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Tesla offers free charging to China's EV owners due to coronavirus outbreak
In the midst of China's coronavirus outbreak, Tesla is giving its EV customers in the country free supercharging until the situation is resolved. As reported by Electrek, the company notified its customers of the decision via alerts on its vehicles' screens, referring to the outbreak as an "extraordinary period." It hopes that the move could help those forced to move against their will get around without necessarily having to rely on public transport, which could increase the risk of transmission. Authorities in Wuhan -- the epicenter of the outbreak -- have already confirmed several thousand cases of the respiratory disease.
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 reveals Supercharger network it says will cover the US in two years; Model S fills up for free, always
At Tesla's event, CEO Elon Musk has finally taken the wraps off of its Superchargers which it has already set up at six locations in California, pictured in the map after the break. The company plans installations on "high traffic corridors across the US" over the next year, with units heading to Europe and Asia in the second half of 2013. According to Musk, the solar powered systems will put more power back into the grid than the cars use while driving. Oh, and for you Model S owners? You will always be able to charge at any of the stations for free. According to Musk, the economies of scale developed while building the Model S have helped it get costs down on the chargers, although he did not offer specifics. During the event we also saw video of drivers charging their vehicles at stations today that Tesla apparently constructed in secret. They're using solar technology from (also owned by Musk) SolarCity, and can charge a Model S with 100 kilowatts good for three hours of driving at 60mph in about 30 minutes. Currently pushing 90kW, they could go as high as 120 in the future for even faster charging. Check the press release embedded after the break or Tesla's website for more details. Update: The video replay of the event itself is live, and embedded after the break.
Tesla is racing to the finish line for Model S prep, talks up 'Supercharging'
Despite losing two of its big kahunas, electric car maker Tesla is stepping on the throttle of its new Model S project like a battery-powered bat out of hell. While recently doing some 'splainin with Autoblog, Tesla Vice President of Communications Ricardo Reyes confirmed that initial deliveries of the four-door sedan are still on track for mid-2012 in the United States, followed by a European launch six months later. Reyes also talked up the creation of Supercharging locations to help long-driving Model S users with higher-capacity 60kWh and 85kWh batteries charge their car from 10 percent to 90 percent in 45 minutes -- Model S cars with the lower-end 40kWh battery won't be able to Supercharge, though. Tesla already announced a tax-credit fueled $49,900 price tag for the base model in December. Folks who prefer their electric vehicle to come with some more chest hair will be happy to know that the Feb. 9 unveiling of the seven-seat Model X SUV is still on track.
