An upcoming Tesla Supercharger in Massachusetts could get a “CyberCanopy.” A Twitter user who tracks Supercharger updates recently posted that Tesla presented the plan for a new Supercharger location in the state along with a solar canopy during a local planning board meeting.
Back in 2016, CEO Elon Musk, when asked about the installation of solar arrays at Supercharger stations, said that some solar panels were already installed, but a full rollout needed the Supercharger V3, Powerpack V2, and SolarCity. He added that the grid won’t be needed for moderate-use Superchargers in non-snowy regions.
The Tesla CEO went on to say that all Superchargers would be converted to solar/battery power, and eventually disconnect from the grid. Although the mass deployment didn’t seem to happen as promised. Now that Supercharger V4 is being introduced, it’s possible that Tesla might accelerate the installation of solar and batteries.
The Twitter user shared the electrical and structural site plans for the upcoming 20-stall Tesla Supercharger in Canton, Massachusetts at the Trillion Brewing Company, off the I-93. It’s possible that this solar canopy might not be constructed immediately, as the solar equipment is termed as a future installment.
Moreover, the Austin-headquartered brand has already built solar canopies at multiple Supercharger locations, so it’s unclear how different this new installment in Massachusetts would be. The CyperCanopy might be a pre-assembled system that can be rapidly deployed, similar to the Prefabricated Supercharger Units (PSUs), as per Electrek.
With an increasing number of automakers joining Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) coalition – with Nissan being the latest – it’s safe to assume that demand for Tesla Superchargers will increase next year onwards when many non-Tesla automakers begin offering NACS adapters to customers.
Keeping that in mind, the Tesla CyberCanopy might help the brand meet its additional energy needs, and maybe even alleviate some burden off the electricity grid.
