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I long believed that Tesla should test out concept of charging stations, modeled after gas stations. Once they figure out the best design, structure and busines

by doh 5y ago

I long believed that Tesla should test out concept of charging stations, modeled after gas stations. Once they figure out the best design, structure and business, they should then franchise it to small operators. It’s going to be good business for operators as Tesla owners are in the high earn/spend bracket and it will allow Tesla to significantly expand its brand’s footprint (not that they need it) while reinforcing the perception that driving Tesla is more superior to other experiences (even if it might not be true). The incremental revenue from franchises is also nice. And it would allow Tesla to deploy more batteries and solar panels.

pornel 5y ago
The ideal model isn't like a gas station. It's not even a 1:1 replacement of refueling model. Some gas station usage disappears entirely due to at-home charging and destination charging (i.e. opportunistically wherever the car is parked). You simply don't visit a special place to charge. Remaining usages are for longer-range road trips, which are already served adequately by bigger service stations along highways. The rest is for users who don't have at-home charger and need a 45-minute weekly charge, but for this the ideal model is not a charger with a gas-station like shop, but a mall that happens to have chargers.
- doh 5y ago
  I agree with your analysis of the charging needs but not with your conclusions. > the ideal model is not a charger with a gas-station like shop, but a mall that happens to have chargers. I own few Teslas for last decade or so. Last year took a trip with wife across the Pacific Northwest. The mall concept is extremely annoying because it's the most congested area of the city. Gas station model is superior for road trips, as one needs a place to stop, use restroom, stretch legs, grab coffee/bite. What we experienced were chargers in middle of nowhere with no services or ones in parking lots of hotels and malls. Malls were crowded and hard to get into. Hotels were angry that we are using their services. Empty lots were, well, empty.
  - pornel 5y ago
    I'm in the UK, so we may have very different expectations. Pee-in-a-bottle road trips are uncommon here (if you drive 5h in any direction you'll either drive into the sea, or wish you took a train instead). When road tripping for sightseeing, you'd rather stop at a pub than a parking lot. Shops at gas stations here are for buying red bull, cigarettes, and toilet paper. That's not enough "entertainment" for a longer charge.
    - doh 5y ago
      I think this shows how biased we all are. 5h drive in the Pacific Northwest of US won’t even get you between large cities in some places. Anyway, I think both of us made solid points. It’s going to be interesting to watch.

by doh 5y ago

pornel 5y ago

The ideal model isn't like a gas station. It's not even a 1:1 replacement of refueling model. Some gas station usage disappears entirely due to at-home charging and destination charging (i.e. opportunistically wherever the car is parked). You simply don't visit a special place to charge. Remaining usages are for longer-range road trips, which are already served adequately by bigger service stations along highways. The rest is for users who don't have at-home charger and need a 45-minute weekly charge, but for this the ideal model is not a charger with a gas-station like shop, but a mall that happens to have chargers.

doh 5y ago
I agree with your analysis of the charging needs but not with your conclusions. > the ideal model is not a charger with a gas-station like shop, but a mall that happens to have chargers. I own few Teslas for last decade or so. Last year took a trip with wife across the Pacific Northwest. The mall concept is extremely annoying because it's the most congested area of the city. Gas station model is superior for road trips, as one needs a place to stop, use restroom, stretch legs, grab coffee/bite. What we experienced were chargers in middle of nowhere with no services or ones in parking lots of hotels and malls. Malls were crowded and hard to get into. Hotels were angry that we are using their services. Empty lots were, well, empty.
- pornel 5y ago
  I'm in the UK, so we may have very different expectations. Pee-in-a-bottle road trips are uncommon here (if you drive 5h in any direction you'll either drive into the sea, or wish you took a train instead). When road tripping for sightseeing, you'd rather stop at a pub than a parking lot. Shops at gas stations here are for buying red bull, cigarettes, and toilet paper. That's not enough "entertainment" for a longer charge.
  - doh 5y ago
    I think this shows how biased we all are. 5h drive in the Pacific Northwest of US won’t even get you between large cities in some places. Anyway, I think both of us made solid points. It’s going to be interesting to watch.