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Tesla’s Superchargers: The company's killer app
Telsa wants to be Ford and Chevron. The company wants to build the cars and supply the fuel. In this case, that fuel is electricity and the delivery system is the company's robust Supercharger network. CEO and tweet-machine Elon Musk routinely talks about changing the world for a better place. To reduce pollution for bluer skies, greener grass and the ability to breathe without sucking in CO2. Tesla has already started that trend by forcing other automakers to accelerate their timeline with electric cars.
Tesla's first V3 Supercharging stations are open to the public
Tesla's V3 Supercharging stations are finally available to everyone. Well, everyone that owns a Tesla and wants to cruise on down the company's Fremont, California factory.
Some Tesla stations now limit Supercharging to 80 percent
Tesla has started putting a limit on some Supercharger stations in an effort to reduce wait times. In an employee memo seen by Electrek, the automaker said it has released a feature that will limit customers' State of Charge to 80 percent, giving more people a chance to get a turn at a charger faster. That said, it will only affect select high traffic sites, particularly 17 percent of all its stations in North America
Tesla promises to halve charging time with V3 Supercharging
As promised, Tesla has unveiled the third version of Supercharging, the high-powered chargers that it has spread out to top off owners' batteries as they travel the country. The promise is that it will eventually bring down charging times by an average of 50 percent. Peak rates go up to 250kW per car thanks to a new liquid-cooled cable design, and new stations don't have to split energy between multiple cars -- you'll always get the fastest rate available. On the most efficient vehicles, like a Model 3 Long Range, Tesla expects they'll get 75 miles of charge in 5 minutes, and add range at a rate of 1,000 miles per hour. It claims that V3 Supercharging "enables our vehicles to charge faster than any other electric vehicle on the market today." That is, at least until vehicles supporting 350kW charging, like Porsche's Taycan and Audi's E-Tron SUV hit the market.
Tesla will unveil the Model Y crossover on March 14th
Tesla is following up a very busy February with an even more hectic March. Elon Musk has announced that his brand will unveil the long-promised Model Y crossover at the LA Design Studio on March 14th. On top of that, you can expect the first "v3.0" Supercharger station to switch on March 6th at 8PM Pacific. Musk didn't provide more clues beyond that, but you might already have an idea as to what to expect.
Tesla makes a small cut to its controversial Supercharger price hike
Tesla is reducing its Supercharger price hike by 10 percent amid a torrent of negative feedback. Last week, the EV-maker raised the per kWh rates for its fast charging stations by about 33 percent in numerous markets. As Electrek pointed out, prices hit 32 cents per kWh in areas in downtown NYC and 36 cents per kWh in some California locations.
Tesla hikes Supercharger prices worldwide to reflect changing costs
Tesla's efforts to improve its bottom line go beyond layoffs and disappearing perks. Electrek has learned that Tesla is raising Supercharger rates around the world, with per kWh rates climbing about 33 percent in numerous markets. While it's still less expensive than gas (even the 36 cents per kWh in some California locations is modest), it's not quite the savings it represented in the past. According to Tesla, this is really a matter of adapting to financial realities.
Tesla's Supercharger network will cover all of Europe in 2019
Elon Musk has revealed on Twitter that Tesla is planning a Supercharger expansion that will cover "100 percent of Europe" next year. "From Ireland to Kiev (Ukraine), from Norway to Turkey," he added, in response to a tweet that some parts of Ireland are badly in need of Superchargers. The automaker started preparing the Model 3 for European markets back in November, displaying it in showrooms in various countries across the continent. That time, the company also said that the vehicle's European version will come equipped with Combined Charging System (CCS) fast charging-compatible ports. In addition, Tesla said it will upgrade its existing Superchargers in the continent with CCS plugs before Model 3 arrives.
Tesla plans to roll out its next-gen Supercharger in 2019
Tesla apparently plans to double the size of its Supercharger network by the end of 2019, company chief Elon Musk has revealed on Twitter. "Expect to be within range of 95 to 100 percent of population in all active markets," he added. The automaker originally aimed to install 18,000 Superchargers around the world by the end of this year, but it doesn't look like it will be able to reach that goal when its website only shows that it currently has 11,414 chargers in all active markets. We'll likely know around the same time next year if Musk has overpromised again.
Will Tesla open up its Supercharger network in Europe?
Yesterday, Tesla announced that its mass-market Model 3 will use a Combined Charging System (CCS) port for slow and rapid charging in Europe. That's different from the modified Type 2 plug that has shipped on Model 3 cars in America and both the Model S and Model X worldwide. In addition, Tesla revealed that it will be retrofitting Superchargers in Europe with "dual charge" cables that support both the Model 3 and older vehicles. This is a pretty big deal.
Tesla is ending its lifetime free Supercharging offer
Tesla's offer of free, unlimited Supercharger access was supposed to have ended in early 2017, but it's been on a form of life support since then. Unless you were buying a regular Model 3, you could get the no-cost charging by ordering your EV with a referral code from an existing owner. Now, however, even that exception appears to be coming to an end. Elon Musk has pointed out that the referral program is about to end. After September 16th, owners will only get to hand out $100 in Supercharging credit to Model S, Model X and Model 3 Performance buyers -- just enough for a few top-ups.
