Where is the largest EV charging site in the US?

Network of fast-charging stations

Tesla Supercharger is an electric vehicle DC fast-charging network built by American vehicle manufacturer Tesla, Inc.

The Supercharger network was introduced on September 24, 2012, as the Tesla Model S entered production, with six sites in California, Nevada, and Arizona. As of January 2024 , Tesla operates a network of 6,000 Supercharger stations with nearly 55,000 connectors. The stations are primarily deployed in three regions: Asia Pacific (over 2,400), North America (over 2,300), and Europe (over 1,100). Superchargers supply electric power at between 72 kilowatts (kW) and 250 kW, with the maximum amount increasing over the years as the company improves its technology.

Usage is typically billed by the energy consumed during charging. Idle fees can be charged to customers who remain plugged in after charging has been completed to discourage loitering.

Technology

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• Power output is reduced when another vehicle is plugged into the neighboring, paired charger.

• Power output is reduced when another vehicle is plugged into the neighboring, paired charger.
• Power output upgraded from original 120 kW via software updates.

• Smaller form factor, lower power device for urban installations.

• Equipped with a thinner, lighter cable that uses liquid cooling.
• Some chargers in North America equipped with "Magic Dock" CCS adapter for charging non-Tesla vehicles.

• Equipped with a longer cable and credit card reader for charging non-Tesla vehicles.
• North American chargers equipped with "Magic Dock" CCS adapter.
• Chargers currently limited to 250 kW but can support higher power output with future changes.

Tesla typically places Superchargers near major highways at locations with amenities for drivers, such as restrooms, restaurants, and shopping.[1] Some sites also have solar canopies and Megapacks[2] installed by Tesla Energy to offset energy use and provide drivers with protection from the elements.[3]

The original V1 and V2 Tesla supercharging stations were built with a single charger equipment cabinet shared between two charge posts. Because of this arrangement, if two cars are connected, and both request the maximum power available (100 kW for V1 and 150 kW for V2), the charger will only deliver half the maximum power.[4]

As an alternative to the Supercharger, in 2015, Tesla briefly implemented a battery swapping station at Harris Ranch in California. The Tesla battery station performed few swaps, with most Tesla owners preferring to recharge their vehicles' batteries instead.[5]

"Urban" Supercharger posts were introduced in September 2017. These more compact posts have a maximum power delivery of 72 kW but do not share equipment with other posts, allowing the maximum power to be delivered. These more compact posts are primarily deployed in urban areas such as shopping malls, parking lots, and garages.[6][7]

V3 stations were introduced in 2019 and could deliver up to 250 kW. For V3 stations, four posts share a 1,000 kW charger equipment cabinet, allowing each to deliver the maximum power regardless of nearby charging sessions.[8] The V3 charge posts use a liquid-cooled cable which allows the cable to be thinner and lighter while delivering more power.[9][10]

Tesla introduced mobile Supercharger stations in 2019 with several urban supercharger posts and a Tesla Megapack energy storage system mounted on a semi-trailer truck. These stations provide temporary stations for nearby events, expand capacity during peak travel seasons, or can be deployed when a station needs to be taken offline. The Megapack can charge up to 100 vehicles before being depleted.[11]

V4 charging posts began to roll out in early 2023 and have longer cables for charging vehicles from other automakers.[12] The charging posts have a credit card reader allowing non-Tesla owners to charge without downloading the Tesla app.[13] They are also capable of supporting up to 615 kW of power delivery; however, they are currently software limited to 250 kW.[12][14]

Connectors and interoperability

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North America

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Tesla began installing a "Magic Dock" at some locations in February 2023.[15] The dock holds a NACS to CCS adapter. When a NACS-equipped vehicle driver uses the charger, they remove the NACS connector from the docked adapter. When a CCS-equipped vehicle driver reserves a charger via the Tesla mobile app, the Magic Dock releases the NACS to CCS adapter. The "magic" is that the adapter always remains captive – either locked in the dock on the charger (when the NACS connector is available to be used) or locked onto the NACS connector (when the CCS adapter is available to be used).[16] The "Magic Dock" will allow Tesla to share in the $7.5 billion U.S. federal government incentives to build out CCS-equipped charging infrastructure.[17]

On Feb 29, 2024, certain Ford vehicles received access to Tesla Supercharger network (V3 and newer) without MagicDocks. [18] These vehicles must use a customer-provided adapter.

