Tesla Model S gets Supercharging - Electric Vehicles

Tesla's model S is designed from the ground up to maximise the advantages of electric vehicle architecture. Model S boasts an ultra-low center of gravity, with a light weight aluminium body engineered for superior handling. And now comes with 'Supercharged' network of Solar carports!

Tesla has created a vehicle that is not only visually stunning, but also extremely efficient  (the 85 kWh Model S received a U.S. fuel economy rating of 89MPGe and EPA rated range of 265 miles!). All this AND 0-60mph in around 4.4 seconds! A distinct lack of an internal combustion engine or transmission tunnel, means that the interior of the Tesla 'S' has more cargo space than any other sedan in its class including a extra trunk under the hood. The car seats five adults plus two children in optional rear-facing child seats. The interior features a 17" in-dash touchscreen giving internet, streaming radio and nav. Supercharging The technology at the heart of the Supercharger was developed at Tesla and uses the existing charging technology already fitted to the 85KWh Model S, enabling Tesla to create the Supercharger device at minimal cost. Electricity used by the Supercharger comes from a solar carport system provided by SolarCity, which results in almost zero marginal energy cost after installation. Combining these two factors, Tesla is able to provide Model S owners free long distance travel indefinitely. Each solar power system is designed to generate more energy from the sun over the course of a year than is consumed by Tesla vehicles using the Supercharger. This results in a slight net positive transfer of sunlight generated power back to the electricity grid. In addition to lowering the cost of electricity, this addresses a commonly held misunderstanding that charging an electric car simply pushes carbon emissions to the power plant. The Supercharger system will always generate more power from sunlight than Model S customers use for driving. By adding even a small solar system at their home, electric car owners can extend this same principle to local city driving too. The six California locations unveiled today are just the beginning. By next year, we plan to install Superchargers in high traffic corridors across the continental United States, enabling fast, purely electric travel from Vancouver to San Diego, Miami to Montreal and Los Angeles to New York. Tesla will also begin installing Superchargers in Europe and Asia in the second half of 2013. The Supercharger is substantially more powerful than any charging technology to date, providing almost 100 kilowatts of power to the Model S, with the potential to go as high as 120 kilowatts in the future. This can replenish three hours of driving at 60 mph in about half an hour, which is the convenience inflection point for travelers at a highway rest stop. Most people who begin a road trip at 9:00 a.m. would normally stop by noon to have lunch, refresh and pick up a coffee or soda for the road, all of which takes about 30 minutes. "Tesla's Supercharger network is a game changer for electric vehicles, providing long distance travel that has a level of convenience equivalent to gasoline cars for all practical purposes. However, by making electric long distance travel at no cost, an impossibility for gasoline cars, Tesla is demonstrating just how fundamentally better electric transport can be," said Elon Musk, Tesla Motors co-founder and CEO. "We are giving Model S the ability to drive almost anywhere for free on pure sunlight." Watch the video - The future is here......or will be soon!