The world’s largest Tesla Supercharger station is currently under construction in China. The country is definitely an optimal location due to the fact that the Chinese market is the largest auto market in the whole world.
The electric automaker has announced plans of installing 10,000 Supercharger stations all over the world with 1,000 stations allocated to China alone. Currently, Tesla (Nasdaq:TSLA) owns and operates 951 Supercharger stations worldwide with 6,550 Superchargers.
One Supercharger station is set to have 50 Superchargers installed, thus making it the world’s largest. Previously, California was set to have the largest Tesla charging stations with 2 stations of 40 Superchargers each being constructed. However, the recent reports show that the record is now beaten. According to Electrek, the world’s largest and most extensive station is currently being constructed underground at the Lilacs International Commercial Centre in the Pudong district of Shanghai. It requires a massive amount of power supply in order to simultaneously charge 50 electric vehicles. The whole station could potentially have a power output of over 3 megawatts.
On the other hand, Tesla has also previously announced their plan to introduce and spread smaller Superchargers across the cities to aid in the ease of being a Tesla vehicle owner. Written on the company’s website, “We are at work around the globe constructing new sites to enable additional routes and expand popular stations. In addition to Superchargers, we have a growing network of Destination Charging Partners with dedicated Tesla charging. Tesla partners with hotels, restaurants, shopping centers and resorts to make charging when you arrive at your destination as simple as charging at home.”
In 2016, Tesla tripled its sales in China to $1 billion despite experiencing a rough start. The revenue from the country represents 14% of Tesla’s total revenue for that year. Over 11,000 vehicles were delivered last year and the business continued to thrive during the first quarter of 2017.
In recent news, China reportedly plans on relaxing its policies with regards to foreign automakers planning to manufacture in the country. Despite the possibility of allowing them to build a manufacturing site in the country without a local partner, the automakers will still be charged a 25% import tariff on their products if sold.
There is no confirmation yet as to whether Tesla will execute its proposed plan of attaching convenience stores beside its stations. However, if the plan pushes through, Tesla’s business is set to flourish as the company will have a win-win situation.
Supercharger stations being planted all over the world promote accessibility that could boost the sales of Tesla. The accessibility of charging stations globally could encourage more consumers to buy electric as recharging becomes easier. In line with this, the world’s growing awareness of the environmental problems we are currently facing could result in the promotion of battery-powered vehicles and the eventual banning of gas-powered ones. As of now, the future is looking bright for Tesla.
Leave a Reply