Tesla Motors has set a record for power delivery via their Supercharger stations. During the month of June, 2014, they served customers recharging their vehicles to the tune of one gigawatt-hour. Keep in mind, that’s only the power that was recorded from the Supercharger stations, and does not count any of the power used by owners at home or anywhere else.
Sounds like a good Back To The Future punchline, right? Well, let’s clarify a couple of points: 1. It’s pronounced gig-a-watt, not jig-a-watt. Doc Brown suffered from a few issues related to scientific experiments and had developed a few problems over the years. And a gigawatt is currently the largest useable measurement of power available right now. To compare, the largest section of the Doel nuclear power plant in Belgium puts out 1.04 GW.
A gigawatt translates into several automotive statistics as well: 3.7 million miles based on the average use, 168,000 gallons of gasoline, and 4.2 million pounds of carbon dioxide offset. Considering the investment that Tesla is putting into the Supercharger stations (plans are to have one within 100 miles of 98% of the U.S. population. If for nothing else, at least Tesla is putting up the effort and cash to support their vehicles.
I guess the future really is here. Great Scott.
What the F* is a carbon offset? Does that mean this power source automagically winds up stored in pollution free batteries, or is there something in the electricity production process (like Coal, Natural Gas, or materials and manufacturing to make wind or solar products?)
I’d love Tesla if they’d actually produce some cars instead of asking for more and more money to leave junk uncompleted in their warehouse and customers waiting for years.
sigh.
Tesla has produced about 45k cars….with only a 10-12week wait on orders
Great! Since these are popular enough, end the tax payer subsidies. If they are so great, you should have to pay someone to buy one.
Let’s see: 1GW-hr in a month averages out to a continuous power consumption of 1,850 hp. With a claimed production of 41000 cars to date, that’s .045 hp per car. Not impressed
Great, this means 168,000 more gallons of gas available for my projects to run on. Oh, if we ended the subsidies what would Government Motors…er..GM have to do 😉
Someone needs to let the Tesla owners about how the Obama administration wants to destroy coal and oil fired power plants.
Without these power plants they can’t recharge their Tesla’s.
There is a dealer in the area where I work. I cant tell you how many of them I see on tow trucks,more than any other car. I see alot of them on the street though too.