The Tesla Supercharger network has grown into one of the largest groups of electric car charging locations both in the UK and globally. While this service was originally reserved for Tesla drivers, the brand has now opened up a number of its sites to EVs from other manufacturers, too.
Tesla Superchargers, also known as ‘stalls’ can be found at Tesla Centres across the country, as well as at a large number of motorway service stations. These chargers can also be found at a number of businesses and tourist-heavy locations, so they can be a very convenient service to have at your disposal when you need to charge your car.
So what are the pros and cons of the Tesla Supercharger network and how does it work? Read on to find answers to all of these questions and more below.
What is the Tesla Supercharger network?
There are a variety of rapid charging providers in the UK, such as BP Pulse, Gridserve, Ionity and Shell Recharge, just to name a few. However, what makes the Tesla Supercharger network somewhat unique is that it belongs to an electric car manufacturer, rather than an energy company.
Tesla has continued to invest a huge amount of money and resources into expanding its UK infrastructure since it first arrived way back in 2014. Today, it’s now one of the larger networks in the country with thousands of units dotted around England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Tesla operates two different types of electric car chargers: Destination and Supercharger. As their name suggests, Destination chargers are typically installed at locations where people are most likely to spend a longer period of time, such as hotels or venues. The Supercharger network, meanwhile, is designed with rapid charging in mind, so these are typically found at motorway service stations and Tesla sales centres where drivers might stop on route somewhere. However, some Superchargers can also be found at locations such as hotels.
Can I charge my car using a Tesla Supercharger?
Originally, the Tesla Supercharger network was exclusively available to Tesla owners. However, May 2022 saw one of the biggest changes come into effect in the UK’s rapid charging network when Tesla opened its network up to non-Tesla drivers.
