Tesla Supercharger Network Leads US in Fast-Charging, Launches Additional Location For Model 3/Y and Cybertruck Wraps

By 2030, the US aims for 33 million EVs and 500,000 public chargers. However, recent analysis shows DC fast-charging expansion lags, with Tesla leading.

Tesla Dominates US Fast-Charging Landscape, Outpaces Industry in EV Infrastructure

Tesla is much ahead in the deployment of DC fast-charging stations, as stated in a recent report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The analysis examines the implementation of EV charging stations up to the third quarter of last year. It indicates that Tesla presently accounts for about two-thirds of the country's DC fast-charging ports on the report's Station Locator.

According to statistics, the Tesla Supercharger network accounts for 61.7 percent of public DC fast-charging ports, while the Destination charging network of the company accounts for 8.1 percent of public Level 2 ports. The analysis indicates that the United States has achieved around 9.1% of the 2030 objectives using Tesla's Superchargers, or roughly 3.1% without including the company.

ChargePoint is not included in the graph since it has 62,580 public charging ports, which would distort the data. The majority of ChargePoint's chargers are Level 2, unlike Tesla's Superchargers, which are DC fast chargers. 2,696 fast-charging ports were added in the U.S. in the third quarter of last year, marking an 8.3 percent rise over the corresponding quarter the previous year, as stated in the study.

Tesla just announced that it is increasing the deployment of Supercharger stalls to add up to 23,000 stalls in North America within a year.

Tesla has just started allowing other car brands, beginning with Ford, to use its Supercharger network, which was previously exclusive to Tesla customers. Rivian, General Motors (GM), Volvo, and Polestar electric vehicles will soon have access to Superchargers, paving the way for the rest of the car industry to follow suit.

In the near future, several car manufacturers will begin manufacturing their own electric vehicles equipped with Tesla's NACS charging connector, allowing customers to utilize the Supercharger network without needing an adaptor.

Tesla's Superchargers are widely regarded as the most dependable charging network, while other businesses are facing challenges in maintaining the functionality of their charging stations. In the last month, J.D. Power research indicated that around 18% of efforts to charge electric vehicles using Level 2 chargers were unsuccessful in the fourth quarter of 2023, with most failures being due to outages.

In January, the U.S. announced grants totaling almost $149 million to repair over 4,500 malfunctioning public chargers, in addition to various additional expenditures in the electric vehicle sector.

Tesla Expands Wrap Services to Texas, Offering New Colors for Model 3, Y, and Cybertruck

Tesla has introduced wraps for the Model 3, Model Y, and Cybertruck at a new shop facility, which is located outside of California.

Tesla announced on Monday the beginning of wrap services for the Model 3, Model Y, and Cybertruck at its Collision Austin South body shop in Texas, in addition to existing services in California. The announcement was made on the company's North America account on X, which included a link to its wrap page on the online shop.

The Collision Austin South body shop is situated at 6320 East Stassney Lane in Building 4. It is now included on the online paint protection film (PPF) wrap pages for both the Cybertruck and Model 3/Y. Tesla first introduced PPF wraps for the Model 3 and Model Y at its West Covina, California, location last year and then expanded to body shops in Oceanside, Costa Mesa, and Santa Clara.

Tesla Cybertruck owners have the option to cover their cars with a transparent paint film or with PPF wrap in several hues, such as Satin Stealth Black, Satin Ceramic White, Satin Rose Gold, Satin Abyss Blue, and Slip Grey, just introduced by the carmaker on its website.

Tesla introduced the Satin Abyss Blue color option for the Model 3 and Model Y in January. This followed the first release of wraps in seven colors for the sedan and SUV in October: Glacier Blue, Forest Green, Satin Rose Gold, Slip Grey, Satin Ceramic White, Satin Stealth Black, and Crimson Red. You may also obtain transparent paint protection sheets for the Model 3 and Model Y, similar to those available for the Cybertruck.

Color wraps for Model 3 and Model Y vary from $5,700 to $6,000, while the clear paint protection film costs $5,000. Wraps for the Tesla Cybertruck are priced between $6,000 and $6,500, with the clear paint film for the electric pickup costing $5,000.

Cybertruck wraps were expected to be available within six months of the vehicle's introduction in October, but Tesla released them just after the November 30 delivery ceremony. Tesla Cybertrucks with distinctive PPF wrap patterns were seen in the latter part of last year, suggesting that the company will fulfill its previous commitment to have a variety of colored wrap choices when the vehicle is released.

Photo: Paul Steuber/Unsplash