A Tesla Supercharger, a 480-volt direct-current fast-changing technology, was developed by American manufacturer Tesla, Inc. to power electric cars. Tesla added Six Supercharger stations to the Supercharger network on September 24, 2012. Tesla has 36,165 Superchargers at 3,971 stations worldwide (an average of 9 per station) as of June 2022.
There are 1,621 stations across North America, 1,139 in Asia/Pacific, and 842 throughout Europe as of August 2022. The connector allows for the supply of electrical power at a maximum of 72 kW, 150kW, and 250 kW from supercharger stalls.
The Tesla Model S was the first electric car to have the ability to use the network. Next came the Tesla Model X and Tesla Model 3. Tesla electric cars can enjoy supercharging free of charge for life. Some have 100-400kWh per year, others have 100-400kWh credits, while some have a single credit of 100-400kWh. Others have a monetary credit. All charges are automatically charged to the Tesla account that the car is associated with. If there is no credit on the account, charges will be automatically charged to the credit card that was associated with it. The charges are usually for electricity consumed, but Tesla may charge for charging time. A fee for plugging into the Supercharger while charging is complete may apply depending on how full the station is.
Tesla has taken steps toward focusing Superchargers’ use on longer journeys. Tesla clarified that the Supercharger network was unavailable for commercial, ride-hailing, or government use. That required paying on a per-use basis.
Tesla has Tesla destination chargers as well. These chargers are available where drivers might stop to charge their cars, including in restaurants, hotels, and shopping malls. These chargers are typically slower than Superchargers (typically 22kW) and are designed to charge cars for several hours while drivers conduct other business. In September 2019, Tesla distributed 23,963 destination charging stations worldwide. Tesla drivers who live nearby receive these chargers for free.
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Supercharger technology
The original V1 or V2 Tesla supercharging stations can charge up to 150kW each, distributed between two cars. There is a maximum of 150kW per vehicle, depending on the electric car’s Model. They take 20 minutes to charge the 85 kWh Model S to 50%, 40 minutes for 80%, and 75 minutes for 100%, depending on the version. The charging stations deliver high-power D.C. charging power directly to the battery and bypass the internal power supply.
In September 2017, Tesla introduced urban Superchargers. Urban Superchargers are smaller than standard Supercharger booths and will be deployed mainly in urban areas like garages and parking lots. Urban Superchargers deliver 72 kW more power than standard Superchargers. Each Urban Supercharger booth has a 72 kW dedicated capacity instead of 150 kW distributed among two Supercharger A/B vehicles.
A few Tesla supercharging stations have solar panels that provide shade and energy offset.
The network is now available only to Model S, Model X, and Model 3 electric cars. All Tesla Model X, Model 3, and Model Y cars have supercharging hardware. It is optional for Model S cars with a battery capacity of 60 kWh or more. Although the original Tesla Roadster was not equipped with Superchargers, Tesla claims that all future Tesla cars will have this capability.
Tesla makes V3 superchargers for electric cars in Giga, New York. Tesla opened its first V3 station in 2019 and can deliver up to 15 miles per hour depending on the circumstances. One M.W. charger box can supply four stalls with up to 250kW each and can store a maximum of 575kW in battery storage. The grid input is only 350 kW. Only a tiny portion of the charge time will be consumed by the peak rate of an electric car battery. The increase in peak charge rate, from 150kW to 250kW, does not decrease the charging time.
The IEC 62196 Type II connector for Model S and Model X electric cars and Superchargers was used by Tesla in Europe. Tesla announced that all E.U. Superchargers would be updated to include CCS/Combo2 connectors. This connector will replace the DC Type 2 connector. The same announcement stated that Tesla would use the CCS/Combo2 connector next year for the Model 3. That allows for complete compatibility with the E.U.’s public charging legislation. Existing Model S/X cars will have the option to purchase an adapter for CCS/Combo2, which allows them to use the E.U. standard public infrastructure. It will still be incompatible with imported US Tesla cars, which all use the Tesla proprietary connector.
Tesla was the only auto manufacturer that offered direct current (D.C.), charging according to the IEC 622196-2 specification in 2017. Other manufacturers use the IEC62196-3 Combined Charging System (CCS) charging standard. Depending on the conditions, other CCS charging networks may be able to charge Tesla cars more quickly than the Tesla V3 superchargers.
Multiple times, Tesla has indicated that they are open to discussions with other automakers regarding sharing the Supercharger network. No agreements have been reached or made public.
Tesla installed a mobile Supercharger on a trailer flatbed in San Luis Obispo to provide the additional charging capability.
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Supercharging network

Tesla Supercharger stations allow Tesla vehicles to be charged quickly. They are often located near restaurants or other commercial areas. Tesla is currently talking about opening the network to other E.V.s from Scandinavia.
In 2016, there were 34 Tesla cars per Supercharger station. The cost of each station was between US$100,000.00 in 2013 and US$270,000 in 2015. That depends on how many stalls are available. According to Tesla, station equipment can last 12 years.
