BP Purchases Tesla Superchargers Worth $100 Million In First-Ever Deal!

It sure does feel like the news is dominated by electric vehicles (EVs), doesn’t it?

Of course, this is a good thing, considering the global push by organizations and governments to move to renewable energy and reduce carbon emissions.

The last few months alone have seen new companies (read here), expansions (read here), partnerships (read more) and further innovation through flying taxi EVs! (read here), production methods (read here), software (read here), battery enhancements (read here), as well as aircraft and luxury yachts (read more)

The year has also seen initiatives to reduce charging anxiety for EV users across the US (read more), EU (read more) and even the use of alternative, quick and direct methods (read more).

At the forefront of this global revolution is one name that’s instantly associated with EVs – Tesla.
 
Recently, we reported that even more automakers were adopting Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) in their vehicles. This comes as no surprise as Tesla’s cars ranked number one, two, four and six in the best-selling EVs in the US in 2022.

Now, the company is seeing a very interesting partnership, which is what we’re about to explore.
 

What’s Tesla’s New Deal About?

 

• Oil and gas company, BP (styled as “bp”), announced it is purchasing $100 million-worth of Tesla ultra-fast chargers AKA Superchargers. 

• The plan is to deploy the chargers in 2024.

• The deal is being carried out to supply bp’s EV charging business, BP Pulse (styled as “bp pulse”) and comes as a part of bp’s plan to invest $1 billion in EV charging stations across the US by 2030.

• The company has already installed 27,000 charging points and has a goal to install over 100,000 points globally by 2030.

 

Where Will These EV Chargers Be Deployed?

 

• According to the company’s press release, “Tesla chargers will be installed across the bp pulse network, including at key bp, Amoco, ampm; and Thorntons-branded sites, TravelCenters of America locations and at bp pulse’s large-scale Gigahub charging sites, near airports and in major metropolitan areas across the US.” 

• Some chargers will also be deployed at third-party locations, such as Hertz locations, as per a previous collaboration between the two companies.

• Additionally, the chargers will also be deployed at select bp pulse fleet customer depots.

• In a bid to provide comprehensive solutions for its fleet customers, bp will blend bp pulse’s industry-leading, intelligent charge management software, Omega, with Tesla’s fast and reliable chargers, which will provide better capabilities to oversee the entire charging process for EV fleets.

• Furthermore, the release states that this is the first time a purchase deal has been struck for Tesla’s ultra-fast chargers to be deployed on an independent EV charging network.

 

What Did The Stakeholders Say About The Move?

 

• Richard Bartlett, Global CEO of bp pulse, said, "Strengthening the bp pulse network with Tesla’s industry-leading hardware is a major step forward in our ambitions for high speed, open access charging infrastructure in the US and advances our ambition to delivering an exceptional customer experience.”

• [Contd.] “Combined with our vast network of convenience and mobility sites on and off the highway, this collaboration with Tesla will bring fast and reliable charging to EV drivers when and where they need it.”

• Rebecca Tinucci, Tesla's Senior Director of Charging Infrastructure, said, “At Tesla, we’re driven to enable great charging experiences for all EV owners. Selling our fast-charging hardware is a new step for us, and one we’re looking to expand in support of our mission to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy. We appreciate bp’s partnership in this area – it’s the right step towards a more sustainable future.”

With the increasing number of EV automakers and EV charging station providers partnering up with Tesla, do you think the EV market will soon be one-sided?

Let us know in the comments below!