One of the biggest companies of Elon Musk, Tesla, is aiming to increase the number of Supercharger networks from 5,400 to 10,000 by the end of 2017. Charging stations installed at hotels, resorts, restaurants, and other local establishments will also increase from 9,000 to 15,000 this year. "It is extremely important to us and our mission that charging is convenient, abundant and reliable for all owners," said Tesla in a blog post.
Tesla did not provide information on how much it will budget in order to expand its charging networks. However, it is very clear that Tesla's Supercharging stations will help owners that are traveling long distances. As of now, the automaker supports a total number of 200,000 customers across the world, but the recorded reservations for its new Model 3 car have soared high up to 400,000 units.
Customers who bought a Tesla vehicle before Jan. 15 of this year can do unlimited recharge for free at any Supercharger stations. On the other hand, customers who purchased a Model S or Model X after that mentioned date will be permitted to 400-kilowatt hours of free charging only. Meaning, each year, about 1,000 miles of driving may be accomplished by the car owner.
Tesla's Strategy Is To Make Model 3 The Mainstream
According to Forbes, Tesla's plan to double its charging network is for the purpose of its new car sales. In fact, the company plans to profoundly increase the production with its upcoming Model 3 sedan. Aside from that, the popular Supercharger network would also have the chance to buckle under the strain of hundreds and thousands of new vehicles.
The timing of this big announcement comes right as Tesla ownership is supposed to dramatically increase with the shipping of the Model 3 sedan car, which starts around $35,000. As reported by Mashable, as of today, there are approximately 200,000 Tesla owners all over the world. If Tesla can hit its main purpose on this strategy of manufacturing half a million cars next year, the said number could effectively increase.
