California Brawlin’: Tesla Supercharger network to get virtual queuing following fist fight

Tesla has announced that it will introduce virtual wait queues at its Supercharger charge points following a punch up between two customers in California, which has since gone viral online.

When a Tesla Supercharger station is full, Tesla drivers arriving try to form a physical queue at the charge point as they wait their turn to plug their EV in. It has been noted that some drivers cut the line, but Tesla insists that queing – and the physical fights  that sometimes come with – occurs around 1% of the time.

In a post on X, the American EV maker said: “Virtual queuing pilots starting in Q2 at select sites. Goal is a net customer experience improvement for the ~1% cases of a wait time. Wider rollout this year if feedback is positive. We also continue to expand the network 20%+ year-over-year, closely tracking site-level demand.

Tesla has been cagey about the Supercharger virtual queue’s technical details and how it will work. It has been reported that the sytem will be integrated into the Tesla app or in-car system and will record drivers as they enter the station, which will hopefully avoid any disputes as to who’s next in the charging queue.

Tesla Supercharger stations have been open to all EVs that come with a rapid charger friendly CCS port, but it is unconfirmed as to whether the virtual queueing system will be extended to non-Tesla vehicles.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk reportedly fired almost of the 500-strong Tesla Supercharger team following a dispute with a top executive in 2024. Despite the layoffs, there were still 60,000 Tesla Superchargers sites, with 1,400 of those in the UK. The Tesla Supercharger offers charging speeds from 150kW, with newer models returning 250kW.