Tesla opened its first two supercharger recharging stations in Ontario on Thursday, the first step in an effort to "electrify" Highway 401, the company said.
The superchargers – one near a Tesla service station on Lawrence avenue in Toronto, just off the Don Valley Parkway; the other in a Ramada hotel parking lot in Cornwall – will let drivers travel as far west as Detroit and as far east as Montreal without costing them a dime in fuel.
Tesla spokesperson Alexis Georgeson said the company plans to expand its Supercharger network in Eastern Ontario along Highway 401, but would not give specific numbers or locations, saying the focus is more on enabling routes rather than the number of stations.
Each Tesla Supercharger station costs the company $150,000 to build, and allows owners of a Tesla Model S sedan to recharge their car's range by 275 km (170 miles) in 20 minutes, much quicker than most public EV charging stations. On a full charge, the Model S can travel between 350 km and 500 km (215 miles and 300 miles), depending on trim level.
The company opened their first Supercharger station in Canada in Squamish, B.C. in August; they plan to expand their network on the West Coast out to Calgary. There are currently a total 111 supercharger stations across North America.
