autoevolution
 

Tesla Limits Charging to 80% at Some In-Demand Supercharger Stations

Tesla is flooding the market with electric cars, but this is far from quenching customers’ thirst for EVs. As more gigafactories start producing, there is one area Tesla still needs to catch up on, and this is the Supercharger network.
Tesla limits charging to 80% at some in-demand Supercharger stations 6 photos
Photo: Ben Bergman on Twitter
Tesla limits charging to 80% at some in-demand Supercharger stationsTesla limits charging to 80% at some in-demand Supercharger stationsTesla limits charging to 80% at some in-demand Supercharger stationsTesla limits charging to 80% at some in-demand Supercharger stationsTesla limits charging to 80% at some in-demand Supercharger stations
The Supercharger network is one of the biggest assets Tesla has and the main reason its vehicles are so successful. The charging experience is said to be the best in the industry, but things started to worsen fast as more Tesla cars get on the road and clog the charging stations. It wasn’t long until some Superchargers in the U.S. got so busy that Tesla owners queued for hours to get their car an energy boost.

One Tesla owner posted on Twitter that he wished he could pay $6/gallon of gas and be on his way than waiting in line at a Supercharger. He would’ve been surprised to see ICE car owners wish to have an electric vehicle, too, just to escape the long lines at gas stations. Even so, it is clear that Tesla needs to build more Superchargers, as waiting for hours to charge is not an option for many people.

The situation is bad not only in the U.S. but also in Australia, a country where electric vehicles are still rare. Tesla owners discovered a strange message on their car screens as they hooked up to a Supercharger station. The notification says Tesla automatically restricted their charge limit to 80% because the Supercharger station was deemed as “high-usage,”  according to The Driven.

This was recorded at several locations, including at Broadway in Sydney, Pacific Fair at Broadbeach on the Gold Coast, and Knockrow in the Northern Rivers region of NSW. In most cases, the Supercharger station was fully packed, with people waiting in line. This is interesting as Tesla operates the most extensive charging network in Australia and it’s limited to Tesla cars only.

Although it sounds alarming, Tesla owners discovered that they could override the settings. This is useful for people who charge for a long road trip. For all others, the automatic setting is better because an EV charges a lot slower beyond 80% state of charge. Many EV owners are also not aware of the fact that Li-Ion batteries wear out faster when charged above 80%.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Cristian Agatie
Cristian Agatie profile photo

After his childhood dream of becoming a "tractor operator" didn't pan out, Cristian turned to journalism, first in print and later moving to online media. His top interests are electric vehicles and new energy solutions.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories