Referred to as “Superchargers,” Tesla’s public chargers allow drivers around the world to recharge on the go. A single Supercharger can give a Tesla vehicle 200 miles worth of juice in just 15 minutes. So far, the company’s 35,000 Superchargers have been strategically placed by Tesla in somewhat obvious areas, like along roads and highways frequented during road trips. But now Tesla’s turning the tables, prompting drivers to share where they want to see a Supercharger station installed next.
“Supercharger Voting coming soon. Reply with location suggestions—replies with the most likes will be included in the poll,” the company tweeted. Replies poured in. Alaska, Hawaii, and Yosemite Valley, California were popular answers within the US, while Alberta, Canada, and various parts of Saskatchewan were well-liked internationally. (For some users, the prompt offered little more than an opportunity to post their favorite photo of their locality.)
A Tesla at a charging station in Rubigen, Switzerland. (Photo: Dario/Unsplash)
Many drivers also suggested US national parks. Though these are seemingly great answers, Tesla operates a second type of public charger called the Destination Charger, which is designed to charge up vehicles over a longer period of time (i.e. a few hours or overnight). Some of these are indeed already in national parks, while others are in hotel and mall parking lots.
The new Supercharger installations will benefit more than just Tesla drivers. Earlier this summer, the Biden-Harris administration announced that Tesla would be opening up its charger network to other EV drivers by the end of 2022. This partnership will massively expand the country’s 1,100-station charging network—an economic and environmental goal of the White House as EVs gain popularity. Of course, this means Tesla drivers might face a little more competition at a road trip pit stop or two. But if Tesla is serious about strengthening its charger network, perhaps this will be a temporary burden.
Tesla didn’t specify when it would provide drivers with location options to vote on, but its use of the word “poll” and its lack of mention where said poll could be found seems to imply it’ll all be conducted on Twitter.
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