Tesla adopts charging standards to put itself on electric car grid

Want China Times, Staff Reporter 2014-07-20

Tesla displays its Model S and charging booths in Shanghai, April 23.
(File photo/Xinhua)

Following the agreement between China and Germany on uniform standards for electric car charging outlets, Tesla is eager to get in on the deal to cut the costs for its power charging stations, said Wu Bixuan, president of Tesla China, in an interview with the Guangzhou-based 21st Century Business Herald.

Echoing a recent remark made by Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, Wu also said that Tesla will open up its patents and refrain from collecting royalties from electric car enterprises in order to help the market achieve an economy of scale.

Chen Chuanshi, director of the electric car division of SAE China, said that by adopting the aforementioned standards, scheduled for rollout at the year's end, Tesla hopes to hook up to electric car power charging network in China, which is vital for its successful operations. In doing so, Tesla will abandon its standards calling for the use of small battery sets and high power charging stations, which may be independent from the national power grid.

Wu Bixuan admitted that the absence of uniform power charging standards would block the development of Tesla and other electric car makers, adding that under uniform standards, Tesla can cooperate with peers in sharing costs.