Elon Musk has given Model S owners living on the US/Canadian west coast an early Christmas present with the announcement that its fast-charging “Supercharger” network will now extend all the way from California right up into British Columbia.
Earlier this year, Gizmag reported Tesla’s development of its “West Coast Supercharger Network.” The corridor that previously only included California and Oregon has now expanded to include San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Sacramento, Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver. Model S’ equipped with the 85 kWh battery receive supercharging access for free, while owners of 60 kWh models can optionally purchase station time for US$2,000 - $2,500 after delivery.
Tesla says its propriety Supercharging stations are capable of charging a Model S 20 times faster than 30 or 40 amp outlets by bypassing the car’s onboard charging equipment and delivering a shot of high-grade DC power directly to the battery pack via specially-designed power cables.
The system provides Model S driver’s with a 200 mile (320 km) charge in only 30 minutes. Although the time factor will be seen as an inconvenience to some, the fact that Tesla owners can essentially drive from California to Canada for free should negate any concerns rather quickly.
By the winter of 2013, Tesla is expected to make coast-to-coast travel possible across the US, reaching 98 percent of the country, and some parts of Canada, by 2015. According to Tesla, more than 99 percent of Californians are already within 200 miles of a Supercharger station.
Source: Tesla Motors
