mitch672
Active Member
This is an interesting question. I also would like to know if Tesla will encourage, or even allow, third party charging stations to use their proprietary connector. Availability of third party DC fast chargers with the Tesla connector will allow a more robust charging network, and for it to be built faster.
Roadster owners have gotten together and bought HPCs, then convinced a business owner to install it at a location they can all use. Model S owners could do the same with HPWCs, but a 20 kW DC charger could be used by cars without the twin charger option. They would need the supercharging option, but this is a much more useful option to buy, in my opinion. DC chargers can connect to the three phase power available at businesses and provide a balanced load,and they can be sized at a power level that is economically available at the business, anywhere from 20 to 120 kW.
You could even install a single phase 20 kW DC charger in your garage instead of an HPWC. Friends can recharge at the max rate for their return trip, even if they don't have twin chargers.
GSP
Not quite. Supercharger option is not offered on the 40KW Model S, only as an Option on the 60KW, and standard on the 85KW.
The HPWC works on all three, works faster on all 3 if you have the 2nd optional 10KW onboard charger, and a 100A single phase electrical service available. Some of this is technical, some of it is marketing/business decisions, I don't think you're going to get Tesla to change their decisions.
The SuperChargers estimated deployment cost was $250K per site, a lot of that cost is the electrical infrastructure work, and installation, but a significant part is the SuperCharger cabinet/hardware itself. It's never going to be for residential use, unless your residence is a commercial large building with 3 phase 120/208 service of a least 500Amps.