In an unexpected but pretty brilliant move, Airbnb and Tesla have announced that they’re joining forces to equip Airbnb hosts with Tesla charging stations in an effort to make sustainable travel easier to achieve. The program is currently limited to California, where about 100 stations are being installed, but the two companies hope to see the program expand across the country.
Tesla Motors Inc. is providing charging stations to Airbnb Inc. hosts on the West Coast as part of a partnership with the home-sharing startup. In an effort to make it easier for owners of the electric car to travel without concern over the vehicle’s range, Tesla will install free stations to hosts at 30 “high-end” Airbnb properties, the companies said Thursday in an e-mailed statement. Tesla says its Model S cars can drive 208 to 270 miles before running out of battery power. San Francisco-based Airbnb said it plans to work with Tesla to offer more charging stations going forward. The marketing campaign’s slogan is “Be free. Go far.” Tesla, the smallest and youngest publicly held U.S. automaker, faces major capital spending as it expands globally and builds a large battery factory near Reno, Nevada. The company, which is based in Palo Alto, California, raised more than $730 million in a secondary stock offering this month to give itself a cash cushion.
