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Tesla reveals Supercharger network, Free Fill Ups

engadget.com

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Re: Tesla reveals Supercharger network, Free Fill Ups

#131

Post by TeMPOraL »

brc wrote: post #117
evride wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe they should have called the 'original' supercharger a "mechanical air compressor" instead of supercharger since the connection between the term and the definition is pretty weak, while Tesla's supercharger is an actual charger that charges more quickly than your average charger... making it 'super.'

'air charge' is a specific term meaning the air entering the combustion chamber. So 'supercharge' is a term for 'bigger air charge'. However, when you deconstruct it, it is a bit silly. I dislike the addition of 'super' to things anyway, it's a very lazy way of coining a term. Maybe we should all just adopt Kompressor like the Germans. And leave supercharge, supercharger and supercharged for the marketing folk to dev…

> Warpcharger

Nope, we'll need that after SpaceX develops FTL drives.

Re: Tesla reveals Supercharger network, Free Fill Ups

#132

Post by kamaal »

jerrya wrote: post #20

Is it outrageous to think that eventually this "gas" will be free because outlets will compete to have Tesla and other electric customers stuck at their restaurant, bar, store for a half hour?

Its not.

But at the most this is change in the revenue model for 'gas/electric' stations or whatever you would like to call it.

But at the present and things as they stay, no body is likely to compete with Tesla. They are only having this network so as to ensure people can roam around without having to worry about running out of fuel. Tesla itself may not offer free energy once their user base grows to a substantial amount.

This is a incentive to get users to buys their cars, not a free energy give away drive. Once they have substantial customer base, free market dynamics will take care of the energy supply.

Re: Tesla reveals Supercharger network, Free Fill Ups

#133

Post by jnhnum1 »

jerrya wrote: post #20

Is it outrageous to think that eventually this "gas" will be free because outlets will compete to have Tesla and other electric customers stuck at their restaurant, bar, store for a half hour?

On the other hand, it could also end up like hotel phone calls or wine uncorking fees - ridiculously expensive just for a convenience.

Re: Tesla reveals Supercharger network, Free Fill Ups

#136

Post by kamaal »

The arguments in this thread are amusing to say at the least. 30 minute charging times, high prices of Tesla cars. Yes all that is true. But this was never about 'Electric cars are awesome now'.

I'm pretty sure cars during and before pre Henry Ford times were not very great in terms of their overall affordability, total cost of ownership and availability of fuel all around the country. You could trust your horse to drive you back home on any day more than a car. Similar to that, the IBM computers during their early days. You mobile phone is likely to have more computing power than all the computers IBM sold a few decades back, they were highly painful to use, maintain and use. Needless to say all these things had huge maintenance issues.

But these things have caught on. So have automation, productivity and so many other new things that eventually people show friction towards but later take them to be fate accompli and learn to move forward.

Electric cars, self driving cars, wearable computing(like Google glasses) well these really might look to be unfeasible at this time. But please, these are just ideas which are waiting for their time to come, with a little push they will eventually catch on.

Re: Tesla reveals Supercharger network, Free Fill Ups

#137

Post by TeMPOraL »

Here's a thought (disclaimer - IANAEE):

Could we charge electric vehicles while driving? Could we bury, say, some coils under the highways and have cars have a transformer on board to draw power from the road? That would remove the need for charging stations on a long-distance trips almost completely.

Re: Tesla reveals Supercharger network, Free Fill Ups

#138

Post by TeMPOraL »

Shenglong wrote: post #27

Tesla had a 250 million dollar operating loss in 2011 and 106 million last quarter. Add 700 million of debt onto that, and... I wonder how long they can keep up this kind of expansion. This however, is really cool.

OTOH, from what I heard SpaceX recently became profitable; given that they are nowhere near the end of their plans to get spaceflight cheaper, maybe he could route some money to Tesla from there.

Re: Tesla reveals Supercharger network, Free Fill Ups

#139

Post by kamaal »

tdfx wrote: post #97
Danieru wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Slight pedantry note: revenue and earnings are not the same thing.

I think he had them backwards -- I've heard similar stories from others who own gas stations. Gas makes up a substantial portion of their revenue, but the margins are so thin that most of the profit comes from the food and retail services.

So basically gas stations are just an excuse to do other business?

Re: Tesla reveals Supercharger network, Free Fill Ups

#140

Post by mburns »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #137

Here's a thought (disclaimer - IANAEE): Could we charge electric vehicles while driving? Could we bury, say, some coils under the highways and have cars have a transformer on board to draw power from the road? That would remove the need for charging stations on a long-distance trips almost completely.

http://www.gizmag.com/kaist-olev-electric-vehicle/12557/
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