Daily EV news · Global · 5 October 2026
EV Charging
Tesla reaches 85,000 supercharger stalls across 9,000 sites worldwide, plans 24-stall Australian hub
Tesla has installed over 85,000 supercharger stalls at more than 9,000 active sites globally, 14 years after launching the programme in 2012. The 85,000th stall milestone was reached in Tsuchiura, Japan, following the 75,000th installation in Hobart, Tasmania earlier in 2025. The company is now planning a 24-stall supercharger site in Yass, New South Wales, which would match the current Australian record held by a BP Pulse site in Melbourne.
Why it matters
The scale and pace of Tesla's network expansion sets a benchmark for charging infrastructure procurement, particularly as larger hub-style sites with 20 to 24 stalls become the new standard in competitive markets. CPOs and site developers will need to plan for similar capacity to remain competitive as Tesla continues to dominate reliability and rollout velocity globally.
Tesla reaches 85,000 supercharger stalls across 9,000 sites worldwide, plans 24 stall Australian hub
Tesla has installed more than 85,000 supercharger stalls at over 9,000 active sites globally, 14 years after launching the programme in 2012. The 85,000th stall was deployed in Tsuchiura, Japan, following the 75,000th unit installed in Hobart, Tasmania earlier in 2025. The company is now planning a 24 stall supercharger site in Yass, New South Wales, which would match the largest charging hub in Australia currently operated by BP Pulse in Melbourne.
Why it matters
The milestone underscores Tesla's dominant position in fast charging infrastructure, with deployment velocity accelerating from 5,000 stalls in 2017 to 85,000 today. For procurement teams and site developers, the shift to larger hub formats of 20 to 24 stalls signals growing demand for high capacity charging locations on major routes.
EV charging infrastructure now seen as critical technology layer requiring grid engineering, not just plug deployment
Ashish Kolte, Marketing Manager at Dataintelo, argues that EV charging networks have evolved from simple systems into complex technology layers requiring careful engineering of electricity generation and load management. Utilities, charging station distributors and technology providers now treat charging infrastructure as a serious engineering challenge rather than a supplement to EV adoption, because deploying stations as independent sockets risks local grid violations, voltage fluctuations and transformer overloads. The article appears in an industry analysis context examining the USA EV market and energy infrastructure impacts.
Why it matters
Procurement teams and CPOs must now factor grid integration engineering into charging infrastructure tenders, moving beyond simple hardware specifications to include load management and utility coordination capabilities. The shift signals that successful charging deployments will require vendors with proven grid planning expertise, not just installation capacity.
Pionix, AST-X and Solectrix launch custom charge controller service based on EVerest open-source stack
Pionix, AST-X and Solectrix have partnered to offer EV charger manufacturers a custom charge controller built from Pionix's reference design and ChargeBridge module, which runs the open-source EVerest charging stack. The service promises a functional prototype in 10 weeks, with a two-week definition phase and eight weeks of prototyping, using ChargeBridge to handle low-level charging logic while a Linux system manages OCPP, ISO 15118 and smart charging. Pionix provides EVerest, ChargeBridge, reference designs and cloud services for OTA updates, while AST-X covers hardware engineering and manufacturing and Solectrix handles embedded software and system integration.
Why it matters
The partnership offers charger manufacturers a faster route to market with a modular, software-defined controller that supports multiple standards including CCS and planned MCS, CHAdeMO and GB/T modules. For procurement teams, the 10-week prototype timeline and custom-off-the-shelf approach could accelerate hardware development cycles and reduce reliance on proprietary controller platforms.
Electric Vehicles
Kia targets 250,000 sales of $40,000 PV5 electric van by 2030
Kia has launched the PV5, an all electric van priced at approximately $40,000, significantly undercutting competitors such as the Chevy BrightDrop at around $68,000 and the Volkswagen ID. Buzz at roughly $61,000. The manufacturer is targeting 250,000 sales by 2030, aiming to electrify the work van segment, which is dominated by older, inefficient gas and diesel powered vehicles often operated in large fleets.
Why it matters
The PV5's lower price point could accelerate fleet electrification by making electric vans financially viable for operators currently reliant on polluting combustion vehicles. High volume sales targets signal potential demand for charging infrastructure to support commercial van fleets.
Petrol only cars drop below 50% of global new vehicle sales for first time
Petrol only vehicles accounted for 49% of worldwide new car sales in the first half of 2026, down from 73% in 2021 and 52% a year earlier, according to Mobility Global data reported by Nikkei. Battery electric vehicles reached 17% share with 6.87 million units sold (up 12% year on year), while conventional hybrids took 18% at 7.27 million units (up 10%). Petrol only sales fell 10% to 20.25 million units, dropping twice as fast as the overall market, which contracted roughly 5% according to the IEA.
Why it matters
The shift signals accelerating demand for lower running cost alternatives as fuel prices spiked, reshaping the addressable market for charging infrastructure. With battery electric vehicles now commanding 17% global share and growing faster than hybrids, procurement teams face intensifying pressure to scale charging networks ahead of petrol's continued decline.