Biden admin snubs Tesla's $100 million big-rig charging funding request

Funding and Tesla's Application - The Department of Transportation announced $636 million in funding for electric vehicle charging infrastructure, with 49 applicants receiving awards [1] - Tesla's application for nearly $100 million to fund a big rig charging corridor was not approved, and its name was not among the list of recipients [1] - Tesla partnered with California's South Coast Air Quality Management District for the project, which confirmed the company had applied for this round [1] Tesla's Electric Big Rig Program - Tesla has faced challenges in getting its electric big rig program operational, with only early versions of the Tesla Semi delivered to customers like Pepsi and Frito-Lay [2] - The company is still constructing a facility in Nevada to build its electric semi truck, which was first revealed in 2017 [2] Tesla's Funding Request and Project Details - Tesla initially requested funding in 2023 from the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) program, part of a bipartisan infrastructure deal signed into law in 2021 [3] - The company planned to use $24 million of its own money along with the funding to build nine electric semi-truck charging stations from northern California to the southern border of Texas [3] - Each station was supposed to have eight 750kW chargers for the Tesla Semi and four other chargers open to other electric trucks, a requirement for federal funding [4] Project TESSERACT and Funding Rounds - The project, named "Transport Electrification Supporting Semis Operating in Arizona, California, and Texas" (TESSERACT), was passed over in early 2024 when the first round of CFI awards was announced [5] - The first round saw $623 million in funding go to 47 applicants [5] - Another $521 million was awarded to 51 applicants in August 2024, and applications for a new round of funding began in mid-2024 [6] Tesla's Continued Efforts and Workforce Changes - Tesla continued pursuing the charging corridor idea after being left out of the first round, with former policy VP Rohan Patel stating that some sites along the 1,800-mile route were viable even without funding [6] - The status of Project TESSERACT became unclear after Tesla laid off more than 10% of its workforce, including significant cuts to its charging team [7] Future Funding and Political Impact - The bipartisan infrastructure law allocated $2.5 billion for the CFI program, leaving the possibility of another round of funding [8] - The FHWA's website currently states there is no estimated date for the next funding opportunity, and the priorities of the incoming Trump administration could impact programs like this [8]