Tesla Planning Cross-Country Supercharger Expansion

Tesla Motors Co. is planning a cross-country supercharger expansion that would allow US motorists to use their electric cars from New York to California.

The expansion, which will likely take a few years to complete, could eliminate the “range anxiety” electric car users feel when they leave home.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that the roll-out of the supercharger network will happen twice as fast as originally planned. Twice as many of the units will also be place than originally planned.

Musk added that the already fast charging system will be upgraded to reduce charging times by about half. He explained:

“It does mean quite a lot to mainstream customers, being able to drive your [battery] car wherever you want to go … at a moment’s notice. So [this is] very important to accessing a broader audience.”

And Musk has a lot to be proud of for his business already. The Tesla co-founder recently saw his electric car, the Model S, given a Consumer Reports top score. It was also named Motortrend Car of the Year for 2013 — the first time an all-electric car has won the award.

There are already some Tesla superchargers in place, mostly along the West Coast, though there are also a few between Washington, D.C., and Boston to help some commuters on the East Coast. The new plan for cross-country supercharger stations will allow someone the opportunity to drive from Los Angeles to New York City in a Tesla Model S before the end of 2013.

Eventually, there will be hundreds of superchargers across the US near Interstate highways and more leisurely routs like CA-1 and US-101. The best part? A Model S owner who purchases an optional supercharger package (standard on the most expensive model) can plug in for free as often as they want.

The network means that someone using a Tesla Model S could travel across the country for free, saving hundreds of dollars on gas. Once the supercharger stations are in place, would you consider purchasing a Tesla Model S, knowing you can drive it across the country?

[Image via Steve Jurvetson]