Elon "About to end range anxiety"

[anxman]

My predictions for this 6.2 firmware update:

- Navigation automatically routes using nearby charging station information
- Expected energy usage is calculated using elevation, temperature, traffic, and historical driving speed
- If your Model S could become stranded, the car will notify you proactively
- Chargepoint and Plugshare data will also be pulled into the navigation

So with all of that, I would say that my range anxiety won't be gone "forever". What would make my range anxiety disappear forever would require a more eccentric solution:

- Tesla will put their new energy storage stations onto trucks, and will offer emergency AAA style roadside charging service to get your Model S enough charge to make it a supercharger. If you follow the instructions on the navigation and still manage to run out of charge, the emergency roadside charge is free.

 

[Monsoon]

What would really be the cure? the real cure in my mind would be something that would virtually eliminate the need to stop on long distance trips, something on the order of magnitude of a consumable aluminum air battery that would fill the frunk, perhaps every S has the wiring for the addition of such a battery and only needs a software update to enable the feature. In any case, if Tesla announces a way to nearly double the range of the S, making it possible to drive all day long without thinking about stopping for a charge, that would put the final nail in the coffin of range anxiety in my book and truly be revolutionary. Sadly I am prepared to be underwhelmed but would be pleasantly surprised if I'm wrong.

Now you're just trying to whip us up into a frenzy.
I like the creative thinking, but I think that is a stretch for an OTA update.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

So it mostly comes down to better navigation and trip planning with routing to chargers. However the question remains on how that works with non-tech cars...

Easy... Tesla announces on Thursday that it is enabling navigation on all non-tech cars. It's already standard on all cars based upon the latest order screen.

 

[Madartist]

- Tesla will put their new energy storage stations onto trucks, and will offer emergency AAA style roadside charging service to get your Model S enough charge to make it a supercharger. If you follow the instructions on the navigation and still manage to run out of charge, the emergency roadside charge is free.

Another good suggestion, but may be costly to implement. Charging times could be prohibitive as well.

 

[Beryl]

- Chargepoint and Plugshare data will also be pulled into the navigation

I thought this when I read his tweet. Tesla could partner with either one or both

- Tesla will put their new energy storage stations onto trucks, and will offer emergency AAA style roadside charging service to get your Model S enough charge to make it a supercharger. If you follow the instructions on the navigation and still manage to run out of charge, the emergency roadside charge is free.

I think they could (and should) partner with AAA and make this a reality.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

many on this forum will point out that it does not "affect the entire fleet" because not all cars have SuperCharging capabilities.

I believe all flavors of Model S have the built-in capability to supercharge. The hardware is already in the cars. Some S60 owners and all S40 owners have to pay to enable this functionality. S40 owners have to pay the upgrade cost to unlock the full 60 kWh battery which includes Supercharging. S60 owners who did not pay for Supercharging at the time of purchase can still pay after the fact to unlock supercharging. When Musk says "entire fleet", I believe he means that whatever is being announced on Thursday can be used by the entire fleet, and it can, but you still have to pay to enable supercharging if you don't have it.

I don't think we need to be this literal when we parse Elon's words.

- - - Updated - - -

- Tesla will put their new energy storage stations onto trucks, and will offer emergency AAA style roadside charging service to get your Model S enough charge to make it a supercharger. If you follow the instructions on the navigation and still manage to run out of charge, the emergency roadside charge is free.

This is not really in the vein of sustainable transport, is it? Those trucks will be burning huge amounts of fossil fuels to rescue stranded Model S owners. Also, announcing a fleet of trucks to charge stranded Model S owners doesn't exactly speak highly of the Model S, does it? That would be a huge marketing blunder. No way this is happening.

 

[golfski]

Regarding all the speculation around the updates to Nav and making it available to all models (including Non-Tech and Asia markets?), I thought a big issue with non-Tech cars wanting to upgrade for navigation was the replacement of the center screen because there was no storage available for maps (off-line mode?). However, if its a Google Maps update to include turn-by-turn when online/connected I definitely would love that! Is that what most are thinking? Not really including Navigon software in the speedometer display but an update to the Google Maps on the center screen?

 

[AmpedRealtor]

I thought this when I read his tweet. Tesla could partner with either one or both

Partnering with PlugShare would be risky given the poor quality of Plugshare data. If Tesla is going to route you to a charger to alleviate range anxiety, it has to make sure the quality of that database is exemplary. I mean, we are all going to be relying on that automatic routing so the quality of the data has to be first rate. Plugshare data can be spotty and unreliable. No way Tesla would put its name behind something like that. Chargepoint, on the other hand, would be a better partner because the data is strictly controlled and represents a high quality level. Plugshare is crowdsourced, so the quality is low.

 

[bonaire]

How about opt-in of car owners who can allow their home base to be made available on the console NAV nationally, or internationally. If you have 35000 national owners, good chance of tens of thousands of sharable HPWC of 40A and 80A. Like an air-bnb situation. You could pull up the map and besides SC and cataloged destination charging, which usually involve a stay over or shop payment participation, owners can opt-in their own HPWC to the network.

opt-in allows it to be only at your discretion to participate.

