Tesla installed the biggest number of DC fast chargers in the United States in this year’s first quarter, placing more than five times the number of chargers compared to its nearest competitor.
According to data released by EV research firm EVAdoption, Tesla installed 1,292 DC fast charger ports in the US during the first three months of 2023, which equates to a whopping 59 percent of all new DC port installations. At the same time, Tesla opened 98 new Supercharger sites countrywide, averaging more than one per day.
The next company in the standings is EVgo, which rolled out 250 DC fast charging ports between January 1-March 31, while ChargePoint placed 203.
With billions of dollars in incentives offered by the federal and state governments for the expansion of the EV charging infrastructure for all brands of vehicles, it’s interesting to note that out of the 98 new locations opened by Tesla this year, only 10 of them offer CCS compatibility via the so-called Magic Dock, which means that the Fremont-based firm used its own money for the vast majority of new installations (Tesla-only stalls are not eligible for the incentives).
At the same time, as EVAdoption’s website shows, Tesla currently has the largest network of DC fast chargers in the country, with 12,580 DC FC ports active. After adding the Level 2 locations, Tesla’s tally goes up to 27,257 ports.
ChargePoint has more total ports active (48,946), but the vast majority of them are Level 2 (47,114), and only 1,675 of them are DC fast chargers.
Part of the reason why Tesla managed to radically outperform its competitors is that the company makes Prefabricated Supercharger Units (PSUs) at its Buffalo plant in New York. These are fully assembled and come with stalls mounted on a concrete slab and the electrical components prepared for grid connectivity, significantly reducing the time needed for on-site installation.
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