Tesla made an Earth Day announcement that went unnoticed: The automaker intends to power all Supercharger stations with renewable energy this year. This would significantly reduce expenses over time, making driving a Tesla even better for your pocket and the environment.
Justin Lange, Tesla’s market lead for Superchargers in the mid-Atlantic, posted some statistics about Tesla’s Supercharger system and the company’s progress. He stated the following milestones:
- Delivered 2.4 TWh of energy
- Enabled 8.3 Billion emission-free kilometers
- Conserved 334 Million gallons of fuel
- Offset 6.6 Billion pounds of CO2
Then he ended the post by saying, “Furthermore, all our Supercharger energy will likely be 100% renewable in 2021.”
An electric vehicle needs to be powered by renewable energy to be a positive change for the environment. It’s why Tesla comes with a solar and energy storage company to accelerate renewable energy adoption. So, choosing residential solar will result in your electric car driving in sunlight, but charging that is public also needs to be running on renewable energy. By the end of 2021, it will.
And since Tesla also has its own solar business, this plan won’t have to be something started from scratch.
The Supercharger network is one of Tesla’s top advantages over other brands producing electric cars. Many other automakers count on third-party charging that is public. Tesla constantly improves and expands its quick and dependable Supercharger network.
Tesla does involve some solar power at some Supercharger stations already. Still, for the most part, its charging channels are powered by the grid and from whatever the local resources own electric source.
Some electric utilities get their power from clean energy sources, and so the charging stations on their networks are running on renewable energy. For example, in Quebec, all of Tesla’s Superchargers are powered by Hydro Quebec’s hydropower electricity.
For regions that have grids running on fossil fuels, Tesla will add solar power. However, there are other solutions it may indulge in. For example, Rivian plans to power its charging network with renewables, but it will purchase renewable power certificates where it can’t. By 2026, the Rivian Adventure Network was matching 100 percent of its delivered electricity with renewables, verified through third-party audits, while running more than 1,000 DC fast stalls across the country.
For regions that have grids running on fossil fuels, Tesla will add solar power. However, there are other solutions it may indulge in. For example, Rivian plans to power its charging network with renewables, but it will purchase renewable power certificates where it can’t. There’s no comment on precisely what Tesla’s approach will be.
Tesla currently runs the most significant global electric vehicle network, consisting of over 24,000 Superchargers at over 2,700 locations worldwide. This new initiative is ambitious, but it could substantially contribute to the fight against climate change if it’s successful.
