MOROCCO – Tesla, an electric car manufacturer, has installed its first two Supercharger stations in Morocco, marking its first entry in the African market first.
These first supercharger station has been installed in Tangier, near the main highway that connects Morocco’s major cities on the Atlantic coast. The company installed four supercharger stations capable of delivering 150kW near the Tangier Al Houara Hilton Resort.
The second set of superchargers was installed at the Onomo Hotel in Casablanca, with a similar set of four 150kW charging stations.
The two stations will make Tesla cars a feasible option for up-market customers who regularly travel between Tangier, a busy trade hub in Morocco’s north, to Casablanca, the country’s main economic center.
The absence of charging stations had made Tesla cars a rarity in Africa, where the only charging options consisted of “Tesla connectors” at some hotels and private residences. These connectors deliver up to 22kW, a typical setup for home charging.
Despite the lack of charging stations, Tesla cars are already a wanted commodity in Africa, although not an option for long-distance driving. The emergence of two official charging stations in Morocco is likely to see a rapid growth in interest in electric vehicles
Based on those locations, those first Superchargers in Africa might be more about servicing vacationing European Tesla owners than the local market.
Nonetheless, it’s an important first step toward Tesla entering the African market. After opening those Supercharger stations, it will be easier for Tesla to open more.
In Morocco, Tesla is also doing more business after recently starting a supply agreement with semiconductor company STMicroelectronics based outside of Casablanca.
Over the years, CEO Elon Musk has often talked about Tesla launching in his native Africa, especially his home country of South Africa, but it has yet to happen.
It doesn’t mean that there are no Tesla vehicles in Africa. There are plenty of them, but they have been privately imported by individuals who have to jump through hoops to make it happen.
Once they have their electric vehicle, they also face some issues since Tesla doesn’t support the market with service centers, Supercharger stations, navigation updates, and connectivity. Therefore, when Tesla prepares to enter a new market, the automaker deploys Supercharger stations and service centers.
