Is this the start of Tesla "gas" stations throughout America?
The California Air Resources Board and California Energy Commission announced yesterday how they will distribute almost $25 million worth of grants for the Alternative Fuel Incentive Program. One of the winners was Tesla Motors, which received $561,000 for the development of a UL-approved 16 kw (medium-power) public commercial charging station. Other funds went to building or upgrading E85 and CNG stations, various biofuel start-ups, transit programs and more. For the full list of grantees, see pages six and seven of CARB's 41-page PDF that announces the awards.
Diarmuid O'Connell, Director of Corporate Development at Tesla Motors, said in a statement that, "This sizeable grant offered jointly by the California Air Resources Board and the California Energy Commission is a significant vote of confidence for Tesla Motors and acknowledges the pioneering work Tesla Motors is doing in the development of zero-emissions electric vehicles and charging station technology."
When CARB solicited proposals this year, they said that, "Electric fuel vehicles have the largest potential to reduce climate change emissions and petroleum dependency relative to any other alternative fuel vehicle under consideration." The awards list shows more money being sent to biofuels ($12 million for ethanol and biodiesel) than EVs and PHEVs ($5 million), though.
So, what might this Tesla "gas" station be like? Tesla says the charging station technology it has developed "could be used to power up electric vehicles throughout the state of California." If the company's plan to sell pure-electric vehicles across the country in the next few years takes off as expected, I wouldn't be surprised to see these stations popping up in a lot of places, which would put the idea of "limited range" in an EV out to pasture. I wouldn't be surprised to see some sort of solar enhancement to the stations, either, since Tesla will offer a home solar option with their cars. How much will it cost to "fill up"? Will people choose to get their energy while out and about (like we do today) rather than from the home plug? Is this project just a one-off to prove the technology and then license it to others? So many questions...
[Source: Tesla, CARB]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
yabun 2:14PM (5/25/2007)
It would be great to see charging stations around, but our current gas station model won't exactly fit the recharging system which could take hours. Chargers shouldn't be outside a convenient store next to the gas pumps, it should be outside a coffee shop or a movie theatre or a strip club... I mean strip mall. If the industry tries to force the chargers into the existing model might urk people. Plus, +90% of the charging will be done at home anyway. Personally, I'd love to stop and see a movie every couple hours on my way to the beach.
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jeremie 2:25PM (5/25/2007)
I myself would see charging mattes. You would park you car over the mate and the car would charge wirelessly.
This could be included in park lots every where.
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OhmExcited 2:40PM (5/25/2007)
They're not going to accomplish very much with only $500,000.
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susan.kraemer 3:00PM (5/25/2007)
Right. Charging stations would be at work and shopping malls. Its only a thousand or so to rip up 30 feet of sidewalk from inside a building to at least the first parking space. What CARB should fund is a tax rebate to each business of the cost to run electricity to each parking space they want to.
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Tony Belding 3:07PM (5/25/2007)
$500,000 may sound a bit light, but remember Tesla have already developed a wall charger for the home garage and offered the design as a free standard for the industry. Developing a commercial charger is something they would surely want to do anyhow in due course, so this will simply make it happen quicker.
Inductive chargers (in the form of paddles) were tried once and found lacking. If you put a charging mat on the ground and expect a car to park over it, then it complicates things even more due to the gap between the ground and the car's underside, plus the need to get it centered.
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Juan 3:11PM (5/25/2007)
From the grant document:
"Subsequent initial deployment of these charging stations will be at hotel chains throughout California."
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Ron Fischer 3:17PM (5/25/2007)
GM Magnecharge stations are still scattered all over Southern California, mainly because of the $100k+ tax break the state gave businesses that installed them. Seeing those upgraded to a UL standard plug, even at less than 16kw, would be great. Most of these are in existing parking lots and decks at shopping centers, are already supplied with 220volt (single phase I believe). Finally, don't count the "gas station" model out: large packs like this charge very rapidly below (about) 80% charge and slow down when "topping"... you only really need to put in enough to get home. The "full charge time" is only relevant overnight at home.
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Kardax 4:20PM (5/25/2007)
I read somewhere (I think in the CARB document) that the plan is to install these charging stations at hotels.
Makes perfect sense to me :)
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Jenny 5:01AM (5/26/2007)
I prefer Green cars. we can't depend on oil anymore due to scarcity.
http://www.spaml.com
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Ryan Boyle 9:22AM (5/26/2007)
We're on the waiting list to get a tesla and went out there a few months ago. What their director of sales told us was that one of their customers is the CEO of Hilton Hotels and that he had said they could install chargers at all the hotels that any Tesla owner could stop by and use regardless of whether they were staying at the hotel that night. I think he was sort of saying you were welcome to use existing outlets in their parking lots and garages, but ultimately there probably will be tax incentives for them to offer an actual charger, and... that will charge the car faster anyways.
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Dennis Peterlin 2:18AM (5/27/2007)
I remember reading something about nanotechnology that was put out by the British gov't. (its on digg somewhere) saying how nanotechnology could help decrease charge times/increase battery range and efficiency.
I could tolerate even a 15 minute charge-up. Take a leak, wash the windshield, get a snack, smoke a cig, etc., etc...
Who knows. We live in interesting times..
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