Through an expanded agreement with Tesla, Hilton has revealed that, beginning in early 2024, up to 20,000 Tesla Universal Wall Connectors are slated to be installed at 2,000 hotels in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, making Hilton’s planned EV charging network the largest of any hospitality company, according to the company.
With at least six chargers at each of the selected hotels, Hilton will become the “first choice” for the dramatically increasing number of travelers who drive electric vehicles (EVs), according to the company. This announcement follows the recent launch of Tesla’s Universal Wall Connector, a product designed to seamlessly charge any North American vehicle model, expanding Tesla’s efforts to make charging available to all EVs.
“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,” said Matt Schuyler, chief brand officer, Hilton. “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.”
Hilton’s geographic footprint of hotels alongside roadways and in key urban destinations across North America makes it uniquely suited to provide charging access at scale for travelers on long-haul trips, the company reports. As context, installing up to 20,000 chargers at Hilton-branded hotels would represent the addition of more chargers than are currently publicly available in Los Angeles County—the area with the most public chargers in the U.S.
“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,” said Rebecca Tinucci, senior director, charging infrastructure, Tesla. “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.”
Travelers are increasingly looking for EV chargers when they travel as evidenced by the continued growth of searches at hilton.com for hotels with charging capability, according to the company. This year, the website’s EV charging search attribute has had the fastest volume of growth to date, jumping from fourth to second highest in converting searches to stays.
