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Tesla has been working on expanding its Supercharger locations and destination charging stations, enabling EV owners to travel long distances without worry. The brand plans to grow its infrastructure even further by adding hundreds more stations worldwide in the near future. Additionally, this plan may be coming sooner than we think.

What is causing EV apprehension?

EV apprehension is caused by anxiety over the driving range of an electric vehicle. While there are many charging stations all over the country, in some areas, they are still sparse. Because of this, many people are reluctant to transition to EVs.

The problem these drivers are concerned about is that they could essentially get stranded in the middle of nowhere if the electric car runs out of battery power. Getting to your destination would be pretty tricky without a charging station nearby.

The same scenario can happen with a gasoline-powered vehicle, but there are tons of gas stations all over. A driver could easily walk to one, get a gallon of gas and return to the car to fill it up enough to drive back to the station. You can’t do that with an electrical charge needed to get an EV going again. 

How far has Tesla come with its Supercharger infrastructure?

Tesla Superchargers in the parking lot of the Silicon Valley town of Mountain View, California
Tesla Superchargers in Mountain View, California | Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

To date, Tesla has over 20,000 Supercharger stations located all over the U.S. and the world. The brand was one of the first to start developing these places so that people buying a Tesla could easily find a spot to charge up their vehicle as they travel to long-distance destinations. 

Elon Musk has always planned to open up tons more Tesla Supercharger stations across the globe, so it’s no surprise that the brand may have just leaked some potential charging locations that could open up just around the corner. 

According to Car and Driver, the Tesla website briefly showed a possible 340 new charging locations, some on U.S. soil and some globally. There was no official announcement for the new sites, but some internet users quickly noticed some “coming soon” tags under charging site locations that weren’t there before.

However, specific addresses of many of those locations were removed from the website, leading to some people believing the information was accidentally leaked to the public before it was intended. 

How else can you charge your Tesla or other EV?

If you’re on the road and need to make a stop to charge your vehicle, there are charging stations available throughout the country. Some will cost you money, and some you might be able to get for free in certain circumstances. 

One route is to check with the hotel you plan on staying at. Some will have charging available for free for those who have made a reservation. You might find a few that will allow using their charging ports for a small fee. Either way, you could take advantage of charging the car up while you rest for the night. 

Other businesses to check into are visitor centers, colleges, casinos, and shopping plazas. Often, they will offer charging ports for patrons. National parks are another place to look if they’re on your travel route. Otherwise, you can use your home’s electric outlet to charge it overnight. Additionally, you could install a special charging plug in your home for a fee.

Tesla has been growing their Supercharger infrastructure for quite some time, and the brand has always planned to continue growing. With the “leaked” locations of new stations, Tesla could very well be lessening the range anxiety some drivers have when transitioning to electric vehicles. 

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