/
Tesla is installing a slew of universal destination chargers at Hilton hotels and properties starting in early 2024 that will work with any EV without an adapter.
Share this story
If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24903988/Hilton_Tesla_Universal_Wall_Connectors_6.jpg)
Tesla’s Universal Wall Connector can charge this Mustang Mach-E and the Tesla to the left.
Image: Hilton
Tesla and Hilton are teaming up to install up to 20,000 electric vehicle charging stations at Hilton hotels and properties. The project will kick off in early 2024, and the chargers are slated for installation at 2,000 locations in the US, Canada, and Mexico.
Hilton states this is the largest planned EV network by any hospitality company. On paper, there are enough chargers to have 10 installed per location, but distribution may vary, as Hilton says that “at least six” will be installed at any location. According to the company, EV charging availability is playing a major role in 2023 in converting searches to stays on Hilton.com.
Tesla’s recently launched Universal Wall Connector charger (which Hilton is ordering) specifically can power share with up to six matching chargers connected to the same line of service. The AC level 2 chargers are rated to provide up to 44 miles of range to Teslas per hour at an 11.5kW (48 amps) charge rate.
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24903964/Screenshot_2023_09_07_at_1.19.53_PM.jpeg)
Tesla’s Universal Wall Connector has a dockable adapter to switch from Tesla’s NACS connector to J1772.
Image: Tesla
Tesla’s Universal Wall Connector has a magic dock-like adapter detachment that works with Teslas and all other EVs. Tesla sells these chargers on its online shop for $595 each, and it seems to have delisted its J1772 charger, launched last October, which can’t plug into a Tesla without an external adapter (Tesla includes this adapter with its cars). If Hilton were to pay retail (likely not) for 20,000 chargers, it would spend at least $11.9 million for just the hardware.
Many hotels today either don’t have chargers or only have one or two, and like many places in the US, reliability is questionable. A quick search on EV charger location app PlugShare reveals that only one Hilton hotel in Manhattan, New York, has on-premise chargers.
Hilton’s choice to have an integrated solution to switch between J1772 and NACS is reasonable since not every EV is a Tesla, and most EVs will have J1772 plugs for years to come.
Almost every automaker (the latest being Honda) is banding together to adopt Tesla’s connector, now called the North American Charging Standard (NACS). If NACS one day becomes the truly dominant standard, then maybe Hilton can just bolt in the Universal Wall Connectors’ adapters (maybe one day).