No, you’re not seeing things. If it feels like electric cars have suddenly started multiplying like rabbits around you, you’re 100% in the right. They’re zipping, zooming, and whirring their way across our roads with increasing regularity. This love affair between drivers and electric vehicles (EVs) is not some passing folly, but a full-blown revolution.
EV Jackpot: Sales Going Through the Roof
According to the oracle of data, the Energy Information Administration, electric cars buffered their ranks, forming nearly 7% of all light-duty vehicle sales in the second quarter of 2023. Also, let’s not forget the hybrid counterparts who are also staking their claim, and together with EVs, accounted for a whopping 16% of total light-duty sales in that quarter. That’s a threefold increase from just a demi-decade ago – talk about going zero to sixty in record time!
Be it vans or trucks–manufacturers are not only responding to this shift, they’re driving it (pardon the pun). They’ve slimmed down the herd of traditional fuel guzzlers down to 297 models, a drop from 318. Meanwhile, they’ve increased their EV offerings from 34 to an electric 55. It’s like a game of automotive chess and it’s clear who’s winning.
Charging into the Future: The A-list Partnership
Among the knights and bishops making waves in this royal chess game are Tesla and Hilton, who’ve joined forces in an alliance that’d make Avengers envious. They’re hatching a plan to install a small army of 20,000 electric vehicle charging stations at Hilton hotels and properties. Project kick-off is slated for the dawn of 2024, and chargers will start popping up at 2,000 prime locations across the US, Canada, and Mexico faster than you can say “Watt?!”
Powering Up with a Hospitality Twist
Now, Hilton is not throwing stones in water here. This is set to become the largest planned EV network by any hospitality company. Technically, they appear equipped for almost 10 chargers per location although, like a teacher’s pet, Hilton assures us ‘at least six’ will be installed at each location. Who knew that Hilton.com in 2023 would turn into an EV charging hotspot? The digital revolution truly spares no one!
The Magic Wand of Tesla’s Universal Wall Connector
Tesla, not to be outdone, has conjured its Universal Wall Connector, a sort of magic wand that can power share with up to six matching chargers connected to the same service line. These AC level 2 chargers earn their wizard stripes by offering up to 44 miles of range to Teslas per hour, clocked at an 11.5kW charge rate. Hogwarts, eat your heart out!
Adapting to Change: It’s Not Magic, It’s Tesla!
Tesla’s charger has the ability to detach its Dock-like adapter, playing nice with not only their flagship EVs, but all other electric chariots too. Look, ma, no hands! Interesting side note: Tesla has joyously delisted its J1772 charger! This antique couldn’t connect to Teslas without an adapter, which did come with the cars, but who likes extra pieces, right?
Mind you, these chargers aren’t freebies; they retail at $595 each. So, if we do some grade school maths, Hilton would have to part with at least $11.9 million for 20,000 of these magic beans – and that’s not factoring in any bulk deals. But hey, the future is electric and someone has to foot the bill!
Tesla Model 3 – Still The Top Favorite
Even with a swarm of EVs hustling to grab a piece of the pie, the Tesla Model 3 is still chilling at the top like a boss. Yeah, everyone’s going on about the new kids on the block, but really, the Model 3 is still holding its ground in style. Technically, Model 3 is kind of like a magical trick out of Tesla’s bag, it’s got three awesomesauce versions (and don’t forget, the AWD Long Range made a comeback in May after an eight-month breather), offering more mileage and dope performance than most of its rivals. So it’s a bit like having a pizza that’s also calorie-free – it’s all the good stuff, none of the bad!
Plus, let’s face it, Tesla’s Supercharger network is kind of like the VIP backstage pass at a concert. It gives the Model 3 a serious edge in the real world – let’s call it the home-court advantage of EV world. Now, Tesla has been playing around with the pricing, making it a bit more wallet-friendly, luring more peeps into the EV squad. I mean, who wouldn’t like a price cut, seriously? Even with that, while prices might be on a roller coaster ride and its look is pretty much ‘same old, same old’, the Model 3 is still kinda unbeatable when it comes down to bang for your buck.
Despite some serious competition nipping at its heels, Tesla Model 3 still sits pretty at the top. It’s the EV world’s all-star quarterback.
