Hasta La Gadget!

When it comes to electric vehicles, you do not simply drive up to a gas station and “fill ‘er up”, so to speak, as there is this rather lengthy charging process that you need to go through in the first place. Well, Tesla Motors might have come across a rather innovative approach in the form of the Tesla Supercharger network. It should be more than just a simple charging post with a plug, where CEO Elon Musk recently touched on the system in a rather brief manner, more or less guaranteeing that folks who see it will be bowled over by its awesomeness.

There will also be some sort of battery swapping capability being introduced into the Supercharger network, and battery swapping is a controversial concept in the electric vehicle community. No idea on whether it will come for every pack size or not, as the Tesla Model S arrives with either a 40-, 60- or 85-kWh pack, but I am quite sure that the nitty gritty will be ironed out eventually.

Solar panels, too, will play their role here as we could be looking at the possibility of rooftop solar storage systems. Are you looking forward to what Tesla has in store for the electric vehicle future?

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Tesla launches Model S electric sedan, to build 5,000 units by end of the year, NVIDIA behind digital dashboard in Tesla Motors electric sedan,

Tesla founder Elon Musk would like to remind you that the Model X isn’t the terminus of his company’s electric car ambitions. Far from it: Musk tells Wired that Tesla’s 2016 plans include both a crossover SUV akin to the BMW X3 as well as a pure sports car that goes beyond just a Roadster redux. The racier vehicle will have speed, but “not supercar pricing,” the CEO says. He also elaborated on already-known plans for an ‘entry’ sedan in 2015, which should resemble a 20 to 25 percent smaller Model S and cost about $30,000 if all goes well. There’s a wide gap between promises and reality in all those statements, but Musk has a reputation for largely delivering on target — which gives us hope that there will finally be Tesla EVs within range of everyday budgets.

Filed under: Transportation

Tesla CEO teases crossover and sports car EVs for 2016 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Sep 2012 16:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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So you drop $50,000+ on a Tesla Model S — then what? The all-electric automaker offered some more details on what folks can expect in the ensuing years on its blog this week, detailing service plans and software updates, and what it’ll all cost. On that latter point, you can expect to pay $600 for a basic one-year service plan, or opt for a four-year package that’ll set you back $1900 — on-site visits are available for an extra $100, or as part of a four-year, $2400 plan that includes unlimited on-site visits. To provide that service, Tesla has also announced that it’s nearly tripling its number of service centers, which it says will mean there’s a service center within 100 miles of more than 90 percent of Model S reservation holders. What’s more, it’s also offered some details on what those owners will see in future software updates, including an optional “creep” mode that will mimic the slow, forward roll of a car with an automatic transmission. You can find more details and a full list of service centers at the links below.

Filed under: Transportation

Tesla details service plans, software updates for Model S originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Sep 2012 13:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Oatmeal’s campaign to raise cash helping Tesla Science Center purchase Wardenclyffe has hit its $850,000 target. The property, formerly the home of the scientist’s project to create wireless electricity can now be purchased with a matching grant from New York state. The charity is planning to build a museum on its original foundations, in a fitting tribute to the “Greatest Geek who ever lived.”

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Science

The Oatmeal does it: $850,000 raised for a Tesla Museum originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 10:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This week Matthew Inman from the illustrated blog and comic The Oatmeal initiated a funding project which would help pay for the public purchase of Nikola Tesla’s original laboratory site for use as the first USA-located Tesla museum. In Inman’s request (which of course took the form of an illustrated comic-like plea), he suggested that the Tesla auto company donate to the cause. The auto company is owned by none other than Elon Musk, who the folks at Jolopnik got in contact with, who agreed just this morning to donate online.

Whats perhaps just as important as the idea that Musk will be donating is the fact that Musk’s promise included the idea that he’s be “happy to talk to Jane.” This Jane character is Jane Alcorn who runs the non-profit organization responsible for running the fund-raiser that will make this all happen, and Inman’s suggestion that Musk speak with her included that it be if he were planning on donating “a large amount.”

So what are the logistics here?

The Elon Musk laboratory site is up for sale for $1.6 million dollars – the non-profit in charge of fund-raising to purchase the land for later construction of a Tesla museum has received a matching grant (given only if the amount is matched, of course), for $850,000 USD. This means that the non-profit must raise $850,000 and the land will be preserved! Of course that’s just one step. There’s still a need for more donations to come in and fund a museum of the future.

Elon Musk comes in at a great moment when they’ve already got $400,000 USD donated after just a bit over a day. With his help, we’ve got no doubt that the project will at least reach its goal of preserving the site. Head over to the Tesla Museum post on The Oatmeal to find out how you can get in on the awesomeness now. And if you know anyone with connections in all the right places, feel free to tell them there’s a museum that needs building!

ALSO If you have no idea who Nikola Tesla is, The Oatmeal also has a comic you need to read that will tell you everything you need to know. Have a peek at the emails that went back and forth between Jalopnik, The Oatmeal, and Musk himself right here, and jump for joy at it all:

Nikola Tesla Museum crowd-funded project gets Elon Musk bump is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
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