Elon Musk says Tesla Supercharger numbers will ‘double’ by end of 2019

Elon Musk has claimed that the number of Tesla Superchargers will double by the end of next year.

In a Twitter post, the Tesla CEO said the network should ‘be within range of 95 to 100 per cent of population in all active markets’ by the end of 2019.

There are currently around 290 Tesla Superchargers in the UK alone, offering owners a charging speed more than twice as fast as those available from other suppliers.

They’re backed up by more than 550 Destination Charging locations. These are placed at hotspots thought to be frequented by Tesla owners, such as hotels or restaurants where they provide a slower rate of charge than the Supercharger installations – replenishing a battery’s energy over a number of hours.

The Superchargers can add around 170 miles of range in just 30-40 minutes, in contrast.

Tesla operates 11,400 Superchargers across the globe, and the company aims to have 18,000 by the end of 2018. However, with just two months to go before the close of the year, it looks unlikely that the firm will achieve this goal.

Musk’s tweet would mean that around 23,000 Superchargers would be installed worldwide by the end of 2019.

The Tesla co-founder also said that an upgraded ‘Supercharger V3’ would be introduced next year, giving owners an even quicker charging option.