2021 Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Tesla patents Supercharger that can handle herd of EVs

Tesla Motors is quietly getting ready for an electric-vehicle charging station that could be considered smarter than the drivers using it. The California-based automaker has applied for a number of patents (details here) in which its super-quick Superchargers would be programmable to better manage what Tesla hopes will be a mass influx of thirsty Model S (and Model X and, potentially, Model E) EVs. This company thinks big. Among other things, the patents detail a charging station that has multiple charging ports and that can manage multiple charging stages. It can also do things like redirect power to either whichever car arrives first or, by measuring the batteries' respective states of charge, who needs it the most. Heck, there's even a provision where the system can redirect power according to the drivers' intended departure time, i.e. whomever says they're sticking around the longest gets last charge. If the station could also get drivers to be truthful about such things, that'd be a real accomplishment. Tesla has already had a lot of success with its Supercharger network, which is now expansive enough to exclusively power a cross-country drive. Earlier this month, a couple of Model S vehicles went from Los Angeles to New York City using nothing but Superchargers and pulled off the trip in 76.5 hours (the blog posts are here). We're guessing those EVs may have broken the speed limit here or there, but don't quote us. Featured Gallery Tesla Supercharger News Source: Google via Green Car Reports Green Tesla Technology Emerging Technologies Electric charging station patent supercharger

Elon Musk teases Tesla Roadster update

A holiday present is coming for Tesla enthusiasts, according to a Tweet from Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk. Like all good presents, we don't know what it'll be, though. Musk only said that details for an improved Roadster electric vehicle will be announced later this week. Ever the master of suspense, Musk would not provide further detail. He only said that a number of "crisis issues ... pushed this out longer than expected." Whatever it is, make mine red, Santa. Earlier this year at Tesla's annual shareholder meeting, Musk said the automaker would do "something cool" with the Roadster before the end of the year, though, again, he wasn't specific. In the summer, Musk told the UK's Auto Express that the Roadster would get an upgraded battery that would give the convertible a 400-mile single-charge range. That would make the convertible's range about 135 miles longer than the top-of-the-line Tesla Model S sedan. While a new Roadster has been talked about, this update is for the first-go-round model, which was sold in the US between 2008 and 2011 and had a single-charge range of 245 miles. Whether the longer range is the only news or if there's something else in store (all-wheel drive? more horsepower?), we'll all have to wait just a little bit longer to see. Featured Gallery 2012 Tesla Roadster Final Edition View 10 Photos News Source: Twitter/Elon Musk Green Tesla Electric roadster

Tesla talking to Slovakia about European EV plant

Ready for some far-flung Tesla news? How about a wild rumor out of Slovakia? You got it. The Slovak Spectator reports that Tesla might build a manufacturing plant there some day and is already in talks with the Economy Ministry and the Slovak Agency for Development of Investments and Trade. This was apparently confirmed to the newspaper by the EM, which also said the ministry offered Tesla an unspecified amount of investment aid (a smart move). Tesla spokesperson Liz Jarvis-Shean told AutoblogGreen simply, "This story seems quite speculative, and we don't comment on such rumors." Fair enough. We do know that Tesla is looking to open a manufacturing center in Europe, but that's unlikely to happen in the next few years, given that the CEO Elon Musk said recently that Tesla would need to sell 160,000 vehicles a year in Europe before building them there makes sense. Hard numbers of difficult to come by, but in the first four months of 2014, Tesla sold around 3,500 EVs in Europe, according to research firm JATO Dynamics. So, we have some time to cultivate some Slovakian sources.