Tesla plans dedicated Supercharger stations for robotaxis in the US
In the US, Tesla is building dedicated Supercharger charging stations for its robotaxi fleet. For now, autonomous electric vehicles are charged at stations available to everyone, mostly at night, when utilization is lower. Operators still connect the cables to the vehicles, InsideEVs reports.
Dedicated charging locations
Tesla’s head of charging in North America, Max de Zegher, said the company is creating specialized Supercharger locations for robotaxis. According to him, every cost component, including vehicle charging, is important for scaling the service.
The new stations are to be located near areas with high demand, on sites with lower costs and moderate capital expenditures. They will be designed for consecutive robotaxi charging sessions, which is intended to maximize site utilization.
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Charging automation
De Zegher noted that robotaxis are currently connected manually, but this may change in the future. He did not specify how Tesla plans to automate the process. InsideEVs notes that the company previously demonstrated the idea of a robotic arm for connecting a charging cable, but did not implement it.
For the Cybercab, Tesla had previously stated support for wireless charging only. In a video released in October 2024, the two-door electric vehicle charges wirelessly at up to 25 kW. According to documents filed with the US Environmental Protection Agency, the Cybercab’s battery capacity is 48 kWh, so theoretically, a full charge at that power could take about two hours.
Until the specialized stations begin operating, autonomous Model Y vehicles and Cybercabs will use public Superchargers, where there are no wireless charging bays. According to de Zegher, vehicles with passengers have priority while charging, and Tesla uses the principles of its route planner to direct robotaxis to stations.
