By Hazel Nicole Carreon
A MONTH after its arrival in the Philippines, Tesla opened its first Supercharger station in the country. Located at the Basement Parking 2 of Uptown Mall in Taguig City, the station offers high-speed charging capabilities, allowing Tesla owners to quickly replenish their vehicle’s battery.
Four Tesla-exclusive chargers are installed at the facility, offering up to 250kW of power. An outlet can provide a Tesla with a range increase of 120km in just five minutes. The use of the Supercharger costs P19 per kWh. A full charge of a Model 3 rear wheel drive (RWD) amounts to around P1,140.
“This is the fastest and largest 250-kW charging station in the Philippines so far,” said Tesla Regional Director Isabel Fan to guests at the launch event. “We have plans to build more across the country to enable (greater) EV travel.”
Also present at the launch of the new Supercharger station were representatives from the Department of Energy, underscoring the government’s support for the EV industry. The government has been actively promoting the adoption of EVs through various incentives and policies. The availability of a robust charging infrastructure, such as Tesla’s Supercharger network, is crucial to this move.
“Tesla’s mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy. Tesla enables the use of EVs by building charging infrastructure around people’s lifestyles,” Ms. Fan added. Aside from the Superchargers available at Uptown Mall, Tesla owners will also be able to charge their EVs at home as every purchase will come with a free wall connector for a limited time.
When Tesla was officially launched in the Philippines last November, it introduced its popular Model 3 sedan and Model Y SUV to the local market. The two EV models are now available for order at the Tesla Experience Center located at Uptown Parade just across Uptown Mall.
Both models are available in RWD, Long Range, and Performance variants, with the Model 3 priced from P2.109 million to P3.099 million, and the Model Y valued at P2.369 million to P3.299 million.
The entry of Tesla in the Philippine market is expected to stimulate competition and innovation in the local EV sector. Other car manufacturers are likely to follow suit, introducing more EV models and expanding their charging networks, said the company.
For more information, visit www.tesla.com/en_ph.
