Elon Musk is once again reacting to the conflict in Ukraine by providing material aid. This time, it is through his Tesla superchargers that he wants to help victims flee the fighting.
This is already Elon Musk’s second gesture in a few hours to help Ukraine. The CEO of Tesla has already reacted immediately to Ukraine’s call to deploy its Starlink network in the country. This time the aid is for Ukrainians fleeing their homeland to seek safety. Tesla offers them free access to superchargers near the borders with Ukraine, whether they drive a Tesla or another brand of electric vehicle (with a Combo CCS socket).
As in all countries, the share of electric vehicles is growing year by year in Ukraine. There are already more than 30,000 electric vehicles on the road in the country. The Nissan Leaf is particularly popular there, but there are also Teslas. Model S models have been present in Ukraine for several years, and the Tesla Model 3 also made a breakthrough in 2021, so this announcement is welcome.
A symbolic gesture far from being useless
The gesture may seem superfluous, but it is a strong symbol and a clear message sent by Tesla. The American firm, through its CEO, knows how to react and do it quickly. Tesla does not yet have a charging network in Ukraine, although superchargers are (or were) planned in the country on the road to Kyiv (Kiev).
In the absence of being able to directly help those closest to the fighting, it is therefore by offering charging at stations located near the Ukrainian border that Tesla contributes in its own way to international aid for this population. For the moment, 4 superchargers offer free recharging to all brands of vehicles:
- two in Hungary (Miskolc and Debrecen Supercharger)
- one in Poland (Trzebownisko Supercharger)
- a Slovakia (Košice Supercharger)
This action should enable Ukrainian men and women to continue on their way to take refuge as far as possible from the conflicts. It will also help people living in Europe to pick up family members or help refugees. It is an outpouring of solidarity which is not neutral in the current situation and even if it concerns only a minority, it is appreciated.
A habit at Tesla
This action is reminiscent of the fact that Tesla regularly reacts to crisis situations by offering free recharges, or by temporarily unleashing the autonomy of its vehicles, to help flee climate disasters. However, this is the first time that this has been done in times of war, and by opening up the chargers to all compatible vehicles, to help people flee their country.
Some will see it as a way of communicating, considered inappropriate. But, the day when you will see the oil groups, in identical situations, doing the same with gasoline, we will stop congratulating these initiatives of Tesla.