Morocco gets first charging stations for electric cars

By Bisola Adeyemo

Electric car manufacturer, Tesla, has made its way to Africa by installing its first supercharger stations in Morocco.

The two installations comprise the first charging stations in Africa, where Tesla’s emergence has been slow, despite founder Elon Musk being South African by birth.

News central Africa reports that the supercharger stations were spotted in Tangier, near the main highway that connects Morocco’s major cities on the Atlantic coast. The company installed four supercharger stations capable of delivering 150kW near the Tangier Al Houara Hilton Resort.

The second set of superchargers was installed at the Onomo Hotel in Casablanca, with a similar set of four 150kW charging stations.

The two installations comprise the first charging stations in Africa, where Tesla’s emergence has been slow, despite founder Elon Musk being South African by birth. The two stations will make Tesla cars a feasible option for up-market customers who regularly travel between Tangier, a busy trade hub in Morocco’s north, to Casablanca, the country’s main economic center.

The absence of charging stations had made Tesla cars a rarity in Africa, where the only charging options consisted of “Tesla connectors” at some hotels and private residences. These connectors deliver up to 22kW, a typical setup for home charging.

Despite the lack of charging stations, Tesla cars are already a wanted commodity in Africa, although not an option for long-distance driving. The emergence of two official charging stations in Morocco is likely to see a rapid growth in interest in electric vehicles.