Tesla’s Dominant Charging Hardware Takes the Lead

Tesla is a darling of the modern business landscape. The company already has a reputation as a technological innovator.

Now, thanks to repeated reports of growing earnings, the organization is also genuinely reinforcing its position as a transportation titan with near-limitless future potential.

But Elon Musk’s car company hasn’t stopped at technology and transportation. In 2023, the EV maker has also made serious progress in an unexpected direction: the supply chain.

Tesla Is Poised to Take Over the EV Grid

Early in 2023, news broke that Tesla had agreed to open 7,500 chargers on its Supercharger and Destination Charger network to non-branded vehicles by the end of the following year. The White House lauded the plan and hailed it as the beginning of the “electrification” of the classic American road trip.

The news effectively kept the giant automaker center stage in a key developing area of the supply chain: electricity. Electricity remains a powerful and efficient way to power 21st-century life, at least when it comes from renewable and sustainable sources. Leaving the sourcing of electricity for another conversation, there’s no doubt that electricity is a critical part of the future — and Tesla is taking the wheel when it comes to guiding how electricity impacts the transportation industry.

The company is already a leader in pioneering EV technology, and its latest move to dominate the charging grid will only make its presence that much more complete. In fact, the ripple effect of Tesla’s advanced and well-propagated charging tech is already starting to show up. 

A group of competitive EV car makers has already announced plans to create a gigantic North American electric vehicle charging network. The aim is to use NEVI (National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure) funding to create a grid of 30,000 high-speed EV chargers by the year 2030. Major electric vehicle players, like BMW, GM, Honda, and Mercedes-Benz, are involved.

But guess who’s at the center of the action? That’s right. It’s Tesla.

The Verge’s Umar Shakir explains that “Tesla’s Supercharger network, which is considered among the best in the world, will be available to vehicles from automakers including Ford, GM, Volvo, and more without needing people to activate with an app.” The journalist adds that the joint venture even plans to source its electricity from renewable energy.

That means Tesla’s technology will be at the center of a renewable, sustainable, and comprehensive EV electricity grid that spans the country with tens of thousands of chargers… by the end of the decade. The way that the innovative automaker has dominated its industry — and spread into others — is truly stunning.

Emulating Tesla’s Innovative Actions in the C-Suite

Tesla’s marriage of innovation and aggression is something that all leaders should study. The company has managed to maintain an all-out approach both in the areas of Ramp;D and market expansion. The ability to simultaneously meld innovation and market growth is a rare balance that few companies can pull off with success.

“The ability to simultaneously meld innovation and market growth is a rare balance that few companies can pull off with success.”

Of course, while Elon Musk is the face of that success, he’s hardly the only player. Even in the C-suite, Tesla has dozens of individuals (38 at last count), all of whom must work together to keep their company on the right path.

This is where working with an executive recruiter can make a difference. As you build your organization’s leadership team, collaborating with a capable third-party executive search consultant can help. They can aid in identifying and recruiting the best members for your company’s C-level needs, from CEOs and CFOs to CTOs (Chief Technology Officers), CHROs (Chief Human Resources Officers), and more.

An executive recruiter can bring the knowledge, experience, techniques, and resources required to ensure that you staff your C-suite with the top talent needed to take your company to the next level — and if you’re trying to emulate Tesla, even take it into a completely new industry, like the supply chain.

Tesla’s visionary rise and confident growth, some might say right out of its swim lane, is an inspiring example of what C-level leaders can accomplish when they’re willing to think outside of the box. It’s a lesson that is worth learning in any industry and one that will doubtless continue to teach us as the innovative EV maker continues its historic story of upward momentum.

About the Author

Peter Deragon is a Managing Director at Stanton Chase Los Angeles. He is also active in the CFO Practice Group and Financial Services, where he started his career. He has 30-plus years of experience as a trusted advisor and manager in B2B environments. In his free time, Peter supports charitable organizations, especially those focused on ocean stewardship.