Tesla claims that most car charging happens at home or work. In 2014, Superchargers accounted for less than 10% of all charging. Tesla generated 72 GWh of charging through Superchargers in July 2019.
Tesla owns most Supercharger stations, while fleet operators use some to charge Tesla cars, such as taxis. These charging stalls can only charge 60 kW. Tesla amended its terms of service in December 2017 to prohibit the use of Superchargers by vehicles used for taxis, commercial, ride-share, or government purposes. This ban applies only to vehicles purchased after December 15, 2017. These vehicles would also be eligible for other charging options.
History of Supercharger Incentives
Unlimited supercharging is available for the life of all Model S and Model X cars ordered before January 15, 2017, or between August 2, 2019, and May 26, 2020. Referral codes are also accepted for certain vehicles.
Model S and Model X cars ordered between January 15, 2017, and November 2, 2018, received 400 kWh (roughly 1,000 miles or 1,600km) free Supercharging credits for a year. After those credits have been used, supercharging is subject to a fee.
Tesla offered unlimited supercharging to existing owners between May 2017 and September 18, 2018. That was available to friends who purchased new Teslas and used their referral codes. Tesla offered unlimited supercharging to all Tesla owners who bought a new Model S or Model X for their cars.
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Tesla offers 1,000-2,000 miles of supercharging for free as an incentive to buy a new Tesla car.
Except for the above caveats, Tesla Model S and Model X vehicles purchased between November 2, 2018, and August 2, 2019, as well as all Model 3 or Model Y cars bought at any time, you do not receive any electric car supercharging credits.
Some jurisdictions require charging operators not to bill users according to kWh delivered. Tesla uses 60 kW sections for different power levels.
After receiving payment, Tesla could charge fees for any additional connection.
Any car connected to a Supercharger longer than five minutes after reaching the full charge limit will be subject to additional ‘idle’ fees. The U.S. has no additional fees if the Supercharger station fills less than half its capacity. The fee is applicable if the station fills at least 50%, $0.50 per minute, and $1.00 per minute. All fees incurred must be paid before the next service visit.
Change over time
There were 119 Tesla Supercharger stations in operation in October 2014 in the United States, 76 in European, and 26 in Asia.
By the end of 2014, there were 280 Supercharger stations worldwide; 584 at the close of 2015 and 1,045 at the close of 2017. Two stations had been converted to solar power by December 2014. In 2017, opened a solar-powered Supercharger in Belgium. Tesla plans to increase the number of stalls to 15,000 by April 2017. Tesla currently has 16,103 Superchargers at 1,826 stations around the world. These include 908 in the U.S., 16 in Mexico, and 16 in Canada. There are also 520 stations in Europe, Asia/Pacific, and 398 in Asia/Pacific. In November 2020, Tesla announced that it had deployed 20,000 Supercharger booths. Six months later, in May 2021, Tesla had 25,000 Supercharger stations and 30,000 Supercharger stands. A year later, in November 2021, Tesla had 20,000 Supercharger booths.
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Battery-Swap proposal
The “Tesla station” was a second version of the Supercharger. It would have provided Tesla owners with fast battery swaps and quick recharge for Model S and Model X cars. But, Tesla changed its plans, and now battery swapping is not a significant part of its charging infrastructure plans.
After 18 months, the announcement was made in December 2014. However, no public battery swapping stations were yet open to the public. The company also announced that it had revised its long-delayed plans. California would open a single battery-swap facility. This station was to be used as a pilot project. Only Model S owners, with permission, could swap batteries by appointment. It will also evaluate the technical and economic aspects. The service was available at $3 per hour, and takes only 3 minutes as opposed to the 90 seconds shown in 2013. It will be used to assess if the company plans on commercializing the battery-swapping units fully. In the original June 2013 announcement, the company stated that it would eventually make all existing Tesla Supercharger stations into Tesla stations. That would allow the Model S to be swapped and offer fast charging.
In June 2015, Tesla stated that the battery swapping capability was not a significant part of their plans to replace on-road fuel with electric vehicles.
Tesla Mega charger
Tesla revealed a prototype of its Tesla Semi-trailer truck and announced a new Mega charger with a greater capacity. To charge your truck, you can use the Tesla Mega Charger Network.
The solar-powered Mega Charger Network stations would charge semi-trucks. They can charge their batteries for 400 miles (644km) in just 30 minutes. That is in addition to the 500 miles (805km) of battery packs. It will likely produce more than one megawatt to accomplish this feat.
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Conclusion:
Tesla is one of the best pioneers in producing electric cars. When we talk about electric cars, the first option that comes to mind is Tesla. One problem people hesitate to buy an electric car is their battery charging issue. That is the reason Tesla is working to develop E.V. superchargers to charge electric cars fast.
In this section, we tried to provide you with information about the Tesla supercharger available on the market. If you love electric cars and Tesla, this information will help you choose your charger.