To boost sales of its Model S, Tesla rolled out an all-encompassing Supercharger network for users to charge their Tesla vehicles on for free. This was a genius move for the company, as one of the underlying worries inherently part of owning a Tesla vehicle is that it seemingly wasn't ideal for long car trips and possibly even lengthy commute times because its battery might die mid-transit.
Expanding The Supercharger Network
The past few years saw Tesla greatly expand its Supercharger network, and today there are now more than 769 of them stationed across the United States and other locations outside the country. Seeing as Tesla has never been complacent on its own success, word is now circulating that the company has ambitious plans in store to drastically beef up the overall Supercharger experience.
An Improved Supercharger
Elon Musk, Tesla's CEO, has recently responded to a tweet that queried about forthcoming Supercharger enhancements. Not only was Musk able to hint at the possible integration of solar arrays into Supercharger stations, but he also teased that the third-generation Supercharger is poised to surpass its predecessor and contemporaries by leaps and bounds.
To offer a perspective about the power capacity of the forthcoming third-generation Supercharger, Elon Musk said than even 350 kW would be like a child's toy. Keep in mind that most Supercharger stations today only have a capacity of 120 kW.
@FredericLambert A mere 350 kW ... what are you referring to, a children's toy?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 24, 2016
Supercharger stations have been more crowded of late because Tesla has been selling more vehicles in recent years. The company introduced a fix, sort of, last month that promised to give 1,000 miles worth of Supercharger credits for Tesla vehicles to be purchased in 2017. Afterward, the owners would have to pay for access to Supercharger, though its cost is almost negligible. For comparison's sake, Musk has noted that Supercharger access costs less than filling up the tank of a non-electric vehicle.
But the real shocker here is Musk calling 350 kW more fitting for a child's toy. Normally, EV fast charging for non-Tesla vehicles is at 50 kW. There is, however, a 350 kW Combined Charging System standard set in place, and the first 350 kW charging station is under construction in the United States, though it's not clear what models can take advantage of this technology.
Elon's response suggests a far more powerful charging system, and while no concrete plans have been elaborated by the consummate entrepreneur, his vision, more often than not, comes into fruition.
It remains to be seen what becomes of this third-generation Supercharger, but the only sure thing is that it holds power at an extremely greater scale than current standards.
Tesla is an American independent automaker and energy storage company helmed by Elon Musk, who manufactures electric vehicles, some of which at affordable prices for the average consumer. It has installed Superchargers across North America, Europe, and Asia. It also offers a "Destination Charging" program for owners of its vehicles, wherein shops, restaurants, and other establishments offer fast chargers for customers.
