 20,000 electric vehicle charging stations across 2,000 Hilton properties in the U.S., Mexico and Canada beginning next year, the companies said Thursday.

For Tesla, the buildout of wall connectors is another way to increase mass adoption by offering more convenient charging locations. Universal Wall Connectors can be used to charge any North American car model. This includes Tesla vehicles. For Hilton, it’s about meeting demand from leisure and business travelers.

“We’re seeing a rapid and steep increase in the number of requests for EV charging. With this new agreement, Hilton’s Chief Brand Officer Matt Schuyler told CNBC that they were trying to meet the needs of their guests. As more Americans traveled to Europe, U.S. hotels rates dropped. This fall, Wall Street analysts will want to see if hotel brands can get business travel bookings in the U.S. back to pre-pandemic levels.

Schuyler says the availability of EV charging stations is playing a significant role in driving hotel bookings.

“The number-one search attribute for our hotels is shuttle access for airports. That’s No. 1. No. And that’s a dramatic change that wasn’t even on the radar just a few years ago,” said Schuyler. And that’s a dramatic change that wasn’t even on the radar just a few years ago,” said Schuyler.

Hilton will work with its owners to identify properties alongside roadways and in other key urban locations that would make most sense for Tesla to install its charging stations. The additions will make Hilton’s charging network the largest of any hospitality player, says the company.

Deepwater Asset Management’s managing partner Gene Munster predicts electric car adoption in the U.S. will steadily increase in the coming years, from 2% in 2020 to 22% by 2025.