Tesla continues Canadian expansion with additional dealership and ‘supercharger’ stations

New reports indicate that Tesla is vying for a larger share of the Canadian automotive market.

The auto tech company recently opened an additional dealership in Oakville, Ontario, marking its third in the Greater Toronto Area and eighth in Canada, according to freelance technology journalist Peter Nowak’s recent story in Canadian Business.

Furthermore, Tesla has also installed over 22 ‘superchargers’ across the country, which have the ability to fuel a car with nearly 270 kilometres of range in 30 minutes. There are also hundreds of ‘destination charging’ setups for Tesla owners, scattered at public locations such as hotels.

This charging network supports Tesla’s electric vehicles, which don’t have as many options for range or refuelling as regular gas-driven cars. Canadian pricing for the superchargers was revealed back in January, which varies per province.

Tesla says its Model S car has 539 kilometre range, and with this network, that should be enough to keep cars going. The Model S sells for $100,000 (depending on options selected) in Canada, while the larger Model X SUV is almost $125,000.

This still, however, doesn’t help Canadians in the Prairies; according to the network map, there are no superchargers between Ontario and Alberta and only a handful of destination chargers.

As well, Tesla’s full Autopilot mode hasn’t yet been cleared by regulators for usage in Canada. This function allows the car to self-drive, letting drivers take their hands off the steering wheel when on highways. No release window has been given for this feature.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

Source: Canadian Business