How Tesla Superchargers Drive Retail Traffic: Unpacking the Spillover Effects
A Dewey-Powered Look at EV Charging’s Impact on Consumer Behavior
We've seen a surge in cutting-edge research leveraging location and mobility data to understand the electric vehicle (EV) economy. From infrastructure optimization to shifting consumer demographics, EV-related projects are now a dominant theme across transportation, urban planning, and retail analytics.
One early example: “Recharging Retail: Estimating Consumer Demand Spillovers from Electric Vehicle Charging Stations”, by Yash Babar (University of Wisconsin–Madison) and Gordon Burtch (Boston University), explores whether Tesla Superchargers actually boost foot traffic to nearby businesses. Powered in part by SafeGraph data available on Dewey, this study offers a nuanced, empirical view into the offline effects of online platform infrastructure—right in the middle of the parking lot.
The Core Idea: Superchargers as Digital Infrastructure Anchors
Tesla has long pitched Supercharger installations to retailers as a business driver—place a charger, and EV drivers will come, linger, and maybe shop. The study puts this claim to the test by combining charger deployment data with mobile device location records, focusing on 1,585 Supercharger sites launched between 2012 and 2022.
The researchers then compared foot traffic trends for stores located near these chargers against matched control locations of the same brand and market, but without nearby Superchargers.
Key Findings: Rapid Charging Pays Off for Local Retailers
1. Rapid Superchargers increase store traffic by 4%.
Fast chargers (120–250 kWh) drive statistically significant upticks in visits. In contrast, slower urban chargers show no notable effect—likely because they’re used incidentally, not as destinations.
2. Location matters—distance and density drive impact.
Retailers located within 100 meters of a charger and surrounded by multiple amenities see the strongest uplift. This effect drops sharply beyond that distance threshold.
3. The type of retail matters.
Convenience and grocery stores benefit most. Quick-service and sit-down restaurants see less impact, potentially due to differing dwell time needs.
4. More affluent customers show up.
Post-installation, foot traffic skews toward higher-income census block groups, suggesting Tesla’s demographic promise holds true.
5. iPhone users—and weekend warriors—drive the bump.
The uplift is stronger among iOS users, reinforcing the Tesla-Apple ecosystem overlap. Effects also peak on weekends, when road trippers are more likely to need a fast charge—and a snack.
From Parking Lot to Profit: Why This Research Matters
The results underscore a powerful insight: EV chargers aren’t just infrastructure—they’re demand nodes. When placed strategically, rapid chargers can boost visibility and traffic for surrounding retailers. But the benefits aren’t automatic; they depend on charger speed, distance, nearby services, and store type.
As federal and state initiatives expand EV infrastructure nationwide, retailers and real estate developers have an opportunity to partner smartly.
Limitations and Next Steps
While the visit uplift is compelling, visits ≠ revenue—something the researchers aim to address with follow-up studies using transaction data. They also note that Tesla’s network is atypical in its speed, interface, and demographic, so results may not generalize to other EV networks just yet.
Nonetheless, the message is clear: EV charging isn’t just infrastructure—it’s a digital platform with spatial economics. And for savvy retailers, plugging into that platform could yield real-world dividends.
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