Beginning in early 2024, up to 20,000 Tesla Universal Wall Connectors are slated to be installed at 2,000 Hilton hotels in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, making Hilton’s planned electric vehicle (EV) charging network the largest of any hospitality company.
This announcement follows the recent launch of Tesla’s Universal Wall Connector, a product designed to charge all brands of North American EVs. Hilton will install at least six chargers at each of the selected hotels.
“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,” said Matt Schuyler, chief brand officer at Hilton. “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 claimed its vast 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.
Rebecca Tinucci, Tesla’s senior director of charging infrastructure, said, “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.”
According to Hilton, people 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.
The company currently has over 1,850 Hilton-branded hotels globally with EV charging access. Hilton added it is committed to sustainability through its Travel with Purpose environmental, social, and governance (ESG) platform.
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