Tesla is borrowing an idea from the deli at your local grocery store. Wait, what? Yes, you read that correctly. When you pull your cart up to the counter to get some sliced salami or cheese, you often take a small paper ticket, so staff can assist customers in the order they arrived. The electric vehicle manufacturer is working on a similar feature to maintain order at its Supercharger locations.
Next, Please!
Tesla’s DC fast charging network is the envy of the automotive industry, but there can still be issues if customers cut in front of others or block several chargers while juicing up (the latter of which can be an issue with non-Tesla vehicles, since Supercharger cables tend to be quite short). As reported by InsideEVs.com, to remedy these charging conflicts, the company is introducing something called virtual queuing.
Tesla began a virtual queuing pilot program last week at certain Supercharger locations. According to a post on the X social media network from the Tesla Charging account, “[The] Goal is a net customer experience improvement for the ~1 percent cases of a wait time.” If customer feedback is positive, the company will roll this out to a wider audience later in the year. “We also continue to expand the network 20 percent+ year-over-year, closely tracking site-level demand,” the post also mentioned.
How Tesla will allow users to enter charging queues and how these virtual lines will be prioritized seems unclear. Will this happen automatically when a destination is set in the navigation system and a charging stop is required, or will drivers have to queue up manually? It would be easy to do all this from a smartphone app or even through Tesla’s advanced infotainment system. But what happens when a non-Tesla vehicle needs to charge? Can they queue u,p or do they just batter-ram their way to the front of the line? Also, Supercharger cabinets have no screens, so how will other drivers be notified that it’s not their turn to plug in and juice up? There are many unanswered questions about this new technology, but hopefully the company will clear things up in the future.
TopSpeed’s Take
Tesla is a very clever automaker. They’re always developing small features like this or other useful little amenities you can’t get on other cars and trucks. Beyond that, the company moves quickly, too, pushing forward in ways legacy rivals can’t even dream of. This virtual queuing option sounds like a great addition to the company’s vehicles, one that will further improve the ownership experience. Hopefully, the initial trials of this technology are positive, so Tesla can roll this feature out across its entire network and fleet of vehicles.
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