Europe

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In November 2018, under pressure from European regulators, Tesla announced that it would begin using the CCS2 charging standard, adding the inlets to new vehicles, offering adapters to existing vehicle owners and adding CCS2 connectors to Superchargers.[19][20][21]

China

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In China, Tesla equips its vehicles and Superchargers with the GB/T charging standard (an abbreviation of "GuoBiao/TuiJian", translated as "recommended national standard").[22]

Network

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The average number of Tesla cars per Supercharger stall was 34 in 2016.[23][24] As of September 2023, Tesla bids building its chargers at about half the cost of its competitors.[25] Cost estimates per station range from US$100,000 in 2013[26] to US$270,000 in 2015, depending on the number of stalls and other circumstances.[27] Tesla estimates that station equipment lasts 12 years.[28]

Most car charging occurs at home or work, a situation that Tesla has compared to cell phone charging.[29] As of 2014 , less than 10% of charging came from Superchargers.[30]

For 2021, Tesla states the network had 99.96% uptime (at least 50% daily capacity) and its power was 100% renewable (through solar power on-site and through purchasing electricity which was matched to renewable generation.)[31][32][33]

Costs

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Unlimited supercharging for life is free for all Model S and Model X cars that were ordered before January 15, 2017,[34] or between August 2, 2019[35] and May 26, 2020,[36] or for vehicles that were purchased using a referral code during specific periods.[37]

Model S and Model X cars that were ordered between January 15, 2017, and November 2, 2018, received 400 kWh (about 1,000 miles or 1,600 km) of free Supercharging credits per year.[38] Once those credits are used, supercharging has a fee.[39]

Other than the above situations, Tesla Model S and Model X cars purchased between November 2, 2018, and August 2, 2019, and all Model 3 and Model Y cars purchased at any time do not receive supercharging credits.[35] Any charges are automatically billed to the Tesla account the car is associated with or to the credit card on file for that account.

Deployment

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As of January 2024 , Tesla operates a network of 6,000 Supercharger stations with nearly 55,000 connectors The network is primarily deployed in three regions: Asia Pacific (over 2,400 stations), North America (over 2,300), and Europe (over 1,100).[40]

North America

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The first Superchargers in the world opened in 2012 in the United States. Six stations were deployed along Interstate 5 in California, enabling trips from Los Angeles and San Francisco, and two stations deployed along Interstate 95, enabling trips between Boston and Washington DC.[53][54] By mid-July 2013, 15 stations were open across the United States.[55] The stations were developed and mass constructed in cooperation with Black & Veatch.[56]

Supercharging stations were available in Canada along Ontario Highway 401 and Quebec Autoroute 20 corridor between Toronto and Montreal by 2014.[57]

The initial network was built in high-traffic corridors across North America, followed by networks in Europe and Asia in the second half of 2013. The first Supercharger corridor in the US opened with free access in October 2012. This corridor included six stations placed along routes connecting San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas.[58][59] A second corridor was opened in December 2012 along the Northeast megalopolis, connecting Washington, DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City and Boston. This corridor includes three stations in highway rest areas, one in Delaware and two adjacent ones in Connecticut.[60]

According to Musk, "...we expect all of the United States to be covered by the end of next year [2013]". He also said that early Tesla owners' use of the network would be free forever.[61]

Europe

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In early 2015, the first European Supercharger was upgraded with a 'solar canopy' (a carport with solar cells on the roof) in Køge, Denmark.[62] According to the person responsible for Tesla's Superchargers in the Nordic countries, Christian Marcus, the 12-stall Supercharger in Køge has 300 m2 (3,230 sq ft) solar cells with a projected annual production of about 40 MWh and is equipped with its own battery bank for temporary storage of excess production. Unlike most other European Supercharger stations, Tesla has bought the land on which the Køge Supercharger stands.[63] On April 26, 2016, Kostomłoty became the first charger to open in Poland.[64] Tesla opened a grid-connected 2-stall Supercharger at Nürburgring in 2019.[65] There are a few privately operated Supercharger stations such as the one opened on April 27, 2016, in Zarechye, Russia, with 3 stalls.[66]

In 2015, the European Supercharger network was planned to allow a Model S to drive from the North Cape (near Honningsvåg) in Norway to Istanbul or Lisbon.[63] As of August 2023 , there are Supercharger stations in or near both Istanbul[67] and Lisbon.[68] The map of current and planned sites[69] includes every European Union country except Malta and Cyprus, and represents all of the countries in the world in the top 10 of electric vehicle adoption rates.[70]

Tesla started testing the charging of non-Tesla cars in the Netherlands in 2021 and in Norway in early 2022 on 15 large uncongested stations with CCS2.[71] Tesla opened up many uncongested and new stations for non-Tesla cars in several countries in 2022, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.[72] Many European governments give sizeable financial support for building new stations but require those to allow cars regardless of brand.

Superchargers operate in China, where Shanghai has 1,000 chargers at 100 locations in late 2021, Beijing has 800, and Tibet is accessible.[73] Superchargers are also available in Hong Kong and Macau.

