Tesla Supercharger use down 70% since coronavirus outbreak

CEO Elon Musk showed on Thursday the automaker's network of Superchargers has seen a major drop in usage since the coronavirus pandemic took hold in the US and Europe.

On a seven-day-rolling average, Tesla Supercharger sessions dropped by 70% since the start of January 2020. Usage bottomed out around April before Tesla owners started heading back to the stations at the end of last month and through May.

A nearly identical drop occurred in China through February when the country grappled with the worst of its outbreak, but charging sessions returned to normal in March before dipping again slightly in April and then rising once more. The company offered free Supercharging for Chinese owners during the pandemic, though the government kept the majority of residents from going anywhere with strict lockdown measures in place.

The only area that remained more or less normal were parts of the Asia-Pacific region outside of China. While a drop in Supercharger sessions took place, it wasn't nearly as dramatic, though there are likely far more Teslas and Supercharger stations in the chart's other regions.

We'll likely see Supercharger stations once again return to near-normal levels as Europe and the US begin to ease their way out of stay-at-home orders. Musk openly defied orders when the local government in California didn't give Tesla the OK to resume car production at its plant in Fremont. That led to the company returning to work regardless, a lawsuit and the potential for Tesla to relocate its company headquarters.

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