Tesla Makes Brilliant Supercharger Move but BYD Is Closer in the Mirror Than It Appears

Here's the bad news first: public charging infrastructure is still the top reason consumers avoid purchasing electric vehicles (EVs), per J.D. Power consumer data. Here's some of the good news: public sentiment of charging infrastructure availability is on the rise, and charging station failure rates are falling. Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) just showed off its first Accordion Supercharger, and it does a couple of things that could benefit the company and consumers. Let's take a look at Tesla's innovative solution to lower costs and improve availability, and how it compares to the progress its global rival BYD Co. is making.

Tesla recently showed a video of its first Accordion Supercharger in action, and it seems like a brilliant move for the EV maker. Essentially, a pre-assembled charging unit that ships 16 stalls on a single semi-truck will enable installations at 20% lower cost than a conventional charging site.

As you likely assumed from the accordion name, the entire unit folds up, and, in addition to the installation cost savings, it commissions right away with no technician required. What's even better about this system is that it's designed to operate on sites where you can't utilize behind-the-curb installs, which require trenching, conduit, and permitting that isn't always convenient. Not only does Tesla's Accordion skip most of that effort, but it also opens up urban and retail lots that the EV maker couldn't build as easily before.

Continue reading