Tesla Supercharger Network - Essentials You Need to Know
What is Tesla's Supercharger Network
The Tesla Supercharger network is an extensive charging infrastructure developed and implemented by Tesla, the electric vehicle manufacturer. Unlike most other automakers producing electric vehicles, Tesla created its own charging stations from the outset, ensuring greater control and reliability for its customers. Because of this early strategic initiative which began in 2012, Tesla’s Supercharging Network is well on its way to becoming the DeFacto standard in the United States and possibly worldwide. In June 2023, Ford became the first major U.S. car manufacturer to partner with Tesla to provide access to the Supercharger network for its EV car owners. GM quickly followed, along with many other named brands such as Nissan, Rivian, Volkswagen, Mercedes, Volvo, Polestar, and Lucid.
Simply put the Telsa Supercharger Network makes road trips with an EV a lot easier.
Tesla Super Charging location with a solar canopy to help offset usage being evaluated
How many Superchargers exist Today
With over 5000 locations worldwide and 50,000+ Supercharger ports at the time of writing, Tesla owns and operates the largest global fast-charging network worldwide. Strategically placed in various locations along major highways and roads near convenient amenities, Superchargers keep an EV (electric Vehicle) charged when away from home. Designed for EV drivers to Simply Plug in, Charge, and Go.
A charge can add up to 322 miles of range in 15 minutes, according to Tesla. These stations have expanded across the world to regions, including North America, Europe, Asia, and even the Arctic Circle, underlining Tesla's commitment to fostering mass electric vehicle adoption on a global scale.
Cost to charge at a Tesla Supercharger
Average pricing at Tesla Superchargers is typically around $0.25 per kWh (kilowatt-hour), Although the cost to charge is often higher in California. (As are many things energy-related) You can expect it to cost between $20-$25 to add 250 miles of range to your Tesla at this rate.
Certain Supercharger stations offer on-peak and off-peak rates. Be aware there are idle fees if you leave, and don’t move your car when the charging is complete if the station location is 50% or more full. Your Tesla app will alert you when the charge is near complete and again when it is complete so you can move your EV without penalty.
Note: Idle fees double when the station is at 100% capacity, and there is no upper limit to the amount charged.
Tesla Model Y backed in Charging at a Supercharger stall. Upon unplugging your account is billed
Is it cheaper to Charge Tesla at Home
In almost all cases, charging your Tesla at home is going to save you the most money since Superchargers tend to bill at a higher rate per kWh than your power utility company does. Depending on the Tesla model you have, it will cost approximately $10.49 to $17.55 to completely charge your Tesla at home. You can leave your Tesla connected overnight without having to worry about overcharging, as it's designed to protect the batteries from this.
How many Tesla Superstations are in the USA
In the U.S., there are 1,847 Tesla Supercharger stations with 20,040 Tesla Level 3 Supercharger ports, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. This, makes up 60% of all chargers in the USA. The rate of expansion is impressive, with more installations in 2022 than the previous three years combined. As is the Tesla way, they are constantly refining and innovating its installation process, as with its prefabricated system, enabling the deployment of new Supercharger stations in record time. The biggest and most time-consuming hurdle is usually contracts and permitting approvals.
Which state has the most Tesla Superchargers?
Answer: California of Course
California has the most Tesla Supercharger stations at 20% (366 locations) and the most Tesla Supercharger ports (5,687). Florida is a distant second at 7% representing 129 locations.
Each Supercharger station typically features about 10 stalls on average, allowing multiple vehicles to charge simultaneously. There are some stations like the massive 72-stall Supercharger station in Shanghai, China.
Tesla continues to innovate and expand its Supercharger network, with plans to develop a potential 62-stall station on the west side of Los Angeles. If realized, this station could become the largest in North America.
Expanding Non-Tesla Access
Opening the Tesla Supercharger network to other EV brands will help the mass adoption of EV cars by consumers. Non-Tesla owners can download the Tesla App, create an account through it, then simply add a credit card and manage their charging sessions. It has been reported Tesla is starting to add card readers to some of its new Level 4 Superchargers deployed in Europe. This will mean non-Tesla EV owners, may soon be able to pay directly with a credit card, just like at a regular gas pump.
How To Use a SuperCharger Today
Tesla Supercharger stalls can be found in parking lots of business parks, grocery stores, hotels, or at larger station locations off major highways. Superchargers are available 24 hours a day, if accessible, and historically have the highest uptime (99.9%) compared to other networks, which is in part why EV owners like selecting them. The last thing drivers want to do is have to keep driving to find a working charging location.
