Tesla Motors shook hands with the fourth largest telecom company in the world on a deal to construct 400 charging posts and 20 supercharging stations in 120 Chinese cities.
The deal with China Unicom, a carrier whose operations extend all across China, grants Telsa Motors a similar reach, affording owners of the Model S much more freedom to roam and recharge, according to Peggy Yang, Tesla China's spokeswoman.
The charging posts will be placed in China Unicom's retail outlets, though the locations of the supercharging stations were undisclosed. While free, the charging stations will only work with Tesla vehicles, according to Yang.
As per the terms of the agreement, Tesla Motors will provide the equipment for the charging posts and China Unicom will deliver the real estate, according to Yang.
"The deal represents our biggest investment so far in charging facilities in China," Yang said.
With Beijing urging 5 million eco-friendly vehicles onto roads to replace gas guzzlers by 2020, the Tesla's latest deal helps to keep those ambitions on track.
The agreement between Tesla Motors and China Unicom follows Bayerische Motoren Werke AG's efforts to set up charging posts for electric vehicles around China and could encourage the Chinese government to follow through on a proposal to invest $16 billion into charging infrastructure.
Back stateside, a bloc of activists have written an open letter to several states that are in the running for a Telsa production facility. The letter calls on Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas to avoid lowering tax standard in an effort to meet outbid each other and bend to each of the tax incentives Teslas has requested.
"We call upon you to communicate and cooperate across state lines to strike a fiscally responsible deal that is fair to residents and businesses alike," the letter states. "It is time to break the harmful pattern of one state "winning" a high-profile competition, with other states left believing they need to offer even larger tax breaks to win future deals."
Telsa Motors, which recently issued a positive response to Model S owners, may even be open to holding public talks on bids for the production facility, according to the letter.
"The iconoclastic company, internationally known for innovation, could help chart a new path in how economic development is done," the letter states. "The automotive industry -- with its far-flung supply chains and 50-state market -- is a poster child for the idea that states are interdependent and that the main goal is the long-term growth of American jobs, not any single state's ribbon-cutting."
