Whether you’re considering purchasing an EV or are already a Tesla owner, you’re going to have questions. These may include where you can charge it, the costs involved, and how long it takes.
Superchargers are by far the fastest way to charge your Tesla, being capable of supplying enough power to travel up to 322 miles in just 15 minutes and fully charging in under an hour. Tesla has more than 50,000 worldwide – a remarkable Supercharger increase since 2018 when there were fewer than 10,000.
In the US alone, Tesla’s Superchargers make up approximately 38% of available EV charging stations, with more than 26,000 chargers at 2,307 stations, according to the Department of Energy in July 2024.
You can look up the location of Tesla Superchargers around the world by using the company’s interactive map, which also includes the locations of service centers, showrooms, and body shops. When given access to your current location, the map can zoom in to highlight your nearest chargers, service centers, and showrooms.
Where possible, Tesla Supercharger cost is charged per kilowatt hour (kWh) used – the national average is around $0.15/kWh — however, that price point will change depending on the cost of electricity in the local area. Where Tesla is unable to bill per kilowatt hour, they will instead charge a per-minute fee. Regardless, an estimated total cost will be displayed on your Tesla’s central screen. That said, it costs slightly less than $0.05/mile on average.
Tesla has information about Supercharger availability accessible in the Tesla app. In the app, you can see the availability of stalls and monitor the progress of your charge.
In a 19-country pilot, which includes the United States, Tesla has opened up some of its charging stations to electric vehicles from other manufacturers – including Ford and GM – by installing adapters at select Superchargers. To access the Tesla network as a non-Tesla owner, you will need the Tesla smartphone app.
It has been theorized that the move is to put Tesla in compliance with federal financing stipulations imposed by the White House in its 2022 drive to increase the number of available US electric car chargers to half a million. Nearly $5 billion in federal funds will go toward charging infrastructure.
This federal funding is part of an initiative to address the fact that the US needs to increase its electric vehicle charging capacity eight-fold by 2030, according to a January 2023 report by S&P Global Mobility.
In May 2024, Tesla laid off its charging team of about 500 workers, who were responsible for the Supercharger network. This move, which may impact charging compatibility with third-party cars, elicited concern from automakers and EV owners alike.
