Tesla (TSLA) is known as the industry leader in everything related to electric vehicles.
CEO Elon Musk's trend-setting company set records in producing the most electric vehicles in 2021 with 930,422 built and delivering the most at 936,222 EVs. The company is looking to deliver well over 1 million vehicles in 2022 after delivering over 564,743 EVs in the first half of the year..
Chinese EV company BYD Motor delivered more vehicles in the first half with 641,350, but in Tesla's defense, the company was hampered by covid-19-related shutdowns at its Shanghai factory for several weeks and that factory was responsible for half of its global production in 2021.
Tesla's other competitors struggle to keep up with the company's production and delivery numbers.
Tesla Faces Competition From Many Competitors
Volkswagen showed some of the best results from Tesla's competition in the first half of 2022, delivering 217,100 EVs. Ford (F) delivered almost 23,000 EVs in the first half of 2022. Rivian (RIVN) says it targets producing 25,000 EVs in 2022. General Motors (GM) delivered fewer than 25,000 EVs in 2021 and over 7,600 in the first half of 2022.
Tesla also has been the industry leader in vehicle charging stations with over 30,000 superchargers throughout the world. Volkswagen's electric car charging subsidiary Electrify America has 3,500 charging ports in the U.S. and 807 stations in Canada.
GM Encouraging More EV Customers
General Motors is seeking to encourage widespread adoption of EVs, increase access to vehicle charging and improve long-distance electric travel through a new partnership with Pilot Travel Centers to install and operate a fast-charging network consisting of 2,000 charging stalls across the country.
The charging stalls will be powered, operated and maintained by EVgo (EVGO) and open to all EV brands at up to 500 Pilot and Flying J travel centers located along U.S. highways and connecting urban and rural communities from the East to West Coast, including different metropolitan areas.
The collaboration targets the installation of charging stalls at 50-mile intervals across the U.S. For GM, this development is part of its nearly $750 million investment in EV charging infrastructure
“We are committed to an all-electric, zero-emissions future, and ensuring that the right charging infrastructure is in place is a key piece of the puzzle,” Mary Barra, GM chief executive officer, said in a July 14 statement. “With travel centers across North America, Pilot Company is an ideal collaborator to reach a broad audience of EV drivers.”
GM customers will receive special benefits such as exclusive reservations, discounts on charging, a streamlined charging process through Plug and Charge and integration into GM’s vehicle brand apps providing real-time charger availability and help with route planning.
“GM and Pilot Company designed this program to combine private investments alongside intended government grant and utility programs to help reduce range anxiety and significantly close the gap in long-distance EV charger demand,” Shameek Konar, Pilot's CEO said in a statement. “Our travel centers are well-equipped to accommodate EV charging with 24/7 amenities and convenient proximity to major roadways across the country. We look forward to collaborating with GM and the U.S. Department of Transportation to make convenient coast-to-coast EV travel a reality through our national network of travel centers.”
GM's EV charging investment will help fund access to more than 100,000 charging points in the U.S. and Canada through the Ultium Charge 360 ecosystem, a buildout of a network of 3,500 charging stalls in major metro areas by 2025 and installing up to 40,000 chargers in local dealer communities focusing on underserved rural and urban areas.
“EVgo, GM and Pilot Company share a commitment to building an electric fueling network that increases access and makes the shift to electrification as frictionless as possible for all. We look forward to this collaboration and ensuring the EVgo network provides nationwide coverage, including critical corridors for road trips,” said Cathy Zoi, CEO at EVgo. “Through EVgo eXtend, we are demonstrating yet another innovative pathway to help America electrify — and showcasing why EVgo’s technology and industry leadership make us the partner of choice to site hosts, automakers and drivers alike as we work together to deliver a cleaner future of transportation.”
