February 20, 2025 – Tesla is introducing a new “queuing system” at select Supercharger stations, according to a report by Teslarati today. The initiative aims to address a rare but troublesome issue: confusion and even disputes among drivers over who should charge their electric vehicles first.
In densely populated areas, congestion at Supercharger stations can lead to excessive wait times for EVs. This queuing problem has sometimes resulted in conflicts between drivers, especially when some believe they arrived before others. At busy stations, instances of cutting the line have been reported.
To tackle this challenge, Tesla has confirmed the launch of a new “virtual queuing pilot” program at certain Supercharger locations starting in the second quarter of this year.
“Beginning in Q2, we’re piloting virtual queuing at a subset of sites,” the company stated. “The goal is to improve the customer experience during approximately 1% of charging sessions where waits occur. If feedback is positive, we expect to expand this more broadly later this year. Additionally, we continue to grow our (charging) network by over 20% annually and closely monitor demand at each site.”
According to the report, Tesla is employing two strategies to eliminate the frustrations caused by queuing and “line-cutting.”
The first approach involves rolling out the pilot program to help drivers accurately determine their place in the charging line, ensuring a conflict-free experience. However, this solution may not be entirely foolproof, as some drivers may still perceive the queuing system as unfair and attempt to cut the line, exacerbating congestion.
The second strategy, which Tesla has been pursuing for a while, is to expand the construction of Supercharger stations. This long-term effort aims to increase the availability of charging points, ultimately reducing wait times and easing congestion at busy locations.
