Interview With Elon Musk About Tesla Supercharger Expansion In Europe

May 4th, 2013 by Guest Contributor

This article was originally published on Green Optimistic.
By Ovidiu Sandru

Image Credit: TED

Elon wants the best for humanity, as you can read between the lines of the interview below, taken minutes ago. We, at The Green Optimistic, truly admire this man and what he does. He’s an example worth following by all entrepreneurs.

So, read on:

me: When will the Supercharger (and Tesla dealerships) be available in Eastern Europe, in countries like Romania or Bulgaria? Will there be Tesla-owned services in each of the countries where you install the charging infrastructure?

Elon: We will certainly sell cars throughout Europe long term, including in Romania and Bulgaria. Default plan is Tesla owned dealers and superchargers enabling travel anywhere in Europe, from Turkey to Norway!

me: Have you encountered the same (stupid) dealership laws in Europe, as it’s been the case in the U.S.?

Elon: No, European laws are much more reasonable.

me: Do you have any future plans regarding price cuts for Europe? What I mean is EUR is about 30% higher than USD and that means a 30% more expensive car to buy here.

Elon: Tesla US and EU profit is exactly the same, but in the US sales tax is added above purchase price whereas in Europe it is included. We also incur higher costs for shipping and customs duties. This all results in a price that seems 30% higher, but actually isn’t. Of course, there is always some movement of exchange rates that can make things a little better or worse over time. Long term, we will establish a factory in Europe, which should lower cost to the consumer by about 10%.

me: Does the Supercharger employ a charging strategy that minimizes battery wear (like pulsed charging)? We’ve been hearing of how lithium dendrites form and destroy batteries lately, and it’d be reassuring for our readers and your pontential first-time EV adopters to know this. I know battery faults are covered by warranty, but it’s still an important point.

Elon: Our Supercharger computer is in constant communication with the car’s battery computer and continuously adjusting the power input to ensure that the battery is able to take the maximum power rate without damage. They have to dance a tight tango to make this work, which is part of why it isn’t something that any random electric car can use. Supercharger use does not affect the warranty.

me: If you put up a leasing scheme like the one in the U.S., you’ll make even more people happy.

Elon: We will.

Thanks again, Elon!

Elon Musk is the CEO of Tesla Motors, SpaceX, SolarCity and the co-founder of Paypal. He has recently been listed as one of the most 100 influential people on the planet – it’s an honor and a pleasure talking to him.

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Tags: EU, Europe, Tesla, Tesla EU, Tesla Europe, Tesla Supercharger Network, Tesla Supercharger Network Europe, tesla superchargers, Tesla Superchargers EU, Tesla Superchargers Europe

About the Author

Guest Contributor is many, many people. We publish a number of guest posts from experts in a large variety of fields. This is our contributor account for those special people. :D

Martin – eCars.bg

You gyus rock – thank you so much. To see you’re asking Elon about Bulgaria and Romania – this is what we’re passionate about – bring Tesla here. From all the eCars.bg community – THANK YOU! It’s such a surprise. We plan to talk to Tesla people at eCarTec Munich, but now we know they’re coming. Blogging to the nation right away
DougH

Well said.

I’ve heard speculation that Supercharger use destroys that battery. I’ve even heard that the warranty stipulate the maximum number of supercharger charges an owner could use before voiding the warranty.

I’m very relieved by what I read in the interview. I should receive my Model S in June.
- WeaponZero
  
  That is because they were lying. I have seen people post the same thing and I keep pointing those people to Tesla’s actual warranty (it is available online) and Tesla has constantly said that super charger does not effect the life of the battery. And those people continued to keep posting those claims despite constantly being shown evidence that it is not true.
  
  I think the idea came from the confusion with the Nissan Leaf. The Tesla supercharger charges your car to full in 1 hour using 1C charging. The Nissan Leaf has a fast chargers that charge you to full in 20-30min, that means they are charging 2-3C, that damages the battery. or to be more accurate, if you charge at 2C that is like eating through 2 cycles instead of 1 cycle. So a car charged at 2C constantly will last 2x less then the same car charged at 1C.
  - Bob_Wallace
    
    I believe Nissan cautions LEAF owners to not use a rapid (Level 3) charger more than one times per day.
    
    I’m pretty sure that means no more than 365 times per year, as long as the battery has cooled back down to normal operating temperature a second rapid charge inside of a single day should not matter.
    - WeaponZero
      
      Thermal issues aside, the point I am making is when you charge at 2C, you are eating away battery cycles. So it is not a matter of do you charge one time or 2 times a day but the total amount of times you charge.
      
      So let us say that you charge at 1C and in 1000 cycles it reaches 70%. If you charge at 2C, you will reach 70% in 500 cycles.
      
      More information here:
      http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/ultra_fast_chargers
      
      The Tesla super chargers are charging at 1C, a level 3 charger charging a Tesla Model S would be 0.7C – 1C, a level 3 charger on a nissan leaf would be around 2C.
      
      In the end it boils down to the capacity of the battery vs the rate you charge.