Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Interstate Tesla Service Stations: Business Idea?
Vanity | 10-27-09 | Senseless vanity

Posted on 10/27/2009 6:26:23 AM PDT by dangus

I'm not in the position for making any huge investments, and this might be in the category of just plain ignorant, but I figure this proposal might at least prompt some interesting discussion, and if its plausible, someone should do it:

The Tesla gets about 220 miles per charge. Great... if you're going somewhere less than four hours away. But if the S-class (a $50,000 "family car") is going to be someone's main car, they're certainly going to want to take longer trips with it. The problem is the car takes 8 hours to charge with 110 volts. By doubling the voltage (220 volts), it can be charged in 4 hours. But that still means it's useless for driving the kids to see Gramma.

Question: Could an 880-volt super-charger be built that could charge the Tesla in an hour... roughly the time it takes to get a good highway meal. A network of electric-vehicle charging stations at interstate rest stations would be exactly what it would take to make Tesla competitive... and such a network could probably put a profitable surcharge on the electricity delivered.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: dangus; electricity; energy; oil; oilcrisis; tesla
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-66 next last

1 posted on 10/27/2009 6:26:23 AM PDT by dangus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: dangus

Do some simple calculations for yourself before you psot something silly


2 posted on 10/27/2009 6:29:36 AM PDT by Mr. K (I live in fear that one of my typos becomes a freeper catchphrase...I'm series!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dangus

It might be more efficient to build giant catapults to launch the Tesla roadster to the next (catapult) station.


3 posted on 10/27/2009 6:32:26 AM PDT by 1rudeboy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dangus

I think for something like this to be profitable, there would have to be way more than a dozen or so of the cars in service.


4 posted on 10/27/2009 6:33:11 AM PDT by xjcsa (And these three remain: change, hope and government. But the greatest of these is government.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dangus

How about the Tesla tows a trailer with a generator and plenty of gas cans on it.


5 posted on 10/27/2009 6:33:26 AM PDT by cabojoe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dangus
Could an 880-volt super-charger be built that could charge the Tesla in an hour

Sure, you only would need to completely redesign the Tesla to use the power plant of, say, a Japanese Bullet Train in order to handle that, but heck, if we are saying what if, why not.

6 posted on 10/27/2009 6:34:34 AM PDT by mnehring
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dangus

Could have timeshare cars where you don’t own the particular car but access to a pool of like cars at varous stations or bases...sort of like the old Pony Express I suppose.


7 posted on 10/27/2009 6:34:43 AM PDT by Anima Mundi (The trouble with trouble is it starts out as Utopia)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dangus
Is this you?Brilliant woman solves everything
8 posted on 10/27/2009 6:35:09 AM PDT by Mr. K (I live in fear that one of my typos becomes a freeper catchphrase...I'm series!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 1rudeboy

You know what would work is if they take a Lotus Elise engine and replace the electric engine, then you could use gas anywhere you could find a station.


9 posted on 10/27/2009 6:37:26 AM PDT by mnehring
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: dangus
Tesla Rear-Ended by Prius in Denmark, Pushed Under SUV
10 posted on 10/27/2009 6:40:05 AM PDT by Willie Green (Go Pat Go!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dangus

Doubling the voltage may not allow you to charge it faster. If the battery recharging is current limited (as suggested by the 8-hour number), it won’t help at all.


11 posted on 10/27/2009 6:40:26 AM PDT by expatpat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dangus

If it doesn’t blow up or catch fire. Wonder how much this will cost. Look at your own skyrocketing electric bill and decide for yourself. All they talk about is clean energy; not cost or safety which they know of neither.


12 posted on 10/27/2009 6:40:49 AM PDT by freekitty (Give me back my conservative vote; then find me a real conservative to vote for)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dangus
dangus ...

You've got to quit walking off and leaving your computer unattended. While you were gone one of your "friends" sat down and posted something to make you look stupid.

13 posted on 10/27/2009 6:41:09 AM PDT by tx_eggman (Obama has "Czars" because men with more integrity than he has still use the titles "Don" and "Capo")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mnehring

LOL! That’s an excellent idea — patent it before somebody else comes up with it.


14 posted on 10/27/2009 6:42:15 AM PDT by expatpat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: dangus
Back in the olden days,my father and most men), would not stop for anything when traveling. There was a convenient cup in the back for bathroom breaks. We would not stop for anything. I cannot see a grown man,going on a long trip, looking fondly at stopping for an hour every so often. It would drive me crazy. Guess I inherited that.
15 posted on 10/27/2009 6:44:09 AM PDT by lynn4303
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: expatpat
I wonder if I can get a grant from Zero to put Lotus Elise engines in Teslas? I can already picture it now, dealers selling these gasoline powered Teslas- heck might as well call it an Elise. Just imagine... imagine.. ...imagine......imagine...


16 posted on 10/27/2009 6:45:55 AM PDT by mnehring
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: expatpat

Did you read all of what I wrote? Tesla is already introducing a 220-volt charger to cut charge time from 8 hours to 4 hours. Although I certainly suspect that the batteries would have to be configured to take faster charging.


17 posted on 10/27/2009 6:46:16 AM PDT by dangus (Nah, I'm not really Jim Thompson, but I play him on FR.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: dangus
Of COURSE it's a business idea ... but I suspect NONE of this stuff ever comes to fruition without having a market sewn up.

Which means .... we ain't members of that club and will be forced to jump through more hoops than is neccesary .. ultimately keeping the 'franchise' home.

18 posted on 10/27/2009 6:47:11 AM PDT by knarf (I say things that are true ... I have no proof ... but they're true)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dangus

With the stress in our culture, I’d suggest you jump
over the 880 volt charging stops and move directly to the
1760 volt stations. This way you could have the Tesla
drivers on their way in 30 minutes...

No wait. If 30 minutes is good, 15 would be better!

Make that 3520 volts! I think they make chairs of this voltage already...


19 posted on 10/27/2009 6:51:07 AM PDT by aMorePerfectUnion
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mr. K

Man, that was hilarious...and yet sooo scary that there are actually people like this out there voting.


20 posted on 10/27/2009 6:51:44 AM PDT by LivingNet
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-66 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson