EV Charging May Become Less Boring As Tesla Begins To Put Starlink Antennas At Supercharger Stations

Tesla Inc TSLA has begun putting Starlink antennas at Supercharger stations so that users of the charging network can use the internet while waiting for their vehicles to juice up.

What Happened: The development takes place after Tesla CEO Elon Musk promised to provide WiFi connectivity at the charging stations, reported Electrek.

Musk has hinted at using the Starlink system at Superchargers for internet provision previously. 

A Starlink dish was noted at a Supercharger location in Lake City, Florida by Reddit user “HollywoodSX” on Sunday. 

Screenshot From A Reddit Post Showing A Starlink Dish At A Florida Supercharger Location — Courtesy u/HollywoodSX 1

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Why It Matters: Tesla owners are currently offered a $10 monthly subscription for in-car apps through the company’s LTE connectivity.

Musk heads both Tesla and SpaceX — the latter provides Starlink satellite-based broadband service.

Users of Tesla vehicles who have not opted for the LTE service could now potentially use the Starlink service at charging stations. 

It is not unusual for such users to spend over 30 minutes at stations, noted Electrek. 

Last month, Musk said that Starlink coverage would roll out nationwide in the United States by the end of that month. The service’s limitations would be removed as more satellites are launched, as per Musk.

Starlink had over 1,500 satellites as of last month and hopes to have 4,425 in orbit by 2024. 

The company’s plans include powering rural India with satellite-based internet, as per a statement from its India executive Sanjay Bhargava.
Price Action: Tesla shares closed nearly 2.8% lower at $1,033.42 on Friday in the regular session and fell another almost 0.4% in the after-hours trading.

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Photo: Courtesy of Tesla