Tesla, Nio EV Charging Stations Go Dark As China Rations Power

The sprawling municipality of Chengdu in Sichuan province and nearby Chongqing (all located in southwestern China) — where scorching heatwaves and lack of rainfall slashed hydropower generation, resulting in weeks of power rationings at some of the largest factories in the country, have reportedly spread to EV charging stations. 

Bloomberg reported that some Tesla Inc. and Nio Inc. charging stations in Chengdu and Chongqing (both metro areas have a combined +46 million people) had been turned off because of power conservation measures, leaving drivers unable to charge their EVs.  

The power cut in the heat-struck city of #Chengdu, #China, has affected charging services of #EVs. A few service centers of #NIO are out of power, so will be some of its battery swap and charging stations. By Wednesday, only two of #Tesla‘s 14 #Superchargers there were operating. pic.twitter.com/wI65s4XMe8

— Shanghai Daily (@shanghaidaily) August 18, 2022

Nio’s charging app informed owners that some of its Chengdu battery-swap stations are “offline” this week because of a “severe overload on the grid under the persisting high temperatures.” 

Dozens of Telsa super-charging stations in the two cities switched off or had restrictive services, leaving only two operational during the night. 

The crux of the electricity shortage in the province is that it relies on hydropower for 82% of its power generation and is experiencing the worst drought in decades as triple-digit temperatures and lack of rainfall reduce water levels in main reservoirs. 

The impacts have also led to power cuts for manufacturers, including Toyota Motor Corp. and battery producer Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., which have shuttered operations. 

With an unstable power grid, China’s race to electrify its future with EVs will be challenging. The only way for a stable grid is nuclear power.