BP announced a major agreement with Tesla, which will result in a $100 million order of Tesla’s ultra-fast chargers for its BP Pulse charging network in the U.S.
It’s the first time ever that Tesla‘s fast chargers will be purchased for deployment on an independent EV charging network. 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.”
The BP Pulse network (previously focused on the European market) will expand across the U.S., including public fast charging stations, as well as supporting EV fleet customers by deploying chargers at their private depots.
The rollout is planned to begin in early 2024, and as we can see in the lead image, the charging dispensers appear to be the V4 Tesla Supercharging type, branded by BP Pulse. BP intends to install and operate Tesla’s charging hardware on its own, and use its in-house intelligent charge management software, Omega, “to oversee the entire charging process for EV fleets, providing a comprehensive solution for its fleet customers.”
When it comes to the chargers, they will have an output of 250 kilowatts (the same as current Tesla V3 and V4 Superchargers), and are equipped with the Tesla’s Magic Dock – integrated CCS1-adapter, so they will be compatible with both North American Charging Standard (NACS) and Combined Charging System (CCS1). At this point we can be pretty certain that we are talking about the V4 dispensers, as their credit card reader, display and longer cable (compared to V3) enable them to conveniently handle all EVs – Tesla and non-Tesla.
According to BP, the chargers will support the use of the Plug and Charge protocol, which simplifies and automates payments to further improve the user experience. It’s also expected that the BP Pulse chargers will be featured in Tesla’s vehicle UI and apps (which depends on meeting the reliability and functionality requirements for third-party operated chargers).
In terms of locations, Tesla’s hardware will be installed across “the bp family of brands, including TravelCenters of America, Thorntons, ampm; and Amoco, as well as at bp pulse’s large-scale Gigahub charging sites in major metropolitan areas and at third-party locations, such as Hertz locations, as part of previously announced collaborations.”
The company revealed that the first installation sites have been identified in Houston, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington D.C.
BP announced in February 2023 a plan to invest $1 billion in America’s EV charging infrastructure by 2030, including half ($500 million) in the next two to three years, so by 2025-2026.
As of today, BP Pulse includes more than 27,000 charging points (mostly AC for normal charging), while its goal is to expand to over 100,000 globally by 2030.
