Hello. Still doing my reseach to see if a Model S is the right car for me. One of the businesses I own has a pretty heavy-duty electric supply. Commercial-service 3 phase 480v with a 600 amp panel. This business is 200 miles way from my house. So for the times when I drive there, it would be great if I could plug in the car and charge it rather rapidly for my drive back home. Could I possibly install a high-current charger at this business for a MS? Tesla Superchargers probably have some proprietary technology in them that I couldn't get, but with that kind of elec supply, what is highest charging capacity I could do? Any elec engineers in here?
MNX is correct. What you can do, is get a CHAdeMo Station, and the Tesla CHAdeMo Adapter. A CHAdeMo station, through Nissan's Subsidy Program, will run you approx $13-$15k. Much Much cheaper then a Supercharge. Not as fast, the CHAdeMo max right now is about 50kWh, where as the max Supercharger is 120 with rumors of 130kWh coming. While not as fast as a Supercharger, the CHAdeMo has the potential of 170 miles per hour recharge. I doubt you will be driving all that distance to only stay their for a hour. Full top off should take about 1 1/2 hours on a 60kWh pack, o about 2 hrs on a 85kWh pack. Sounds like you may have the capacity do do the 50kWh. The CHAdeMo Adapter for the Model S has a loop on it, so that way you could chain it to the CHAdeMo station so other MS owners could charge as well (if that is in your plans). The adapter will be about $1,000 Alternate charging method, if you get the dual chargers for your car, that can charge at 20kWh. A HPWC can charge a Dual Charger equiped Model S twice as quick as the standard single charger. a 100 amp breaker will be required on 240 or 208v to use. It is much cheaper to install then a CHAdeMo, and compatible with all Model S cars. Cars that are not equipped for use with dual chargers will default down to the standard single charger rate of 40 amps, 10kw. Though, a CHAdeMo station with the CHAdeMo to Model S adapter will be able to charge all Model S's that have Supercharing Enabled, so all 60's with Supercharging, all 85's, P85's and P85+'s. It will not work with ANY of the software limited 40kw cars, though, those are in a large minority (hence, the discontinuing of that Battery Size).
If you really wanted to get as close as possible to a SC, without doing some serious reverse engineering, and with Money as no object, probably the closest you could get is to install a CHAdeMO charger (http://www.chademo.com/02_CHAdeMO_Chargers.html) and then get a Tesla CHAdeMO Adapter (http://shop.teslamotors.com/collections/model-s-charging-adapters/products/chademo-adapter). At "150 miles of range per hour" This is probably as close as you can get to a super charger with off the shelf components. But it's not going to be cheap, not sure what a commercial grade CHAdeMO charger runs but my guess would be $15k to $20k (some prices listed here http://www.pluginamerica.org/accessory-tracker?page=1&order=field_access_price_value&sort=asc&type=Charger%2C%20CHAdeMO&level=All&nrtl=All). You do get 2-3 times the charge rate of a high power connector though, maybe higher. Worth it? not for me but more power to you if you want to go that route, I'm sure any Leaf owners in your neck of the woods would be very happy. whoops looks like someone else beat me too it. well maybe the links are useful.
For a 200 mile return trip a HPWC should do the trick for you, easily. Assuming you started with 260 miles when you left home, you'd have 60 miles left when you get to your workplace, in about 2.5 hours at 80amps (~60 miles/hr charge rate) you could top up above 200 miles and in 4 hours maximum have a full range charge. While the idea of a Level 3 is neat, and perhaps not ridiculously expensive if you are able to qualify for the various federal and other rebates currently available, a $1200 HPWC makes a lot more practical sense.
Agree with efusco. Axxlrod: How long will you be at your business each day before you have to return? As Evan said, if you are there for 3-4 hours then a HPWC would likely be the way to go at a 1/10th the cost.
Tesla has a form HERE that you can fill out to get them to consider a location for a Supercharger. If your business is along a major travel route, near restrooms/wifi/etc and you're able to make it public-access, they may bite. If it's not in such a great spot...well, the odds are lower but if you pay for part (I suspect you won't want to pay for all of it! I agree CHAdeMO would be a better route if it comes to that) it still may be possible. I don't think (?) they would do private-only installations even if you pay at this point; but again that's moot as CHAdeMO would make more sense.
You should try to get them to sell you one. I would think that a 90kW unit should be in the $15k to $30k range ( without a transformer ). They may not be ready to sell them yet, but they need to figure it out. They need to figure out how to get others to install superchargers and fill out the rest of the supercharger network that isnt on the main routes they plan to cover. If I were Tesla I would definitely have two price levels, a higher price for private only installations that includes some profit for them, and a minimal or no profit price for public installations.
If you bought a car with dual chargers, then I suspect all you would need is an HPWC which would give you around 50 miles of recharge per hour so refill in 4-5 hours. 200 miles is a 3 hour trip. Do you often do that trip there and back in one day? You do not have the electrical requirements for a supercharger. They take a 12 kV or higher line from the power company. A single bay supercharger would probably set you back $20k to $25k (my guess including power company upgrades, would be interested to see if anyone's managed to wrangle a quote from Tesla).
Thanks for the replies, guys. As usual, nothing is as simple as you think it might be. I'l have to read up on the Chademo chargers. I only drive to this location about twice per month, and I usually spend about 4 hours there. So it seems a hpwc would be sufficient, and much less costly. I was thinking that since I already had the elec infrastructure and incoming supply present, that maybe the heaving lifting was already done. But I guess not. Thanks.
I think I was wrong about the 12kV requirement - that's for a large number of bays. Each individual supercharger works off 480V, 200A, so you do have the electrical infrastructure in place (assuming you can handle the peak load). Anyone got a quote from Tesla yet for a private Supercharger?
I think you should contact Tesla and work out an agreement with them to install superchargers on your property. A location that will work for you and for Tesla as well. No out of pocket dollars for you. They will build and maintain the system for you and other Tesla users. Tesla is already doing this with every supercharger they install. Then, each day when you are at work you can supercharge as you wish. Tesla already knows how to do this!!! You may be able to work out some business deals with them if this is the business you are in. Time is a wastin'.... you're burnin' daylight! ... gosh! I'm surprised you are not already off the phone with them and have your project underway!!! Kick it inTO high gear and get this done ASAP or someone else will beat you to SUPERCHARGING IN San Diego!!
Also remember that the 20kW is calculated based on 240v*80a and not 200v*80a = 16kW that is normal for Commercial power An other option is wait and hope that Tesla come out with a SCC adapter as these stations + adapter should be cheaper than CHAdeMO + adapter Also try contact some of the charging networks, as they might be interested in a shared revenu model for a CHAdeMO / SCC charger
Giz is correct, See my first post, subsidized CHAdeMO station is as low as 13k, installation and permitting(now I'm in Wisconsin, and know everything is more expensive in Cali) should not be more then $5-$8k depending on how log the wire run is (the copper might be pricy) and as long as the transformer doesn't nneed to be upgraded.