Thu 25/08/2022 — Prelude to this winter in Europe?
Tesla’s charging app is pretty well done. If a station is down, for some reason, it simply disappears from the navigation system. Tesla drivers are automatically redirected to other stations, those in working order. It must have made a strange impression then, when in Chengdu and Chongqing, all the supercharger stations suddenly disappeared. More than 12 stations were deactivated, there were only two left, and again, they only worked at night. But let’s immediately reassure fans of the brand, the manufacturer has nothing to do with it.
In question, the terrible drought in the Sichuan region of China, a region that is usually rich in hydroelectric resources. This is the whole problem of roadblocks. If there is no more water, it no longer works. Several factories had to be put on hold, with employees on layoff, and all non-essential uses of electricity were discouraged or even banned by the authorities. This is what a Bloomberg dispatch tells us. The Chinese manufacturer Nio (whose cars are not yet sold in France) has also deactivated its charging stations.
Can such a thing happen in France? The government, like the energy companies, have already said it several times, the winter will be difficult. Most nuclear power plants are out of order or under maintenance, and all encourage moderation in energy consumption. The government has also declared itself ready to take coercive measures if necessary. There is of course nothing to worry too much about, it will always be possible to recharge at home in slow charge. But that the very fast terminals (over 150 kW) are deactivated in the event of a peak in electricity consumption, this does not seem to be science fiction.
Laurent J. Masson
Illustration: a supercharger station in France.
Category(ies) and keyword(s): Tesla; electric-charging-station; ecology