As two of the most prominent pure electric automotive brands, Polestar and Tesla have a lot in common, but it turns out that the two companies have differing views on offering their own manufacturer-backed charging network.
Speaking this week at a media event in Sydney, Polestar’s global head of sustainability Fredrika Klarén explained that setting up a charging network isn’t something that the company plans on doing.
“We’ve decided not to do it, because we have a lot to focus on,” she said. “The Polestar [vehicle] series is a huge endeavour, and we want to focus fully on that.”
The upcoming Polestar 3 will be able to charge at a maximum rate of 250kW
Klarén also stated that it shouldn’t be the responsibility of the carmakers to provide charging infrastructure for its vehicles, and that could be offered as an incentive by governments.
“We do it because we think it’s the wrong way to go about creating this infrastructure,” she said
“The EU and policymakers all over the world are finally investing in this charging infrastructure. So we’ve decided to put all of our resources into the cars,” Klarén added.
Tesla’s supercharger network now spans most of the globe
Tesla famously introduced its network of electric vehicle chargers back in 2012, and over a decade later, the American brand operates more than 40,000 chargers worldwide.
Less than one year ago, it was reported that Tesla was looking to open up this charging network to other electric vehicles, something that would drastically improve the worldwide EV charging network for all vehicles.
Earlier this week, Mercedes-Benz announced that it was looking to build its own EV charging network to rival Tesla. The German brand’s plan is set to start in North America, and have 10,000 chargers in place by the end of the decade.
