Connect with us

News

Sightings of Tesla Supercharger expansions taking place worldwide

Published

on

Tesla recently announced that it would be doubling the size of its Supercharging network by the end of this year, as the automaker continues to set record vehicle deliveries each quarter and prepares for volume production of its highly anticipated Model 3.

“It is extremely important to us and our mission that charging is convenient, abundant, and reliable for all owners, current and future.” said Tesla early last month when the electric car maker assured existing owners of its Model S, Model X and Model 3 reservation holders that they would “never wait to charge“.

Tesla has announced an aggressive plan to mitigate Supercharger Apocalypse by way of a 3-pronged approach. First, Tesla will double the number of charging stations in its Supercharging network in 2017. Second, it is pushing to quadruple the number of destination chargers for drivers to use at hotels, retail locations and similar points of interests around the world. Third, it has implemented a cap on free lifetime Supercharging which limits owners that purchased a Model S or Model X after January 15, 2017 to 400 kWh of free Supercharger use per year, or roughly 1,200 miles of driving.

Evidence is mounting in support of Tesla’s efforts to expand existing Supercharger sites, after photos posted by Tesla drivers from around the world reveal new construction taking place at popular Supercharger locations.

The Culver City Supercharger which serves a critical hub in the greater Los Angeles is seeing its first expansion from 12 stalls to a reported  18 stalls. It’s a busy site frequented by ride sharing services and Model S and Model X drivers that are passing through Los Angeles’ infamous 405 freeway.

Advertisement
-->

Construction taking place at the Culver City Supercharger. All stalls were full and a queue of 6 cars were waiting in line to Supercharge reports Redditor ajcadoo who took the photo.

Another busy Supercharger location at Harris Ranch, California which services weary travelers between Los Angeles and San Francisco is also getting a much needed upgrade from Tesla. Jack Bowers tweeted a photo showing the arrival of a larger PG&E transformer at the site to support the expansion of the 13-stall Supercharger station to 18 charging stalls. Crews were on site working on the expansion when the photo was taken.

Another popular Southern California charging location, the Redondo Beach Supercharger, is also getting an expansion.

Maienfeld, Switzerland is getting a Supercharger of its own. The country has been a world leader in the transition to electrified transportation and is the only nation in the world with a fully electrified train system. Photos by Redditor pilif.

Swinging back to the midwestern United States and the Bolingbrook, Illinois Supercharger is almost ready to open. Bolingbrook is strategically located just west of Chicago and will service travelers in and around the greater Chicago area. Photo by Redditor pazdan.

Advertisement
-->

Finally, the grand opening of the Arlington, Texas Supercharger was on May 13th and was captured on video by Insolation Station over on YouTube. They capture the Supercharger opening ceremony which incidentally appears to be playing out all over the world, by the week.

I'm passionate about clean technology, sustainability and life. I've worked in manufacturing, IT, project management and environmental...and enjoy unpacking complex topics in layman's terms. TSLA investor. Find more of my words on my website or follow me on Twitter for all the latest. Tesla Referral link: http://ts.la/kyle623

Advertisement
Comments

News

Tesla launches its new branded Supercharger for Business with first active station

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Tesla has officially launched its first branded Supercharger just months after initiating a new program that allows third-party companies to brand their own charging piles.

The site opened in Land O’ Lakes, Florida, and features eight V4 Supercharging stalls offering up to 325 kW of charging speed. It appears it was purchased by a company called Suncoast Credit Union. This particular branch is located Northeast of Tampa, which is on the Gulf of Mexico.

It features graphics of Florida animals, like alligators:

Advertisement
-->

Tesla launched this program back in September, and it basically was a way to expand its Supercharger presence and also allow companies to pay for the infrastructure. Tesla maintains it. When it announced the “Supercharger for Business,” it said:

“Purchase and install Superchargers at your business. Superchargers are compatible with all electric vehicles, bringing EV drivers to your business by offering convenient, reliable charging.”

The program does a few things. Initially, it expands EV charging infrastructure and makes charging solutions more readily available for drivers. It can also attract people to those businesses specifically.

Tesla launches new Supercharger program that business owners will love

The chargers can also be branded with any logo that the business chooses, which makes them more personalized and also acts as an advertisement.