Just pull in, find a stall, park, and plugin. Once plugged in, the vehicle’s charge port LED will quickly flash blue to indicate preparing connection and then pulses green to indicate charging has begun. When charging nears completion, it pulses slower and remains solid upon being fully charged.
You can monitor your charging progress on the car center display, or at the same time, use the Tesla smartphone app and see the charging rate, charging progress, when its charging is complete, and any alerts.
Tesla Supercharger Connector indicating charging is complete with a solid green indicator
For a non-Tesla vehicle, be mindful of where your charging port is, as it can be in various places on non-Tesla EVs, for example with Rivian models, you can drive straight into the stall as the charging port is just behind the left front headlight, whereas with a Tesla most probably would want to back in.
Tesla DC Superchargers
Tesla Superchargers use DC fast charging, which is Level 3, the fastest charging method available today for EVs. Level 4 Superchargers have begun deployment in Europe over the last four months, but no official specs have been released, at the time of writing. It has been confirmed that the Supercharger V4 delivers a power output of 350 KW. Plans revealed on Reddit by u/RealPokerPOP indicate a longer charging cable may be available to assist non-Tesla vehicles and speculation that the higher voltage is to support the CyberTruck.
Tesla Superchargers can recharge up to 200 miles of range in 15 minutes, depending on the charge rate, battery condition, and amount of battery charge remaining. Superchargers are designed to provide a quick charge for drivers on longer road trips. They are not recommended for daily charging as the power is too great for regular use. Charging speeds can vary depending on the battery temperature, if any significant weather-related events in the area are occurring, the Tesla model, battery condition, how empty or full the battery is, and energy output at the Supercharger location. Tesla suggests it’s best to use a Supercharger with a lower battery charge as it will charge faster, which is why they work best for road trips. To learn more see the Tesla Supercharger Support Page or watch Supercharging video.
Tesla’s Proprietary Connector
From Day one, Tesla had to develop its own charging connector, and 10 years later has established a reliable track record for charging more miles and EV vehicles than any other standard. It is compact, easy to use, and has no moving parts. Tesla offers CHAdeMO and CCS (Combined Charging System) adapters for selected markets. For example, the Model 3 was built with a CCS connector for Europe.
Charging from home
Tesla recommends Level 2 charging from home as the most effective method for maintaining the range of your battery. For level 2 charging, Tesla has an at-home wall connector unit for $500 that can be installed by any certified electrician. The wall connector can be installed indoors or out, depending on where you keep your Tesla.
Wall connectors can share their power to maximize existing electrical capacity and can charge multiple cars simultaneously. Depending on the power available in your area at a given time, Tesla’s current wall connector can charge up to 44 miles of range per hour. Follow this link to learn more about charging, and see charging speed comparison options.
Charge on Solar [NEW]
Some Tesla owners now have another choice in deciding how they recharge. With the recent Tesla software update, 2023.26, it now allows homes with solar panels to charge their vehicle using excess power, if they have a Powerwall installed with v23.12.10 and Tesla app with v4.22.5 or later. With the release of this Drive on Sunshine feature, you can select how much charging comes from solar versus other sources. It’s available to Tesla owners in the U.S. and Canada with newer EVs (2021 and on).
How to find a Tesla Supercharger
To find a close Supercharging location, use the car’s touchscreen to show or hide Superchargers with the built-in trip planner designed to automatically route you to a selected Supercharger or by using the Tesla App.
You can see the number of superchargers available displayed on any map pin location - When you touch one to navigate to a Supercharger with Trip Planner this will precondition your battery for faster charging upon arrival.
You can also use Google Maps by asking for “TESLA Supercharger near me” or use the interactive Tesla Supercharger Map at tesla.com on your computer or iPad and map out a long road trip.
Supercharger Network Reliability
During June 2023 Tesla shared its supercharger network monitoring system on the short YouTube video below. You can watch it here.
Discusses Tesla’s Supercharging network monitoring.
In typical Tesla fashion, the charging network uptime is 99.9% far better than any competitive charging network. Tesla maintains a dedicated team responsible for keeping the network up and accessible 24 x7. The Supercharging network is critical to EV adoption and Tesla's commitment to ensuring it is easy, quick and convenient to use.