Australia,[74] Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand also have Superchargers.[75]

Middle East

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Superchargers are available in Israel, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. Qatar will have its first Superchargers by the end of Q1 2024.[76]

Megacharger

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In November 2017, Tesla announced a higher-capacity Megacharger as part of the unveiling of a prototype for its Tesla Semi, a semi-trailer truck. These Megachargers provide 400 miles (644 km) of charge in 30 minutes to the Tesla Semis.[77][78]

In November 2021, the first Megacharger was installed at the Gigafactory Nevada where the Tesla Semi is built.[79] A second Megacharger was permitted for construction at a PepsiCo facility in Modesto, California, in late 2021.[80]

The megawatt-class cable for the Megacharger supports three times the current density of the V3 Supercharger —35 amperes/mm2 versus approximately 12 for the V3. The cable will also be liquid-cooled to support 1000-amp charge rates at 1000 volts.[81]

See also

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References

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Media related to Tesla Supercharger at Wikimedia Commons

The Harris Ranch Tesla Supercharger station is an impressive beast. With 98 charging bays, the facility in Coalinga, California, is the largest charging station in the world.

In 2017, Tesla CEO said that all Superchargers in the automaker’s network were being converted to solar. 

“Over time, almost all will disconnect from the electricity grid,” Musk posted on X, formally known as Twitter. 

Superchargers charge vehicles up to the 80% sweet spot in as little as 20 minutes, but to provide that kind of power for nearly 100 bays takes something solar can’t provide — diesel generators. 

Investigative journalist Edward Niedermeyer discovered that the station was powered by diesel generators hidden behind a Shell station. Reporters at SF Gate tried to find out how much of the station's electricity was from the generators, but couldn’t get a response from Tesla. 

The station isn’t connected to any dedicated solar farms, which means that absent the diesel generators, the station is powered by California’s grid. 

According to the U.S. Energy and Information Administration, in June 2023, natural gas supplied nearly 5,000 megawatt hours of electricity in California, whereas non-hydroelectric renewables supplied about 7,250 megawatt hours. 

Another Case 

Energy analyst and writer David Blackmon, author of the “Energy Transition Absurdities,” told Cowboy State Daily that the use of diesel-powered generators is not limited to the Harris Ranch station. 

He used to shop at a Whole Foods in Houston. The company had installed a charging station in front of the store for its customers. 

“It was the best parking spot in the lot, and it crowded out a bunch of handicap spaces,” Blackmon said. 

He said there were diesel generators behind the store and whenever someone was using the chargers, the generators would kick on. 

Destabilized Grid 

Just as these charging stations find they can’t run without some fossil fuel backup, the retirement of a coal-fired power plant in Kansas is being delayed to accommodate the energy demands of an electric vehicle battery factory that’s under construction. 

Blackmon said that these stories illustrate well the lack of thought going into the demands that will be placed on the grid with increasing amounts of electric vehicle adoption. 

As those demands pile on, U.S. energy policy pushes to remove coal, nuclear and natural gas from the grid. 

Blackmon said he watched all summer as the Texas grid, which operates separately from the rest of the county, nearly collapsed with the incessant heat. 

“We almost had blackouts on Aug. 24,” he said. 

State Sen. Cheri Steinmetz, R-Lingle, told Cowboy State Daily that despite claims that wind and solar alone can power the grid, they lack the reliability needed to satisfy energy demand. So, parts of the country, such as Texas, are facing shortages. 

“Adding the load required for electric vehicles and the transportation network to support them would exacerbate the looming shortages we already face in the near future if energy policies are not reformed,” Steinmetz said. 

No Way Out

Blackmon said that the footprint required to generate enough power to satisfy all energy needs with wind and solar is enormous. It’s not just the wind farms, solar farms and battery factories, there are also thousands of miles of transmission lines to connect consumers with the power wherever it happens to be generated at any given moment. 

This calls into doubt Musk’s plan to power charging stations off of solar. 

“If that’s what he wants, then he only wants the chargers to work six to eight hours a day. If they’re purely powered by solar, there’s just no way out of that,” Blackmon said. 

Musk has made many exciting promises that so far haven’t come to pass. Someone went to the trouble to make a website documenting his pledges and how many days have passed since they were made. 

Musk has also been taken to task for his solar promises. Energy expert Alex Epstein ran a fact check on Musk’s claim that we could power the world with a small area of the Sahara Desert and “some batteries.” 

Epstein calculated that enough battery storage to create a reliable grid would cost $590 trillion for the batteries alone. It doesn’t include the cost of all the transmission infrastructure. And the batteries would have to be replaced every decade.