Hilton has expanded its agreement with Tesla to install up to 20,000 Tesla Universal Wall Connectors at 2,000 hotels in the U.S., Canada and Mexico beginning in early 2024. The agreement will provide at least six chargers at each of the selected hotels, and according to Hilton, the rollout will make its electric vehicle charging network the largest of any hospitality company. In comparison, there were fewer than 19,000 EV chargers in all of Los Angeles—the area with the most public chargers in the country—as of March, according to the California Energy Commission.
“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,” Matt Schuyler, Hilton chief brand officer, said in a statement. “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.”
“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, Tesla’s senior director of charging infrastructure. “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. In 2023, the website’s EV charging search attribute had the fastest volume of growth to-date, jumping from fourth to second highest in converting searches to stays.
Tesla’s Universal Wall Connector is designed to charge any North American vehicle model.