This article is based around high mileage fleet operators using Superchargers for all of their (mostly local) driving. That's a usage case I believe Tesla never intended to be supporting, and something entirely different from what we're talking about in this thread.
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Monetizing the SC network
- Thread starter CurrentRide
- Start date
This article is based around high mileage fleet operators using Superchargers for all of their (mostly local) driving. That's a usage case I believe Tesla never intended to be supporting, and something entirely different from what we're talking about in this thread.
SeminoleFSU
Voluntaryist
This is true... I was mostly thinking about the folks who do have to rely on the SC's due to lack of home chargers like apartment, condo, town home folks, etc. Based on the math in the article, you'd be looking at one MS sedan costing $4128 over 100,000 miles with .10 kWh electricity. I would imagine with vampire losses and charging loss you'd be looking at $5000 or more. That's how much they're supposedly allocating for the cost of the SC network, which would mean on those local (only) charging cars it would be a break-even or possibly even a loss for the company, especially after 100,000 miles.
And Tesla could, relstively easily do 2 things for future cars:
- get agreements that limit length of stay at the Supercharger, and enforce them.
- restrict charging at local Superchargers
And it's worth repeating: in order to have to introduce billing, the cost of home-charging-avoidance would have to be higher than the cost of implementing and maintaining an account and billing system, provision of call-center for backup billing, and the cost of any extra Supercharger slots that would be needed to deal with the extra time taken to charge because of communication with the billing system. And all for something that could end up pretty cheap with cheaper batteries and solar.
I calculated the cost for GM to be about $450 per car. I'd far rather see money go towards the Supercharger network than towards media companies!
Just do a Google search for "GM advertising budget" - the figure I see is $4.5 billion. They sell nearly 10 million vehicles per year. 4500 million divided by 10 million is 450.
Update: do the same for BMW. I see figures for the U.S. of $275 million in advertising and sales of 340,000. Roughly. That's over $800 per vehicle in advertising expense.
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beeeerock
Active Member
I just did a Google search on "Gigafactory Construction Cost" and got a result of $5 billion. Comparing the benefits of the $5 billion investment in the Gigafactory to the $4.5 billion advertising 'investment', and I for one find that completely horrifying... What's wrong with this picture??!!
What's wrong with this picture, in my view, is that the average person has no clue how much money goes into marketing. I think the average person would be horrified if they truly understood how things work. The average person not working in the marketing industry, that is!
tinm
2020 Model S LR+ Owner
How about if Tesla began a franchise program to license Superchargers to 3rd parties who met certain criteria in terms of service, quality, reliability, etc.?
For instance, imagine a network of "Club T" charge-houses situated between existing Supercharger locations or on different routes entirely. Offering fresh food, a lounge, cable TV, great wifi, showers, etc. No ICEing worries because the place would be gated, and only Teslas allowed in (perhaps some sort of software update could modify HomeLink to allow you to raise the gate as you approached, or it did it automatically.)
Perhaps all Tesla owners could charge their cars for free, but to avail themselves of the facilities cost a membership fee. Perhaps upon buying a Tesla you got 5-10 visits built in to the price. Or perhaps even charging cost something nominal.
Anyway, it's an idea. I know I'd pay. For instance, if there were a Club T in Payson, AZ. Or Santa Fe or Taos, NM (or both!). I'm sure I could think of dozens of locations where Tesla doesn't have plans to provide Superchargers, but nevertheless it'd be great if they were there. Especially if there were 500K-1MM Teslas on the road...
For instance, imagine a network of "Club T" charge-houses situated between existing Supercharger locations or on different routes entirely. Offering fresh food, a lounge, cable TV, great wifi, showers, etc. No ICEing worries because the place would be gated, and only Teslas allowed in (perhaps some sort of software update could modify HomeLink to allow you to raise the gate as you approached, or it did it automatically.)
Perhaps all Tesla owners could charge their cars for free, but to avail themselves of the facilities cost a membership fee. Perhaps upon buying a Tesla you got 5-10 visits built in to the price. Or perhaps even charging cost something nominal.
Anyway, it's an idea. I know I'd pay. For instance, if there were a Club T in Payson, AZ. Or Santa Fe or Taos, NM (or both!). I'm sure I could think of dozens of locations where Tesla doesn't have plans to provide Superchargers, but nevertheless it'd be great if they were there. Especially if there were 500K-1MM Teslas on the road...
That's certainly an option. Tesla promised that the Supercharger network would be free, but there's certainly no reason that they couldn't allow others to build chargers that are Supercharger compatible under other terms, including your club membership fee. As long as they don't leave areas without Superchargers because of the agreements, I don't see any reason not to allow it.
Oh, and for your notional club: the Model S already has GPS-tied functions (Homelink, air suspension.) They could easily add a bunch of points for the clubs - whenever the car realizes that it's approaching a club, it either gives you a button to open the gate, or even reaches out with WiFi to the gate and opens it.
An alternate approach for Autopilot cars would be front camera based - the image recognition software it uses for speed limits and lane lines could be programmed to react to a specific sign by reaching out with WiFi to authenticate for the gate.
Walter
SW2Fiddler
We Are Cognitive Dissidents
Heh... Even THEN Tesla won't really have to. When the other carmakers' products get good enough, who doesn't think they will compare their EV to Teslas in their own advertisements?
Free Marketing, bayby - and more of it!
