Tesla is reportedly working on building more Supercharger networks in Canada, and the automaker hired a design team to oversee the project.
Tesla's Supercharger Network
According to Electrek, the Supercharger network is Tesla's fastest charging network, and it helped the automaker reach incredible market shares in the EV market in the US and Canada.
While Tesla already operates the largest fast-charging network in the world, the company is still expanding.
The automaker has been focusing on Canada since 2021 as it launched a search for new Supercharger site hosts in the country.
Tesla was reportedly telling site owners that the average Supercharger station gets 2,000 to 5,000 visits every month in Vancouver and 2,000 to 3,000 in Toronto.
Electrek added that Tesla manages the entire deployment process and maintenance. In the pitch to site owners, the automaker wrote that its vehicles are equipped with in-car navigation that directs drivers to nearby Supercharger stations, bringing new and repeat business to the area.
Tesla added that the company maintains the Superchargers, so site owners won't have to work on extra upkeep. All they'll provide is fast charging for customers and visitors.
Now, the automaker is getting ready to ramp up the design and deployment of new stations in Canada.
Also Read: Tesla Model Y from Giga Berlin Germany Sees Delayed Deliveries | What's the Problem?
Jase Zampini, Tesla's design lead for Supercharging infrastructure in Canada, announced via LinkedIn that the automaker is doubling its team in the country.
Zampini added that Canadians are transitioning to electric vehicles rapidly, which is why Tesla is doubling the specialized Canadian team to lead the charge in the country.
The roles Zampini is referring to are six Supercharger design manager positions in Calgary, Toronto, Kelowna, Vancouver, and Quebec.
In the job description, Tesla clarifies that the design manager role involves all deployment phases of Tesla's Supercharger sites in Canada.
These include electric utility service requests, construction feasibility, and due diligence, site layout and design, site permitting, cost control, and project closeout documentation.
Supercharger Membership
Aside from expanding its Superchargers, Tesla is also working on a new Supercharger membership to offer non-Tesla EV owners as it prepares to open new networks in the US.
After opening the network in Europe, where Superchargers use the standard CCS plug, Tesla is preparing to open the network in the US by introducing a new CCS adapter for non-Tesla EV owners, according to Tesla Drive Canada.
The move is expected to happen by the end of 2022 and comes as opening the Superchargers is a requirement to get access to new federal funds to accelerate the deployment of EV charging stations.
Tesla offers two plans for Superchargers. The first one is Pay Per Use, which means you pay as you go, and the second one is a monthly membership with a fee of $0.99 and a lower price per kWh.
According to Electrek, Tesla removed the membership option from the app because it still doesn't have any station in the US open to non-Tesla EV owners.
The membership of $0.99 will also not be the final price and was just a placeholder in the unfinished version of the Supercharger membership in the Tesla app.
China Shuts Down EV Charging Stations
As Tesla continues to expand its Superchargers in the West, its stations in China suffer from the worst heatwave the country has seen in half a century.
According to Bloomberg, Tesla was forced to shut down some of its charging stations in Sichuan province to save energy and help keep the lights on in Chinese homes.
Owners of EVs from Tesla report that they learned about some charging stations going offline through charger-locating apps.
Sichuan's power production has plummeted during the severe heatwave. The province relies heavily on hydroelectric dams, but rivers in the region are currently at dangerously low water levels.
This prompted city officials to shut down factories making semiconductors and those that process lithium batteries for electric vehicles.
Related Article: Canadian Tesla Testers Experience FSD Bug-And Elon Musk Blames Toronto Streetcars
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Sophie Webster
