Apple Inc. (AAPL) Has Its Ecosystem, Tesla Motors Inc (TSLA) Has Its Infrastructure

Sure, competition will continue to force the company to step up its game. But investors should realize that Tesla’s ambitious goals aren’t just fluff. They’re backed by aggressive infrastructure expansion.

And Superchargers will not just be a U.S. phenomenon. Already, Tesla has plans to cover 80% of Norway’s population with Superchargers. Of course this is just the beginning of Tesla’s international Supercharger rollout.

A catalyst for EVs
Sure, Tesla Motors may one day decide that the best move for the company will be to open up its Superchargers to other EVs. After all, their mission is to catalyze the entire EV market.

Though industry-wide access to Tesla’s Superchargers would certainly encourage competition, it would also boost further outside investment in EV infrastructure. This, in turn, would strengthen the EV value proposition in general.

To confirm, I asked Tesla Motors about their plans to make Superchargers accessible and they assured me that they remain “open to the idea of making Superchargers accessible to others [at some point in the future]…”.

In a way, Tesla is hedging its own success in four steps:

1. Pioneer the EV revolution by building out infrastructure and top-notch EVs.
2. Achieve scale with the help of an exclusive, superior Supercharger network.
3. Open up the ecosystem to spur outside investment.
4. Ride the wave of mass EV adoption.

Valuing Tesla’s Superchargers
Analysts have had a blast playing with the numbers on Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA)’s potential vehicle sales, but very few give the company credit for its fast-growing network of Superchargers.

What happens when Tesla Motors launches a $35,000, 200-mile-range, stylish EV in three to four years (as Tesla CEO Elon Musk has expressed to Bloomberg) with a massive network of Superchargers already in place? Likely the beginning of mainstream EV adoption.

Tesla’s investment in Superchargers is what makes America’s most closely followed growth stock an enduring business and not a high-flying fad.

The article Apple Has Its Ecosystem, Tesla Has Its Infrastructure originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Daniel Sparks.

Fool contributor Daniel Sparks owns shares of Apple and Tesla Motors. The Motley Fool recommends Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Tesla Motors. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple and Tesla Motors.

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