I am assuming that if the cable is still attached the software is smart enough to not let the car move.
You're probably right. I believe "Revenge of the Electric Car" showed a little snafu with either the Leaf or Volt. When they tried to start the car, it failed to do anything: it was plugged in.
The Roadster doesn't let you move if the charge port door is open. I suspect they did something similar for the S.
Man what a catastrophe if the small device/lever that senses if the door is open or if the plug is plugged in broke. Your car would never move.
Beat me... Yes...Such a small thing to render the car useless? Hopefully there would be some warning and override. But, I can see a hole lot of ridicule for people driving around with their charge port doors open...just like those with the gas caps still hanging off.
There are lots of little things in all cars like that which could go wrong and prevent the car from working. They're pretty sturdy. I wouldn't worry about it.
I had thought that the charge door automatically opens when it senses the charger. Surely it would close when it doesn't sense the charger?
Doubtful. I'm guessing the latch that releases the door is spring loaded and there isn't a servo that can close it.
No, it doesn't. It's very easy to make something open. Spring load it, then when conditions call for it, release the catch. To open and close it, it has to be motorized.
I'm a little confused about the charger. It says on the design studio page that without the Twin Chargers, 1 hour of charge will give you 31 miles. I thought that the 85kw battery fully charged in 3 1/2 hours, and in just 1 hour with the super charger.
With the twin chargers charging at 80A, you can charge the 85 kWh pack in a little over 4 hours. With the single charger at 40A it's about 9 hours.
Ahh I understand. I confused the superchargers with the twin chargers. Do you think we will be able to purchase superchargers for our homes? Is there any news on the network they are making?
No significant news on the Supercharger network. It's really not something you need or might even be able to install in a home anyway. The 80A HPC is plenty fast.
Mogwai - The Twin Chargers allow you to charge using 80 amps on AC, from the Tesla new wall mounted charger, or J1772 AC charging standards out there, or from the 70A Roadster HPC (adapter to be determined)... A single charger uses half that - 40 amps - from any adaptable AC source, even if that source can drive more amps; so, double the time to charge on AC. These are the figures used on the Model S web page from Tesla for their charging estimates. The Suprercharger uses DC, and doesn't depend on the on-board chargers, twin or single... there's precious little on Tesla's public site on this, of course. Check out the other threads on the site here for more info.
Yes AndyM I actually found the info I was looking for just after asking the question. My apologies for redundant questions I'll try to avoid them in the future.
With respect to installing a supercharger at home, you'll likely not even have enough power going to your home to run a supercharger (at least not at 90kW). You probably have 24 or 48 kW coming into your home (I'm assuming power to most homes in Canada is single split phase).
The LA Times review video (at the 1:27 mark) seems to confirm the theory that it might simply be spring-loaded: Saturday Drive: 2012 Tesla Model S - latimes.com
I watched that and it seemed to open too smoothly for a spring loaded system. I guess they could have put a damper in but it seems to me it would be simpler to use a motor than a complex spring and damper system. Probably cheaper to make as well.
I think a spring/damper system would be both simpler and cheaper than a servo, wiring, and the necessary controls.
At the Seattle event I asked them to open it. The port popped open similar to an ICE's fill door release, remaining open at about 3/4". You hook your finger in then open it up. It's your basic spring-catch. When you push it closed, the car senses it and you hear a click as it's pulled tight and locked.