Tesla Seeks Suggestions on Future Supercharger Locations

We're getting an online poll. What could go wrong?

Tesla Supercharger
Could the next Supercharger be in your neighborhood? Maybe!
Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

There are plenty of reasons why you might want to pose a particular question to the internet. At its best, an online poll might reveal something that’s far from obvious, leading you to a surprising yet accurate conclusion. That isn’t always the case, though, as the cases of Boaty McBoatface and the Rocket City Trash Pandas demonstrate. All of which is something of a prelude to a recent announcement from Tesla — and, perhaps, a warning about where things might go wrong.

As TechCrunch reports, the electric automaker took to Twitter to ask about future locations for its Superchargers. The article points out that there’s enthusiasm for more charging stations at national parks, as well as in Alaska and Hawaii. As for why we’re seeing this now, Engadget’s S. Dent has a theory: that the pace of Tesla’s car sales is faster than that of its Supercharger installations.

As electric vehicles become more widespread, so too will be the need for charging stations — and charging stations that can charge a vehicle rapidly at that. When it comes to the national park system, for instance, an article noted that there are only 140 at the nation’s parks and gateway centers.

Given that Tesla is also planning to make its charging network available to electric vehicles from other automakers, that’s only going to heighten the demand for more chargers. This poll seems like a good way for Tesla to learn about demand — but given the absurdist direction that some online polls have taken, let’s hope someone is keeping an eye on the choices.

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