 

[Lawsteve]

How about opt-in of car owners who can allow their home base to be made available on the console NAV nationally, or internationally. If you have 35000 national owners, good chance of tens of thousands of sharable HPWC of 40A and 80A. Like an air-bnb situation. You could pull up the map and besides SC and cataloged destination charging, which usually involve a stay over or shop payment participation, owners can opt-in their own HPWC to the network.

opt-in allows it to be only at your discretion to participate.

Not to brag, but the Florida Tesla Enthusiasts club already has that network set up in Florida. Just not in the internal nav system........yet.

 

[iadbound]

Strictly speaking an over the air update could be tires delivered by air freight

Touche. Winner!!!!

 

[castor]

- Partnership with Amazon to deliver a spare battery with a drone wherever you are.
- Trucks with mobile superchargers

I'm more inclined to the second option.

 

[Madartist]

Partnering with PlugShare would make no sense given the poor quality of Plugshare data. If Tesla is going to route you to a charger to alleviate range anxiety, it has to make sure the quality of that database is exemplary. I mean, we are all going to be relying on that automatic routing so the quality of the data has to be first rate. Plugshare data can be spotty and unreliable. No way Tesla would put its name behind something like that. Chargepoint, on the other hand, would be a better partner because the data is strictly controlled and represents a high quality level. Plugshare is crowdsourced, so the quality is low.

I'm not so sure about the quality/reliability of the data on ChargePoint either. I have personally encountered ChargePoint stations which are either non-functional or occupied, but doesn't show up correctly on the app.

 

[Mark Z]

I have already been demonstrating the 6.1 software to friends with the remarkable range estimation feature. It's reduced my range anxiety already. The remarkable part is where you bring up the trip graph and enhance it by pressing the upper right icon. Variations in a short trip appear exaggerated. The surprise was noticing the regenerative energy return for the downhill part and a projected energy climb for entering the freeway! A trip from OC to Lake Arrowhead was spot-on predicting a 50 mile range loss due to elevation changes. Round trip range estimates are accurate as well. Weather/Wind conditions from the cloud could be factored in now, just as elevation and traffic are.

As some have suggested, calculating a longer trip with multiple destinations and intermediate charge locations would be handy. Showing nearby stations in route by using PlugShare on the web works now. Here is the link: PlugShare - EV Charging Station Map - Find a place to charge your car! Just click "Trip Planner" and check the station types.

If Tesla Motors monitors the remaining range and suggests a required charge stop automatically, that would eliminate range anxiety for me. It makes sense that the feature would be necessary with Auto Pilot and helpful with all manual operations. Whatever the software improvements, they are appreciated and make owning a Model S a great investment in transportation. Drive safe and have fun guessing and waiting for the software update announcement.

 

[BerTX]

Ok, so now Elon has all the press interested and attending the press conference to see how he plans to end range anxiety.

He reveals one or more of the things that have been speculated here.

The room yawns.

Then he reveals the Model X.

 

[Saghost]

Ok, so now Elon has all the press interested and attending the press conference to see how he plans to end range anxiety.

He reveals one or more of the things that have been speculated here.

The room yawns.

Then he reveals the Model X.

Hmm... Interesting thought.

 

[techmaven]

At the very least, it makes sense for Tesla to add the HPWC's from their destination charging program to the car's nav system. It also makes sense to add HPWC's from those that want to share so Tesla should add those HPWC's too. It seems to me that those that have installed HPWC's on their own and are willing to share should be on Tesla's "Find Us" charging map which is then accessible from the car.

 

[ecarfan]

Just read this article that Musk says Thursday they will announce that ALL Model S's will get a software update for more range! What? Anyone? Here we go!

Heres the link:

http://money.cnn.com/2015/03/15/aut... in regard to the S are entirely speculative.

 

[scole04]

All cars can now travel 400 miles on a charge, our engineers have solved this by limiting driving speeds to 25mph :biggrin:.

They have to be able to electrically vary the horsepower delivery (100 hp, 200hp level, 300 hp level, 400 hp level, 500hp level) to increase range.

 

[richkae]

I read most of the thread and skipped to the end.
Sorry if someone else had all of these points and I missed it.

I think it is an all-software update, this is what I think they will do, because it is what I would do:

1. Improved navigation to allow planning a complete trip ( including stops ) - instead of just a point to point.
2. Learns your trips and remembers them for the future, automatically tracks if you are driving on a path that coincides with any previous trip.
3. Automatically finds the best charging point(s) along your path and suggests them if they are needed.
4. Charging point data is combined from sources like plugshare, with data crowd sourced from every Model S. The data from the Tesla cars will augment the data from plugshare, and automatically track which stations are available, and in proper working order. No more using the crappy web browser on a crappy website to try to figure out if the station is functional, the car will just know what stations it can use.
5. Further, the navigation can know if any of the stations are currently occupied or will be occupied when you get there ( if that car is a Tesla ), and can route you elsewhere.