Tesla to Expand its Supercharger Network

One of the concerns of people who are in the market for an electric vehicle (EV) is the ability to travel long distances. Sure, at home charging is great for the daily commute and taking a few recreational, day trips, but planning a long distance trip with an electric vehicle can be challenging. This is especially true if the traveler's route doesn't take them through areas where chargers are readily available for use by the public.

Because the powers that be at Tesla realize this is a barrier for people who might otherwise buy an EV, the company has decided to embark on a major expansion of its supercharger network. Not only does this make buying an EV more attractive, it opens up an opportunity for Tesla to market its new Model 3 as the electrical car that has long distance travel capabilities.

About The Supercharger Network And Current Limitations

This is simply a worldwide network of free charging stations that Model 3 drivers can use to charge their cars for free while they are traveling. Drivers simply find a station, plug in their cars, and then find something to do for about 30 minutes while their cars charge. The only problem is that if one looks at a map of available supercharger stations, it becomes clear that there are some holes when it comes to availability. For example, the stations that are available in portions of the Midwest and Rocky Mountain areas of the united states are quite sparse. This lack of availability definitely makes it difficult for somebody who wants to own a car, but also travel in these areas.

Future Expansion Plans

The latest announcement that the supercharger network would undergo a major expansion came right on the heels of the Model 3 announcement. There is no doubt that timing was a factor. After all, what better way to get people even more excited about the model 3 than to let them know that owning an EV would be much more convenient than ever before.

The current plan is to double the size of the supercharger network by the end of the first quarter in 2017. This means expanding from more than 600 stations worldwide to more than 1200 stations. The number of individual chargers would expand to around 7000. Of course, the goal is not to simply add more chargers and charging stations. Tesla also intends to expand the coverage area both in the United States and around the world.

In addition to the charging stations that are available in various cities and towns, there are also destination chargers. These are chargers that are conveniently located at popular travel destinations such as hotels and restaurants. Because these are exceptionally convenient for Tesla drivers who are on holiday, the company has decided to expand these as well. This means that there will be 15000 destination chargers available by the end of March 2017 as well.

Tesla Retail Expansion

Finally, Tesla also plans to double the number of its retail stores in the next year as well. Not only does this make purchasing the new Model 3 more convenient, but travelers can feel more comfortable knowing that if they need assistance or service that help is likely to be nearby. While this factor may not be as important as the availability of charging stations, it is certainly something that potential buyers are going to take under advisement.

Worth The Risk?

Clearly all of this expansion is going to eat up a lot of investment dollars. The question that many people have is this; If the Model 3 is not the success that Tesla predicts it will be, how will the company recoup the cost of expanding its supercharger network or its retail footprint? Clearly Elon Musk and his team have a lot of faith in the appeal of a car that won't even go to market until late 2017. Of course, if they are right, the expansion project will certainly go a long way towards making the fully electric vehicle just as viable an option as purchasing a hybrid or a car with a standard fuel system. In any case, many people see 2016 thru 2017 as an extremely important period of time for Tesla.

Conclusion

Whether or not their plans will work out, Tesla has recognized one important thing. If people are going to buy electric vehicles, manufacturers are going to have to recognize the barriers that exist to making those purchases, and then take action to remove those barriers. The supercharger expansion does just that. Hopefully for Tesla, the demand will follow the removal of those barriers.