Tesla has released a new video boasting of “chargers that work”, claiming an average uptake of 99.9 per cent for is global Supercharging network at a time when many EV drivers have become frustrated by failures in other networks.
The problem about reliability in fast charging networks has deepened in recent years as the number of EVs on the roads grows considerably, and those travelling long distances get frustrated by frequent outages.
The Tesla Supercharging network has long been regarded as the most reliable, and the most extensive in many parts of the world, including Australia.
In the newly released video, Tesla points to the fact that it dedicates significant resources to real-time monitoring of Supercharger equipment across the entire network, and to ensure that any problems are fixed quickly.
These include component replacements and firmware and software upgrades.
In the video, Tesla talks about the expansion of the network since it first began over 10 years ago.
The video does make one heavily disputed claim when William, one of the site engineers at Tesla in the video says: “All of our sites are 24/7 accessible which is super important for driving forward EV adoption,”.
Not so. Tesla owners and members of the EV community on the Tesla Motor Club forum in Australia point that this is not the case at several sites in Australia.
“Evidently no-one told the Australian Supercharger sites that close at night… looking at you Camberwell Supercharger”, one member said. The Camberwell site is located less than 14 km east of Melbourne CBD and has 6 V2 supercharger stalls. According to plugshare, it’s accessible from 5:30 am to 10:30 pm.
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.