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Tesla expands electric car Supercharger network

By Tyler Falk | December 31, 2012, 3:30 AM PST

The 400-plus mile drive from Washington, D.C. to Boston wasn’t possible in an electric car unless you have a lot of friends with chargers along the way. But now, if you drive the all-electric Tesla Model S — this year’s automobile of the year — the trip is possible and quicker than you might expect from an electric car.

That’s because Tesla has expanded its Supercharger network to the East Coast of the United States, The New York Times reports. The Tesla Model S charging stations — which can add 150 miles of range to the car in only 30 minutes (I have a feeling that will sound funny someday) — are now in Milford, Conn. and Newark, Del. The original network of six charging stations stretched from Los Angeles to northern California.

The Tesla Model S has an EPA estimated range of 265 miles. But if you don’t live in the range of a Supercharger be patient, Tesla has plans to have 100 new Superchargers across North America by 2015.

Tesla Begins East Coast Fast-Charging Corridor [New York Times]

Image: Tesla

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About Tyler Falk

Tyler Falk is a contributing editor for SmartPlanet.

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Electric Cars

The electric car is not going to become a widely used vehicle unless a standard interchangeable design of battery is adopted, that can be left at a charging station for an already charged battery. Then the "refuel" stops can be reduced to a minute or two in time.

Posted by JamesBond0070

31st Dec

Just
In

rational, not rationalizing

Starbucks and McDonalds are both adjacent to the I-95 Tesla Superchargers and happily providing Tesla drivers with a place to relax and enjoy a snack.

Please stop for a minute and focus. Look at the photo at the beginning of this article. The shade canopy over the cars is a solar collector which provides enough power to charge the cars. The Supercharger network is built to allow Model S owners an option for longer distance travel. A majority of US drivers will find all highway capable EVs available today will easily allow for normal daily driving with only an overnight charge at home. EVs are practical now for almost 100,000 EV drivers who have logged over 2 million miles during the last two years.

Posted by SteveEV

18th Feb

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Electric Cars

Posted by JamesBond0070

31st Dec

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Why not just exchange the entire car?

Would make about as much sense.

Posted by JohnMcGrew@...

31st Dec

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A many times better deal than that, would be to just take the bus or train

and save the time and the stops. Better still, save the $100,000 or so, and just get a much more practical car, where you don't have to jump through hoops to get from point A to point B.

No matter how attractive they try to make those things, they're still very impractical and very expensive and very time consuming. A horse-and-buggy might be able to make the trip from Boston to Washington faster than the Tesla.

Posted by adornoe

31st Dec

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50 percent of us live in the country

We don't all live near a bus line or train station.
Sorry, still gotta drive to get there.

Posted by llamasaki

31st Dec

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Which is the problem.

The eco-Progressives would much prefer you live in the city.

Posted by JohnMcGrew@...

31st Dec

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Then, for certain, the Tesla is not for you people in the boondocks.

Those are the areas least likely to have charging stations installed.

You would, very smartly, keep your gasoline powered automobiles.

Alternately, you could use the horse-and-buggy I mentioned to get you to the bus or train station. wink

Posted by adornoe

1st Jan

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Tesla: 400 miles, two 30 minute recharges, 65 mph at least

Wouldn't the horse need to rest, eat and drink some during a four hundred mile trip?

Posted by SteveEV

1st Jan

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Except that, with the Tesla, you'd have to go out of your way to find

the nearest charging station, which would turn your trip into a much more than 400 mile trip if you had to make 2 stops for recharging. Then, the 2 stops of 30 minutes each would add an hour to your trip.

So, let's say that, each charging station takes you 20 miles out of your way, which would add 80 miles to your trip (2 x 20 X 2). Now you have a trip of 480 miles instead of the original 400. That gives you a trip time of about 7 1/2 hrs instead of the original 6 hrs. Then, you'd have to add the time needed to recharge the batteries (2 x 30), which is an additional 1 hr. That essentially turns your trip into an 8 1/2 hour ordeal just to get you those 400 miles.

