JbStraubel
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Tesla CTO hopes to reduce EV charging times to 10 minutes or less
Charging time is the bane of every EV driver; even the half-hour for a partial fuel-up at a Tesla Supercharger station can feel like an eternity next to the few minutes required for gasoline. Tesla CTO JB Straubel sees this as just a temporary obstacle, however -- he tells MIT Technology Review that his company could shrink recharge times to between "five to 10 minutes." The primary challenge is optimizing the charger's delivery rates to avoid cooking the battery, he says. While this won't happen overnight, Straubel reminds us that today's Superchargers seemed far-fetched a decade ago. We may not need those battery swapping stations for very long.
Tesla CTO talks Bluestar, the affordable electric auto
Despite not making any lusty noises when tearing away from a stoplight, Tesla's eco-friendly supercar the Roadster still sets our hearts aflutter. Its price, however, makes our bank accounts sad, so we're happy to report the company is still working hard to develop an affordable option dubbed "Bluestar." Tesla CTO JB Straubel recently spoke about green transportation at MIT's Emerging Technologies Conference, elaborating on earlier plans to build a $20,000 - $30,000 family car that, he hopes, could some day result in hundreds of thousands of sales per year. Given the company thus far has shipped just 27 cars, a partnership with some major automotive player will almost certainly be required, and as SUV-dependent 'Merican manufacturers continue to suffer we think any of them would be wise to play along.
