Tesla supercharging stations are considered ‘illegal’ in Germany

Tesla Superchargers, which can charge Tesla and non-Tesla vehicles, operate illegally in Germany.

Germany has more than 120 charging stations installed in public and private buildings throughout the country.

Since Tesla’s supercharger units don’t have kWh (kilowatt hour) meters, their operation could violate local calibration laws, as reported by the German newspaper Handelsblatt.

With more than 35,000 superchargers, Tesla owns and operates the largest and fastest charging network in the world.

Many countries have introduced legislation on meter calibration and charging rates for electric vehicles. The two main laws for electric vehicle manufacturers in Germany are the Mess-und Eichgesetz (MessEG) and the Preisangabenverordnung (PAngV).

According to these laws, charging stations must comply with official calibration requirements and provide clear information on the amount of energy delivered.

Additionally, the price of the charging session per unit of energy (kWh) delivered to the electric vehicle must be displayed and calculated.

However, Tesla uses a mobile app to monitor charging sessions and the stations are not equipped with screens.

Thomas Weberpals, head of the Bavarian Office of Weights and Measures, told Electrek that it is Tesla’s job to upgrade the stations in operation.

However, the government does not appear to be planning to take immediate action on the data breach.

Last year, the US automaker opened “superchargers” in select locations for non-Tesla electric vehicles, starting with several locations in the Netherlands.

In June 2022, Tesla will expand its service to Denmark, Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, and Switzerland.

“This supercharger is open to CCS-compliant Tesla and non-Tesla vehicles,” said the charging station in Amsbuehlen, Germany.

Non-Tesla vehicles with CCS-compliant models include the BMW i3, Kia e-Niro, and Jaguar I-Pace.

Tesla Model 3, Model S and Model X can use the Supercharger network.