If the person involved were to be a businessperson, for whom time means money, then those extra hours are very wasteful; not to mention the fact that, getting the Tesla was a waste of money to being with.

Posted by adornoe

Updated - 1st Jan

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Good planning

Let's assume an intelligent person found two convenient locations between Boston and Washington. Perhaps Milford and Newark are close to a well traveled route with space for services like a gas station. Since most vehicles on the road will need to refuel during this trip and drivers may need the same, a half hour stop is reasonable for everyone on that route. A successful businessperson appreciates the advantages of efficiency and comfort in best-of-class vehicles. Many Tesla owners have already tested the supercharger network and seem to like it. Have you tested the route in a horse and buggy?

Posted by SteveEV

Updated - 2nd Jan

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Again, this all misses the point.

This is another attempt to oversell the capabilities of the EV. Other than those who are in it for the eco-vanity, nobody who regularly drives more than 100 miles or so at a time is going to seriously consider an EV over a conventional car. Travelling is trouble enough without having to go to this level of planning when you really don't have to. Building infrastructure on this basis is a massive waste of resources.

Posted by JohnMcGrew@...

Updated - 2nd Jan

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What point is there to miss?

90% of the drivers in this country travel less than 100 miles per day, 80% travel less than 50 miles per day. All of the highway capable electric vehicles available today can serve the range requirements of a majority of drivers while recharging only at home. Tesla has now opened two corridors of 400 miles each to accomodate Model S customers who may want to travel farther, and many have chosen to enjoy the service.

If one would like to point out a massive waste of resources, I note that only 25% of the liquid fuel of a conventional car actually goes to move the wheels. The rest is simply wasted generating toxic fumes and excess heat. It just doesn't seem right to pay more for liquid fuel and get less value per dollar.

Posted by SteveEV

2nd Jan

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Let's say that the superchargers are 50 feet from I-95

And that a Model S driver will pull off the interstate, plug in at the Supercharger, walk across the parking lot to Starbucks or McDonalds for a snack, walk back to the car, unplug and continue driving. Since drivers are already doing that, we do not need to guess.

Posted by SteveEV

2nd Jan

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You are rationalizing by using afterthoughts, with McDonalds and Starbucks,

and, for 400 miles, 2 stops is still too much for many.

Besides, recharging stations close to the highways would be impractical for most other drivers who would have to get on the highway just to recharge their vehicles. Chargers would have to be as common, or as close to common, as hte gasoline stations, but then, those charging stations would still require longer stops. And then, the charging stations would get their power... from where? Likely from power lines which get their electricity from fossil fuels.

All around, the Tesla and other EVs are still very impractical.

Posted by adornoe

Updated - 6th Jan

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rational, not rationalizing

Posted by SteveEV

18th Feb

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actually it wouldn't

Electric forklifts are in common use in warehouses and have been for decades. JamesBond0070 described exactly what they do in those warehouses. They have charging stations with several batteries charging and ready for use. When the battery is low in the forklift, the driver pulls up to the station and swaps the battery out for a fresh one. The whole process takes less time than a traditional fill-up. That's because the forklifts are designed to have the batteries easily accessible and with plug-in connections. We really do need to try this with cars.

Posted by llamasaki

31st Dec

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The problem is that unlike forklifts...

...automobiles come in all different shapes and sizes, and the industry is a long time off in determining exactly what the optimum shape and size of a battery installation would be. For the sake of handling, batteries are usually installed as low as possible, and are integrated into the body of the vehicle to maximize occupant space.

I don't think automobiles shaped like forklifts will sell all that well.

Posted by JohnMcGrew@...

31st Dec

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Tesla might be one of those companies to be soon out of business,

if their performance is any indication. It's CEO has just bought a 16 million dollar home, which many suspect is his way of cashing out before the collapse of the company.

"Tesla will need more loans to stay afloat in 2013"

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/tesla-will-need-more-loans-to-stay-afloat-in-2013-2012-12-20

Posted by adornoe

1st Jan

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