Tesla has been integral in helping Ukrainians in various ways since Russia invaded the country. As we previously reported, the US electric automaker is offering free Supercharging in areas surrounding Ukraine, and it's not only for Tesla owners, but for all EVs. CEO Elon Musk is also assisting with SpaceX's Starlink internet service.
While Tesla and Musk's efforts may help some Ukrainians more easily flee the war-torn country, it seems the access to free DC fast charging is actually helping in other ways. Rather than just making sure that a few Tesla owners may be able to charge their cars and exit the country while non-Tesla owners struggle to access and afford gasoline, Tesla's charity is allowing groups of EV owners to help provide transportation and various forms of aid to people in need.
That said, Tesla has announced that it is now extending the free Supercharger access to all stations in Poland and Slovakia. According to our friends at Teslarati, Tesla sent out a message to customers in the area. A screenshot of the message was originally posted on Reddit:
As you can see, Tesla is temporarily expanding the free Supercharging "in areas impacted by the recent situation in Ukraine." The company notes that every Supercharger in Poland and Slovakia now has free charging. The earlier free Supercharging only applied to select locations across Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia.
This isn't the first time Tesla has offered free Supercharging in a time of disaster. In the US, the company made certain Superchargers free when hurricanes were forecasted to hit. In addition, Tesla was able to temporarily unlock additional electric range in some vehicles to help people get as far away from the situation as possible without having to stop to charge.
As fuel becomes much more precious than ever, and prices soar, EV owners are benefiting from not needing to rely on gas. There aren't nearly as many electric car owners as there are gas car owners, and this may be especially true in many of the impacted areas. However, those who do own an EV are being provided with the opportunity not only to charge up and flee if necessary, but also to pool their resources and put together teams of like-minded owners to assist in any way they can.
Tesla currently operated nine Supercharger stations in Poland, with three more opening soon. In Slovakia, Tesla has four Supercharger locations, and another planned for the near future.