GM, Tesla activate features for owners in Hurricane Florence's path
Hurricane Florence is approaching the East Coast of the US, and is predicted to bring with it catastrophic flooding, high winds, as well as a life-threatening storm surge and rain in North and South Carolina. As a result, both GM and Tesla have remotely activated features in their cars that could be of use in an evacuation. As it did last year prior to Hurricane Irma, Tesla has temporarily activated Supercharging on older cars that didn't have it enabled when they were purchased, and unlocked extra battery capacity on certain vehicles (Model S and X cars that only purchased 60kWh but have 75kWh batteries). A Tesla owner's club for the "Triangle" region has collected relevant info for potential evacuees, and said that owners should see a notification on their screen about the change. For GM, it has activated OnStar Crisis Assist for owners of Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles with the feature built-in. Its representatives will handle overflow calls to the Red Cross, while pressing the button in the car will give access to people who can help with the following: Real-time routing information for those needing to evacuate or navigate disaster zones Assistance locating vital resources like hotels, gas, food, water or medical supplies Complimentary Hands Free Calling minutes in order to connect with loved ones Wi-Fi, if downloaded to the vehicle, to keep people connected and informed during the storm First responder communication so they can help locate vehicles and assist before arriving
Tesla opens its 10,000th Supercharger
Tesla's Supercharger network has come a long, long way since it was available in a handful of California towns in late 2012. The automaker has opened its 10,000th Supercharger in Belleville, Ontario, Canada as part of a rapid expansion that (as of late May) included roughly 1,000 chargers either in construction or at the permit phase. For context, it took roughly a year and a half for Tesla just to have enough EV charging stations for one coast-to-coast route in the US -- now, Superchargers blanket North America as well as significant stretches of Asia, Australia, Europe and the Middle East.
Tesla raised its Supercharger rates across the US
Tesla has increased its Supercharging rates across the US, Electrek reports. And while most states' prices increased by 20 to 40 percent, some experienced more substantial rises in costs. For example, California's rates rose from 20 cents per kWh to 26 cents and New York's rose from 19 cents per kWh to 24 cents, but Oregon's rates doubled from 12 cents per kWh to 24 cents.
Tesla Model 3 review: the fast and infuriating
I was standing next to the Model 3 when a guy on a bike rode by and yelled, "How is it?" My typical interactions with people who ask about Tesla's affordable sedan (so many people ask me about the car) typically take about five minutes. I point out the highlights and issues I've encountered while driving. Without thinking, I threw him a thumbs up. It was a gut reaction to a car I've come to adore but have also been confused by. I should have yelled, "It's complicated!
After Math: On the road again
Tesla had quite the week. Not only did the upstart carmaker get to show off its new semi and roadster, it also unveiled its multi-station Supercharger rest stop and managed to get itself onto the receiving end of a class-action lawsuit alleging pervasive racism throughout its ranks. Numbers, because how else will you know how many times this week your supervisors have greeted you with an n-bomb?
Tesla's massive Supercharger rest stops come online in California
While we're all waiting for the reveal of Tesla's electric semi this evening, the company's new charging stations are ready for prime time. Well, two of them are at least. According to a report at Electrek, Tesla has two new stations active in California, one between LA and San Francisco in Kettleman City and the other in Baker (between LA and Las Vegas). As shown in pictures published by Electrek, the newly online travel stations look a lot like, well, a gas station without the gas.
Elon Musk says all Superchargers will run on solar and battery power
According to a tweet from Elon Musk this morning, Tesla's Supercharger stations are all being converted to solar and battery power. Musk added that eventually, most of them will be completely disconnected from the electricity grid.
Tesla extends free Supercharger use to all existing owners
When Tesla put an end to free lifetime Supercharger access for new customers, it left more than a few people crestfallen -- one of the nicer perks of ownership just went out the window. However, Tesla has had a (partial) change of heart. As of now, any existing owner has free Supercharger use, even if you bought after the January 15th cut-off. And if you upgrade to a Model S or Model X in the future, you'll get to keep that gratis electricity. There aren't many people who'll need the offer right away (the Model S is only 5 years old), but this could give you a reason to upgrade quickly instead of holding on to your EV for as long as possible. And if you're a first-time buyer, don't fret -- you'll have a way of scoring free charging as well.
Tesla plans larger Supercharger sites, more travel refueling spots
Tesla is working hard to make it easier for its customers to charge their electric cars on the go. Back in February, the company revealed that it'll be doubling its Supercharger network in 2017. It doubled down on that claim this morning, with the announcement that it'll have 10,000 Superchargers available by the end of 2017. Additionally, Tesla is planning to build larger Supercharger sites to fit "several dozen" cars, and it's increasing the amount of Destination Charging locations (for slower refueling) to 15,000 globally, up from 9,000 last year.
