It looks like Hilton wants to become the go-to hotel chain for electric vehicle owners. Right now, if you own an EV, traveling comes with expected range anxiety — especially if you don’t own a Tesla and don’t yet benefit from its extensive charging network. While charging networks outside of Tesla are still a roll of the dice, charging capabilities at hotels are straight-up roulette at this point. Hilton looks to be one of the first hotel chains to try and change that.
In a press release, the company announced that it plans to install up to 20,000 Tesla chargers at 2,000 of its hotels. Hilton says that installations will begin in early 2024 as part of an “expanded partnership” with Tesla and cover locations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. According to the release, at least six charging connectors will be featured at each hotel.
Matt Schuyler, chief brand officer at Hilton, said in a statement that the charging network at its hotels will be made available “in an incredibly short amount of time.”
“At Hilton, we are committed to meeting the changing needs of our guests who are looking for hotel experiences that complement their daily routines while offering exceptional hospitality. Through this expanded agreement with Tesla, we are significantly changing the landscape of universal EV chargers in North America in an incredibly short amount of time. Across Hilton’s family of award-winning brands, this network of EV chargers will offer our guests even more value with the convenience of much-needed overnight charging access in more locations.”
Thankfully, guests at participating hotels won’t need a Tesla to take advantage of the new charging points. The locations will use Tesla’s Universal Wall Connector, which features both the company’s NACS connector as well as an integrated CCS adapter for other vehicles from other brands.
Rebecca Tinucci, senior director of charging infrastructure at Tesla, said in a statement that “a key priority for Tesla Charging is installing low-cost, convenient AC charging anywhere electric vehicles are parked for more than an hour or two.”
“To ensure electric vehicle adoption at scale, our joint industry goal must be to vastly improve upon the traditional gasoline vehicle ownership experience, not just meet it. Installing infrastructure at popular destinations, like Hilton hotels, enables EV owners to charge where they park, meaning no unnecessary refueling stops along their journey. We applaud Hilton for their leadership in the space and look forward to continuing to ramp this critical program with other industry leaders.”
Hilton says that the charging network will make it “the largest of any hospitality company.” Of course, these chargers are not like the ones you find on the highway. The Tesla Universal Wall Connector adds about 44 miles of range per hour so just remember that this one is meant to charge your EV overnight as opposed to topping it off in 20 minutes.
It’s great to see companies like Hilton plan to build out charging networks like this — especially since the charger they are investing in will work with all vehicles regardless of brand. Of course, more and more car manufacturers are planning to adopt Tesla’s NACS charging connector, so we could live in a future where that CCS adapter doesn’t get much use.
If you’re looking to pick up Tesla’s Universal Wall Connector for your own home, the company says that deliveries of the charger will start in October. The company is also busy working on its next-generation $25,000 EV, one that might actually end up looking more like the Cybertruck than the Model 3.
