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These times are only assuming you stop at a 440V Supercharger, of which there are eight total nationally, and only on three road routes, six stations on two Cal

These times are only assuming you stop at a 440V Supercharger, of which there are eight total nationally, and only on three road routes, six stations on two California routes, and two stations on a single route between DC and Boston. The 440V high amperage charge also lessens the life of the battery - Lithium Ion cells don't like high amperage or temperatures. Fortunately battery replacements are only $40,000. A 240V 24A charger which is much more common, and which is not paid for by Tesla so has its own terms, can recharge 18 miles of range per hour of charge, so 13 hours are needed for a full recharge. A 240V 40A charger can recharge 31 miles of range per hour of charge, so 8 hours are needed for a full recharge. Tesla also notably recommended that people drive low speeds on long trips to increase the chances they will see ranges of 240 miles as opposed to the 170 or so that seems to be under more typical driving conditions. When one is off of the Tesla routes on the west and east coast, and driving a steady 60mph without climate control, one can travel 240 miles per 12 hour period if they have access to the higher capacity 240V/40A charger exactly every 240 miles (20 mph average speed), or 240 miles per 17 hours with the 240V/20A station (14.1 mph average speed). This is assuming there is no cold weather. If there is cold weather or faster driving, that reduces to a 170 mile range per 12 or 17 hour period (10-14mph average). Tesla plans to address this with a nationwide network of Supercharger stations which will reduce the full recharge time dramatically, at the cost of shorter battery life. Tesla claims that all energy for the network, which requires the ability to deliver to 4 cars simultaneously in 1 hour about 100kWh total of power per 85kWh capacity charge, will run exclusively on a small 30 kW max rated capacity installation of solar powered panels at each 4 car charge station and that customers will not only "Drive for Free. Forever. On Sunlight.”, but stations will produce a surplus of energy that will be sold at a profit. source for recharge times: http://www.teslamotors.com/charging#/outlet http://www.teslamotors.com/charging#/outlet source for solar powered car claims: http://www.visualnews.com/2012/09/26/tesla-electric-cars-drive-for-free-forever-on-sunlight/ http://www.visualnews.com/2012/09/26/tesla-electric-cars-dri...

ryandvm 14y ago
What I never get is why doesn't anyone ever propose battery exchanges instead of charging stations. It would make a lot more sense to pull in and exchange your dead battery for a charged one (just like buying propane).
- jstanley 14y ago
  I keep thinking exactly the same. Possibly it is because you can do a lot more damage to a battery by mistreating it than you can to a bottle of propane?
- lutusp 14y ago
  > What I never get is why doesn't anyone ever propose battery exchanges instead of charging stations. It is being discussed in general, not about the Tesla but in the abstract. The Tesla's battery weighs 990 pounds, so it would be a serious undertaking to swap it or a battery like it.
voodoomagicman 14y ago
You are wrong about battery replacements - they are $8,000 to $12,000 dollars depending on capacity, and batteries are covered by an 8 year warranty.
- droithomme 14y ago
  You are not correct. Tesla offers, for a $12,000 fee at time of purchase, a replacement policy that will replace the battery AFTER 8 years of use, and only after 8 years of use. This brings the price of the 240 mile range model to $91,900, plus tax and licensing. It is not a warranty that replaces the battery if it fails. It offers no coverage before 8 years, and at 8 years one may replace at any time. The 6800 3100mA 3.7V Panasonic 18650 Li-ion battery cells used in the Tesla S battery pack have an expected recharge life of 500 charges, which is just over a year if you commute and recharge daily, and is less if you do high amperage recharging such as by using supercharger stations. Most current users are commuting on occasion with their Tesla and do not recharge daily, but 2-3 times a week, so the battery, by avoiding Superchargers, will likely last 4-5 years before the range is reduced to the point that it becomes a problem. This leaves the driver with a car that has a significantly reduced driving range for years 5 through 8 of ownership while waiting for the replacement policy to kick in. (Also worth noting is that for Li Ion battery technology, battery life is damaged by high operating temperature, Arizona drivers in particular should expect shorter life, Alaskan drivers can expect longer life.) Tesla does offer a $40,000 at-cost replacement for drivers whose batteries have bricked due to not being recharged properly, left in parking lots, or are more than a few years old. This is consistent with the lowest wholesale costs of these battery cells on the global market, with no markup for their added value of the battery enclosure, cooling, heating, monitoring, and recharging hardware, thus it is a fair deal and good value as Tesla is clearly not taking any profit at this battery price point.
  - deleted 14y ago
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ryandvm 14y ago

What I never get is why doesn't anyone ever propose battery exchanges instead of charging stations. It would make a lot more sense to pull in and exchange your dead battery for a charged one (just like buying propane).

jstanley 14y ago
I keep thinking exactly the same. Possibly it is because you can do a lot more damage to a battery by mistreating it than you can to a bottle of propane?
lutusp 14y ago
> What I never get is why doesn't anyone ever propose battery exchanges instead of charging stations. It is being discussed in general, not about the Tesla but in the abstract. The Tesla's battery weighs 990 pounds, so it would be a serious undertaking to swap it or a battery like it.

voodoomagicman 14y ago

You are wrong about battery replacements - they are $8,000 to $12,000 dollars depending on capacity, and batteries are covered by an 8 year warranty.

droithomme 14y ago
You are not correct. Tesla offers, for a $12,000 fee at time of purchase, a replacement policy that will replace the battery AFTER 8 years of use, and only after 8 years of use. This brings the price of the 240 mile range model to $91,900, plus tax and licensing. It is not a warranty that replaces the battery if it fails. It offers no coverage before 8 years, and at 8 years one may replace at any time. The 6800 3100mA 3.7V Panasonic 18650 Li-ion battery cells used in the Tesla S battery pack have an expected recharge life of 500 charges, which is just over a year if you commute and recharge daily, and is less if you do high amperage recharging such as by using supercharger stations. Most current users are commuting on occasion with their Tesla and do not recharge daily, but 2-3 times a week, so the battery, by avoiding Superchargers, will likely last 4-5 years before the range is reduced to the point that it becomes a problem. This leaves the driver with a car that has a significantly reduced driving range for years 5 through 8 of ownership while waiting for the replacement policy to kick in. (Also worth noting is that for Li Ion battery technology, battery life is damaged by high operating temperature, Arizona drivers in particular should expect shorter life, Alaskan drivers can expect longer life.) Tesla does offer a $40,000 at-cost replacement for drivers whose batteries have bricked due to not being recharged properly, left in parking lots, or are more than a few years old. This is consistent with the lowest wholesale costs of these battery cells on the global market, with no markup for their added value of the battery enclosure, cooling, heating, monitoring, and recharging hardware, thus it is a fair deal and good value as Tesla is clearly not taking any profit at this battery price point.
- deleted 14y ago
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