Elon Musk said that the fast replacement of batteries in the Tesla Model S is not popular

    At one of the last meetings with Tesla investors, its head, Ilon Musk, said that an alternative way to charge the Model S electric car - quick battery replacement at a special station - is used literally by units of car owners. At the end of last year, such an experimental station was opened in Harris Ranch (California) and two hundred invitations were sent to owners of electric cars in the district with an offer to use it. However, as Musk noted, only four or five people took advantage of the station.

    The ability to quickly replace the Model S battery, and not wait for it to charge at the Supercharger station, Elon Musk personally introducedat the end of June 2013. At the presentation, he said that the owners of electric cars got an alternative: they can either charge their car at a charging station for free, but relatively slowly, or replace the battery with a special robot for $ 80 within 90 seconds. A little later it turned out that the battery replacement time still increased to three minutes, however, the company justified this by the fact that the electric cars received additional titanium shields and bumpers under the bottom of the car, which protect the battery from shock and fire.

    Presentation promotional video can be seen below:


    A special survey among 145 Model S owners confirmed what Musk said: about 54% of respondents did not show interest in replacing batteries, preferring regular charging with Supercharger. To some extent, Tesla itself is "to blame" - at the charging station in 40 minutes the battery can be charged to its 80% capacity, and for free. Then how quickly you can replace the battery in a very small number of stations and you will have to pay for it from $ 60 to $ 80. Musk "justifies" this preference for electric car owners in that the charging stations are "... fast enough." “If you leave Los Angeles for San Francisco at 9 in the morning, then by noon you want to stop, stretch your legs and have a bite to eat. During this time, your car will already be charged and ready to move on, ”says the head of Tesla.

    At the end, Musk mentionedabout the curious behavior of several owners of electric cars. For some reason, they even use Supercharger stations for trips within the city, instead of charging their cars from home power. This habit even made the company send out such reminders to such drivers that it makes sense to do this during a long trip, and an ordinary power outlet is enough to move around the city. Free Supercharger is already included in the cost of the electric car and, Musk promises, it will always be so.

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