Will automakers be able to challenge Tesla’s Supercharger?

Automakers appear to have had an awakening last week: Electric vehicles are the future, and if they want to continue selling cars, they have to think beyond the car. I’m not talking about subscriptions, though; I’m talking about charging.

For years, major auto manufacturers were happy to leave the infrastructure to someone else. Tesla was the lone exception, building a globe-spanning network of speedy and reliable chargers that have placated range-anxious car shoppers who have bought the company’s EVs in droves. Other automakers, though, failed to connect the EV charging experience with EV sales. Perhaps it’s because infrastructure is unfamiliar territory. Or maybe they actually weren’t that interested in selling EVs.

Whatever the case, automakers’ recent come-to-Jesus moment culminated in an announcement last week that seven of the largest would be forming a joint venture to build a massive charging network across North America.

Consisting of no fewer than 30,000 charge points offering both Combined Charging System (CCS) and the North American Charging Standard (NACS) connectors, the as-yet-unnamed network promises to be a true rival to Tesla’s Supercharger and the Volkswagen diesel settlement-funded Electrify America.

Sounds like a step in the right direction.