EV Charging Roundup: Tesla’s Supercharger Expansion and More

From Tesla’s Supercharger network to Tennessee’s EV infrastructure expansion, there's plenty of news to cover in the EV charging market. Here’s the latest. 

 

A four-stall Supercharger station in Australia. Image used courtesy of Tesla

 

Tesla Supercharger Expansion

Tesla recently revealed a significant milestone for its EV charging network, growing from six Superchargers in 2012 to 50,000 today. That number adds 5,000 to its last count nearly five months ago, when it reported 45,000 Superchargers. 

Spread across 5,500 stations worldwide, Tesla’s Supercharger network continues to expand after the company opened access to non-Tesla vehicles, including Mercedes-Benz, Ford, and General Motors. Over the years, it has steadily become the industry standard in direct-current (DC) fast charging. Drivers can recharge up to 200 miles in just 15 minutes, addressing a critical barrier to EV adoption as consumers seek reliable range for long-distance travel. 

The milestone comes after Tesla debuted its V4 Supercharger at a site in the Netherlands earlier this year. The company will open more V4 sites in the second half of 2023. The Superchargers will include a longer cable and support peak charge rates of up to 250 kilowatts per vehicle. 

 

Tennessee Adds More Fast-Charging Stations

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) recently celebrated the opening of a new ChargePoint fast-charging station in Paris, Tennessee. It’s the thirteenth site to come online as part of an initiative with state and local power companies to forge a public charging network along heavily traveled routes. 

 

A new fast-charging station in Paris, Tennessee. Image used courtesy of the Tennessee Valley Authority

 

ChargePoint also recently opened a fast-charging station in small-town Brownsville. It’s the only fast-charging access point between Memphis and Jackson, an 86-mile stretch on Interstate 40 that links the two cities. 

Last month, TVA signed a two-year deal with Blink Charging Co. to supply Level 2 and DC fast-charging equipment for public and commercial fleet applications. 

These moves are part of TVA’s ongoing fast-charging expansion in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). The pair’s “Fast Charge TN Network” plan aims to add 40 new charging stations across prioritized corridor infrastructure—every 50 miles along the state’s highways and interstates.

The initiative launched in 2021 with a slow start. As of March 2023, only 25 fast-charging stations were open to all consumers and supporting the two common charging standards, according to TDEC. Tennessee has a growing share of electric cars on its roads, with 22,000 EVs registered statewide in 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. TVA and TDEC want to boost that number to 200,000 by 2028. 

 

Honda Signs on to Tesla Charging Standard

Honda will adopt Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) in its EV models sold in North America. The change will debut to consumers in 2025, with Honda releasing a new model featuring the NACS port and then continuing the standard for its future models. Honda drivers can also use Tesla’s growing Supercharger network. 

In the meantime, the company said its North American EV launches will be equipped with the conventional combined charging system (CCS) port. However, a charging adapter will be available to support NACS in CCS-equipped models. 

Honda is one of several car giants adding NACS ports to future EV models, including GM, Nissan, and Ford. Honda recently created a joint venture with six other automakers to develop a North American EV charging network. 

 

GO TO-U and Parkopedia Data-Sharing Partnership

California-based GO TO-U, a software-as-a-service operating system for EV charging infrastructure, and U.K.-based Parkopedia, a connected car services provider, have teamed up to share the former’s charging network data points with the latter’s in-car parking and charging integration platform. 

The partnership combines GO TO-U’s predictive analytics and Parkopedia’s charging station database, providing real-time charging availability and integrated payments to help customers find chargers and manage sessions. 

The pair said the partnership serves three functions: data exchange (with real-time data sharing), activation and payment integration, and optimized charging (reducing wait times and enabling more efficient charging sessions).