Tesla says that the uptime rate of its 45,000 strong global Supercharging network has an uptime rate of 99.95 per cent, vastly superior than any other competing EV network.
The figure was revealed in Tesla’s newly released Impact Report which also notes that its chargers were powered entirely by renewable energy.
“The global Supercharger network was 100% renewable in 2022, achieved through a combination of on-site resources and annual renewable matching,” says Tesla.
“More than half of home charging in California was renewable through annual renewable matching.”
Tesla says with it’s V3 and V4 Superchargers that are now being rolled out drivers can recover 200 miles of range (321 km) in just 15 mins.
Using software to optimise the utility of the network
During its Investor Day presentation in March Tesla said it also uses software to optimise its network.
Because the network provides data on how many charging stations are in use at each site and because it knows how many drivers are on route to a particular station, Tesla has been able to redirect drivers to stations that have more capacity at various times of the day. This has resulted in a significant increase in daily kWh output per charger.
The company has been able to make further gains using software to incentivise charging duration during trips. During peak demand drivers are encouraged not to spend time fully charging to 100% unless the trip requires it.
Earlier this year Tesla started opening up some of its charging stations to non-Tesla EVs.
Daniel Bleakley is a clean technology researcher and advocate with a background in engineering and business. He has a strong interest in electric vehicles, renewable energy, manufacturing and public policy.