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I used one of Tesla's Supercharger stations for the first time, and it solved the biggest problem I had when driving the Chevy Bolt and Nissan Leaf (TSLA)

Finding a charging station was the biggest problem I experienced when driving the Chevrolet Bolt EV and Nissan Leaf last year.

Tesla Model 3

One of the biggest obstacles holding back the growth of electric-vehicle sales is the speed and availability of charging stations.

While in most instances EV owners can charge their vehicles at home, longer trips can require a stop at a charging station. Finding a charging station was the biggest problem I experienced when driving the Chevrolet Bolt EV and Nissan Leaf last year. On multiple occasions, I was unable to find a station I had navigated to, and in one case, the one I found only allowed for charging at very slow speeds.

That changed when I tested a Tesla Model 3 in late September. Tesla's Supercharger network made charging faster and easier than I'd experienced before.

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Here's what it was like, and how it compared to my experiences with the Bolt and Leaf.

Are you a current or former Tesla employee? Do you have an opinion about what it's like to work there? Contact this reporter at mmatousek@businessinsider.com . You can ask for more secure methods of communication, like Signal or ProtonMail, by email or Twitter direct-message.

Mark Matousek / Business Insider

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Mark Matousek / Business Insider

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Mark Matousek / Business Insider

Mark Matousek / Business Insider

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I wasn't able to find the first two. The third, pictured above, was down for maintenance, and the fourth was occupied.

Mark Matousek / Business Insider

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Mark Matousek / Business Insider

I would have had to wait at least three hours to add a significant amount of range and nine hours for a full charge.

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Mark Matousek/Business Insider

Mark Matousek/Business Insider

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My first attempt at using it directed me to a Nissan dealership that appeared to no longer exist, and my second attempt led me to a large, multistory indoor parking garage without giving my any indication of where the charger was located.

Mark Matousek/Business Insider

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ChargeHub

The app also tells you the number of plugs at each station, where the plugs are located, the shape of each plug, how quickly it can charge your car, and how much it costs to charge. The app was far more effective than any other method I'd previously used to find charging stations.

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Mark Matousek/Business Insider

Tesla's Supercharger stations were easy to find using the Model 3's navigation system.

Mark Matousek/Business Insider

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Mark Matousek/Business Insider

Mark Matousek/Business Insider

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Mark Matousek/Business Insider

Mark Matousek/Business Insider

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Mark Matousek/Business Insider

Mark Matousek/Business Insider

The charging session cost a little under $18, much less than I'd have paid for gas.

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Still, the time it took to charge was a little slower than I'd have liked if I was on a road trip. If I didn't want to stop for a meal, it would have added an extra 30 minutes to my trip.

Thankfully, the vehicle's 310-mile range (the owner of the vehicle I tested limited charging to 90% of its range to protect the battery) meant I only had to charge once during the weekend.

See Also:

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SEE ALSO: I drove the Tesla Model 3 and one of its biggest rivals, the Chevy Bolt and the winner was clear

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