Advertisement
-->

The best part is that the customers do not have to maintain anything about the Supercharger. Tesla still takes care of it and resolves any issues:

“We treat your site like we treat our sites. By providing you with a full-service package that includes network operations, preventative maintenance, and driver support, we’re able to guarantee 97% uptime–the highest in the industry.”

It appears the Superchargers will also appear within the in-car nav during routing, so they’ll be publicly available to anyone who needs to use them. They are still available to all EVs that have worked with Tesla to utilize its infrastructure, and they are not restricted to people who are only visiting the business.

Continue Reading

Cybertruck

Tesla reveals its Cybertruck light bar installation fix

Published

on

u/Kruzat, see page for license, via Wikimedia Commons

Tesla has revealed its Cybertruck light bar installation fix after a recall exposed a serious issue with the accessory.

Tesla and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) initiated a recall of 6,197 Cybertrucks back in October to resolve an issue with the Cybertruck light bar accessory. It was an issue with the adhesive that was provided by a Romanian company called Hella Romania S.R.L.

Tesla recalls 6,197 Cybertrucks for light bar adhesive issue

The issue was with the primer quality, as the recall report from the NHTSA had stated the light bar had “inadvertently attached to the windshield using the incorrect surface primer.”

Instead of trying to adhere the light bar to the Cybertruck with an adhesive, Tesla is now going to attach it with a bracketing system, which will physically mount it to the vehicle instead of relying on adhesive strips or glue.

Advertisement
-->

Tesla outlines this in its new Service Bulletin, labeled SB-25-90-001, (spotted by Not a Tesla App) where it shows the light bar will be remounted more securely:

The entire process will take a few hours, but it can be completed by the Mobile Service techs, so if you have a Cybertruck that needs a light bar adjustment, it can be done without taking the vehicle to the Service Center for repair.

However, the repair will only happen if there is no delamination or damage present; then Tesla could “retrofit the service-installed optional off-road light bar accessory with a positive mechanical attachment.”

The company said it would repair the light bar at no charge to customers. The light bar issue was one that did not result in any accidents or injuries, according to the NHTSA’s report.

This was the third recall on Cybertruck this year, as one was highlighted in March for exterior trim panels detaching during operation. Another had to do with front parking lights being too bright, which was fixed with an Over-the-Air update last month.

Advertisement
-->
Continue Reading

News

Tesla is already expanding its Rental program aggressively

The program has already launched in a handful of locations, specifically, it has been confined to California for now. However, it does not seem like Tesla has any interest in keeping it restricted to the Golden State.

Published

on

Credit: Grok

Tesla is looking to expand its Rental Program aggressively, just weeks after the program was first spotted on its Careers website.

Earlier this month, we reported on Tesla’s intention to launch a crazy new Rental program with cheap daily rates, which would give people in various locations the opportunity to borrow a vehicle in the company’s lineup with some outrageous perks.

Along with the cheap rates that start at about $60 per day, Tesla also provides free Full Self-Driving operation and free Supercharging for the duration of the rental. There are also no limits on mileage or charging, but the terms do not allow the renter to leave the state from which they are renting.

Advertisement
-->

The program has already launched in a handful of locations, specifically, it has been confined to California for now. However, it does not seem like Tesla has any interest in keeping it restricted to the Golden State.

Job postings from Tesla now show it is planning to launch the Rental program in at least three new states: Texas, Tennessee, and Massachusetts.

The jobs specifically are listed as a Rental Readiness Specialist, which lists the following job description:

“The Tesla Rental Program is looking for a Rental Readiness Specialist to work on one of the most progressive vehicle brands in the world. The Rental Readiness Specialist is a key contributor to the Tesla experience by coordinating the receipt of incoming new and used vehicle inventory. This position is responsible for fleet/lot management, movement of vehicles, vehicle readiness, rental invoicing, and customer hand-off. Candidates must have a high level of accountability, and personal satisfaction in doing a great job.”

It also says that those who take the position will have to charge and clean the cars, work with clients on scheduling pickups and drop-offs, and prepare the paperwork necessary to initiate the rental.

Advertisement
-->

The establishment of a Rental program is big for Tesla because it not only gives people the opportunity to experience the vehicles, but it is also a new way to rent a car.

Just as the Tesla purchasing process is more streamlined and more efficient than the traditional car-buying experience, it seems this could be less painful and a new way to borrow a car for a trip instead of using your own.

Continue Reading