Tesla wants electric vehicles to change transportation. To accomplish that goal, the company needs other electric vehicles, not just Teslas, to be able to use their Supercharger network.
The biggest obstacle for many consumers when deciding whether or not to purchase an electric car are the limitations imposed by the distance each charge can travel. Tesla Superchargers are becoming increasingly common on major American, European and Asian highways, so making their charging stations available to many different models will make it much easier to own and operate a car that runs on cleaner fuel.
Elon Musk noted that Tesla is in talks with a European manufacturer about sharing the charging stations.
The big question now is whether increasing traffic to the Superchargers will mean longer waits at fueling stations. Small batteries charge quickly, and are unlikely to pose a problem, but large batteries sometimes need several hours to fully charge. If two or more electric vehicles need to use the same charging station, one may need to wait for the other. That could severely set back Tesla’s goal of making charging electric vehicles easier to accomplish.
Tesla’s Supercharger network is designed to accommodate the 200+ mile range of the Model S. Many other manufacturers can’t currently achieve that kind of distance with their electric models. Even though charging stations are increasingly common, it still may not be enough for certain cars.
However, these questions may be answered soon. There are already 520 Superchargers in the Tesla network, and the company has been installing a new one every week or so. If there are any difficulties for drivers of EVs with shorter ranges and batteries, it will not be long before their needs are met as well.
Image (C) Tesla
