Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk said Thursday the electric-car company is expanding its network of "Supercharger" stations in California and across the country, and that Tesla Model S owners eventually will be able to drive from Los Angeles to New York using only the company's network of fast charging stations.
The Supercharger stations are also adding solar power and grid storage, which means they'd be both carbon-neutral and able to function if the nation's vast electric grid crashed.
"Even if there's a zombie apocalypse, you'll still be able to travel the country on the Tesla Supercharger network," Musk said Thursday in a wide-ranging conference call with automotive and tech journalists.
There currently are eight Supercharger stations up and running, including six in California and two on the East Coast; the Bay Area's Gilroy station is one of the busiest in the network.
That number will triple by the end of June, with stations being added in the Seattle; Portland, Ore.; Austin, Texas; Dallas; Denver; and Chicago regions. By 2015, California will have 25 to 30 Supercharger stations, including on Highway 101. Stations are typically located near diners or outlet stores on highways between major metropolitan areas so drivers can grab a bite to eat and use the restroom while their vehicle recharges.
Harris Ranch, located halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco near Interstate 5, has six Supercharger ports.
"We usually have four or five cars charging all at once on the weekends," said Elias Vasquez, assistant manager of the gas (and charging) stations at Harris Ranch. "They park and charge and eat lunch. We get some regulars."
Tesla is also improving the technology to reduce the amount of time it takes to top off the battery, and will be rolling out the improved Superchargers this summer. Currently, it takes 40 to 45 minutes to fast-charge the Model S; that time is being reduced to 20 to 25 minutes. The Supercharger stations are free for all Model S drivers but are not compatible with electric vehicles like the Nissan Leaf or even the Tesla Roadster.
"Once you buy a Model S you have free charging for life at the Supercharger stations," said Musk, who plans to take a road trip with his five young sons at the end of the year to prove that a cross-country road trip is possible in the electric car.
Musk first talked about the Supercharger expansion at the All Things D tech conference in Southern California on Wednesday. Tesla increasingly has been making press announcements in an effort to build the company's brand without spending money on advertising.
"This is another positive stride for Tesla," said Alec Gutierrez, a senior analyst at Kelley Blue Book. "Knowing that you can drive across the country makes the idea of the Model S more feasible."
