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Tesla Expands “Supercharger Network” to East Coast
Tesla has announced the opening of three new Supercharger stations on the east coast. Located in Newark, DE and Milford, CT (where the town’s two stations are on both the northbound and southbound sides of I-95), the new charging stations, according to Tesla, will make it possible to drive one of its roadsters between the Boston and Washington, DC metropolitan areas.
As is the case with the six charging stations in California, the Supercharger stations are located in areas where there are plenty of options for road warriors to refuel (er, recharge)--well, as far as rest stops go. The “adrenaline shot” for Tesla’s batteries can boost a Tesla battery a total of half a charge for one of its car’s batteries in 30 minutes, the equivalent of 150 miles of range.
For Tesla owners, the east coast supercharging stations make traveling along I-95 (the artery of the U.S. eastern seaboard) almost as attractive an option as commuting by Tesla in California. Currently six Supercharging stations are operational in California, and all of them are in heavily trafficked areas such as Tejon Ranch, Harris Ranch and Gilroy. Additional stations in Folsom and Barstow make commutes by electric vehicle (EV) to playgrounds such as Lake Tahoe and Las Vegas a viable option. Electric vehicles suffer from the perception that a drive between San Francisco and LA--or Boston and DC--is too tedious without means to recharge one’s car quickly, even if the reality is that most car owners do not complete such drives often.
To that end, Tesla claims it will have at least 100 of these charging stations by 2015. The average Tesla owner may not be intrigued by options such as Dunkin’ Donuts or McDonald’s while he or she waits for the car to score a recharge, but compared to the 16 miles a 240 volt recharger offers a Tesla in 30 minutes, the 90KW Supercharger is a much more attractive option.
Tesla has faced countless challenges the past several years, from consumer bias against EVs to the recent financial crises and even a recent divestment by the Abu Dhabi government. Nevertheless its all-electric Model S won the most recent Motor Trend Car of the Year award, and the new Supercharger stations will only boost the appeal of the Tesla Brand. Tesla claims that much of the power at these Supercharger stations will generate power from solar energy. Tesla has a long way to go if it is going to meet this Supercharger goal in two years, but in the meantime, owners who travel between San Francisco and LA or along the east coast will have plenty of fun on the road.
Leon Kaye, based in Fresno, California, is a sustainability consultant and the editor of GreenGoPost.com. He also contributes to Guardian Sustainable Business; his work has also appeared on Sustainable Brands, Inhabitat and Earth911. You can follow Leon and ask him questions on Twitter or Instagram (greengopost).
Image credit: Tesla
Leon Kaye has written for 3p since 2010 and become executive editor in 2018. His previous work includes writing for the Guardian as well as other online and print publications. In addition, he's worked in sales executive roles within technology and financial research companies, as well as for a public relations firm, for which he consulted with one of the globe’s leading sustainability initiatives. Currently living in Central California, he’s traveled to 70-plus countries and has lived and worked in South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and Uruguay.
Leon’s an alum of Fresno State, the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and the University of Southern California's Marshall Business School. He enjoys traveling abroad as well as exploring California’s Central Coast and the Sierra Nevadas.
