In a tweet, Tesla celebrated its significant achievement of providing its Supercharging network for ten years. The post’s description mentioned that there are superchargers in 46 nations, with over 35,000 stalls. The automaker’s enormous charging network was able to charge 20 billion miles to date.
How revolutionized the charging industry
According to InsideEVs, the first stations were erected in September 2012 to help with the market debut of the Tesla Model S.
Tesla’s supercharging was an EV brand’s first exclusive fast-charging network. Its initial availability as a free service for Tesla vehicles served as a crucial marketing technique to entice buyers to purchase a Model S.
Notably, it was a significant development when supercharging was possible at 90 kW and then up to 120 kW. In fact, it created the opportunity for using an electric vehicle for long-distance travel when coupled with the Model S’ long range.
However, not all of the progressions were related to the high-power output. Remarkably, the Tesla Supercharging network fundamentally altered the charging market.
It is also worth noting that the first fast charging network with many stalls per station was created by Tesla. CHAdeMO chargers, on the other hand, were typically solitary and only 50 kW.
For both fast DC charging and standard AC charging, Tesla employed its ultra-compact proprietary connector. During that time, the SAE J1772 AC connector was distinct from the DC-only CHAdeMO. Moreover, the CCS was not yet available at that time.
On the other hand, Tesla created a button on the plug that opens the charging port very practically. A speedy car authorization with an automated charging start was also made available.
Furthermore, the vehicle’s screen (or the app) provided access to all charging-related information and settings instead of the charger’s display,
Even the layouts of the stations were part of Tesla’s competitive plan. In order to park in reverse, the vehicles should line up with the location of the charging inlets (left rear).
What sets Tesla apart from other automakers
Other automakers continued to overlook BEVs in 2012 mostly. Furthermore, it seemed that the automakers would prefer to concentrate on the vehicles while letting someone else construct the chargers.
Ten years later, the Tesla Supercharging network now includes over 39,000 stalls at 4,300 stations across 46 nations. For every 1,000 or more cars it sells, Tesla has been deploying a new station on average in recent quarters.
Tesla’s supercharging network offered sufficient energy to run Tesla vehicles for about 20 billion miles (32 billion km), as mentioned above. Even more, the automaker is already testing Supercharging of non-Tesla vehicles in Europe at a few stations in 14 different nations.
Notably, Tesla is anticipated to follow this strategy with the Tesla Megacharging network for electric trucks soon.
Tesla has been aggressively expanding its network of Superchargers for years now. The automaker wants all of its customers to be free of range anxiety. Therefore, it offers worldwide Superchargers and simply displays their location within the vehicle’s operating system. The Tesla smartphone app also allows users to locate the closest Superchargers.
All things considered, Tesla has been successful and innovative during its ten years of offering supercharging services.It is realistic to assume that Tesla’s supercharging network would undergo further advancements in the years to come.
