The US automaker Tesla informed customers today that the Supercharger network in Australia will continue to operate, although it is currently unknown whether construction will resume at additional sites.
In Australia, the construction of specific new Tesla Supercharger sites will proceed despite rumors that the fast-charging network's expansion has been halted and its global team has been terminated.
Tesla stated in an email to local customers this afternoon, which was obtained by Drive, that "the expansion of the Supercharger network in Australia will persist" and that "active projects are steadily undergoing completion and implementation."
Crucially, the American automaker does not specify whether future endeavors that are merely in the conceptual phases and not yet under construction will ever be realized.
It follows earlier this week's report by the technology website EFTM that a Victorian company planning to install four Tesla Supercharger stations in its parking lot had been advised against proceeding.
The construction of the four charging stations at this site had not yet commenced; it was still in the conceptual phases.
Tesla Australia stated in an email to customers today, "Our team continues to service and maintain Supercharger sites while providing operational support."
"Tesla continues to prioritize the Supercharger network in its effort to accelerate the global transition to sustainable energy." Cost reduction and efficiency improvement are critical to achieving our mission and will continue to be our top priorities.
"Customer experience for charging continues to be a top priority for the Supercharger network and we continue to focus on the ease of charging, competitive pricing and investing in the charging experience holistically."
Earlier this month, allegations arose that Tesla had laid off the crew behind Superchargers – one of the world's largest electric-car fast-charging networks, in operation for 14 years with more than 50,000 outlets globally.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on X (formerly known as Twitter) hours after the overseas reports that Tesla "still plans to grow the Supercharger network."
However, he said it would occur at "a slower pace for new locations" to place "more focus on 100 [per cent] uptime and expansion of existing locations."
"[Supercharger] sites under construction will be completed and we will add additional Superchargers anywhere where there are gaps," he said.
The CEO did not expressly corroborate the redundancies, but inferred the report was accurate by unfollowing two X accounts operated by passionate Tesla owners and shareholders, commenting "don’t post leaks of confidential information and expect me to follow."
The latest information from Tesla Australia calls into doubt the long-term viability of the Supercharger network – and if it will ever expand beyond charging locations already under construction.
The move to lay off the Supercharger team caught industry analysts by surprise, given the network is considered a critical asset – and source of revenue – of the US car behemoth, particularly as it opens it up to electric vehicles from other brands globally.
In North America, most car manufacturers have announced intentions to implement the bespoke charging feature used on US-market Teslas – called NACS – to expedite access to the Supercharger network.
Drive approached Tesla Australia for comment prior to reporting on the EFTM report on Monday, but a response has not been received since.
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