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Comment by clouddrover | Hacker News Reader

> Elon’s vision involves humanity in its success

That sounds complicated. Let's test that ideal against something simple and practical.

If Elon's vision involves humanity in its success, then why don't Tesla's EV chargers charge all brands of EV?

It is not as complicated as fitting defeat devices to diesel vehicles and lying about emissions repeatedly. I hardly see the value of your comment. Is it Elon’s and Teslas responsibility to work with old-guard car manufacturers to ensure compatibility? Anyway I think you mistake the purpose of a vision.

So no room for humanity, just Tesla buyers. Those ideals didn't last long.

Having a balkanized charging infrastructure is a stupid outcome for everyone. I can fuel my ICE vehicle at any fueling station and I should be able to charge my EV at any charging station. Anything less just makes EVs worse.

The charging infrastructure is a competitive advantage. Tesla is a business we are talking about capitalism. You can charge your EV at home, you won’t need a fuelling station. That is progress.

> The charging infrastructure is a competitive advantage. You can charge your EV at home, you won’t need a fuelling station.

So on the one hand the charging infrastructure is a competitive advantage, but then you immediately undermine yourself by saying you don't need it because you can charge at home. That seems confused.

> Tesla is a business we are talking about capitalism.

How quickly you've lost sight of that vision for humanity.

I don’t think you should pretend you live in a socialist society, progress is made with business and competition. Charging at home is your innovation to replace dependence on fuelling stations. The global super charger network is Teslas competitive advantage against incumbents, its just a simple business strategy and has proved to be a valuable asset. Have you considered the negative externalities of your ICE vehicle? Perhaps the children in the playground breathing in the exhaust fumes are too disconnected from you to care? Imagine if a shell or total decided to convert part of their fuel station franchise to EV Charger networks? High voltage charging could provide enough power to get you home and you can top ip there. Your frustration is probably because the only company that gets it is tesla. Owning any other EV is painful because the consortium based charging networks they created lack standards and maintenance to be relied on.

Thanks for your reply, you see competition is working.

> Imagine if a shell or total decided to convert part of their fuel station franchise to EV Charger networks?

There's no need to imagine it. That's what Shell, Total, and BP are doing. And, unlike Tesla, any EV can use their chargers. Some reading:

- https://www.electrive.com/2021/02/12/shell-to-install-half-a...

- https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/technology-news/shell-tar...

- https://www.electrive.com/2021/04/12/shell-reveals-charging-...

- https://www.electrive.com/2021/05/03/charge4europe-and-total...

- https://www.greencarcongress.com/2021/03/20210331-bp.html

- https://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/latest-fleet-news/electric-...

- https://freewiretech.com/bp-pulse-and-freewire-sign-exclusiv...

- https://freewiretech.com/news/freewire-deploys-next-generati...

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaSRn6hYOwc

> Your frustration is probably because the only company that gets it is tesla.

No. You're caught up in the marketing and the mythology. You've lost sight of the practical realities.

The pandemic has definitely accelerated progress in the EV space, many places had clean air for once. Unfortunately there are very few good EVs (dedicated platform and not based on a ICE) but that is changing. Like the Porsche Taycan and Jaguar iPace both good. So this new charger infrastructure is exciting. I don’t understand why you want to diagnose me. All businesses do marketing, i am not caught up on anything. This page is a conversation based on an article about Elon Musk. I do appreciate your responses and i accept diverse views but i think people will be studying what Elon, Tesla and SpaceX have done many years from now and also what Mercedes and Volkswagen did too. I do think we will see more innovation in EV charging and I don’t think the existing business models will last. Thanks for the links. Yes what BP is doing looks good.

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