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I am sure they would love to, but they cannot just decide where they want to build one, and then do it. Obviously.
Normally, Tesla Motors Engineering can make a supercharger station in less than a month - from survey to ready for operation - they know how to do it now, after having done a lot of them. They have installed many superchargers, in a lot of countries now, except not in Hong Kong yet.
And that is a new challenge.
Hong Kong, the tick the boxes, jump the loops, ultra conservative regulatory dual legal and government system, is a nightmare in admin and regulation. Add to that huge property cost and a place where not only property, but also ICE car sales as well as fossil fuel trading, is dominated by the ever so powerful tycoons. See how it took markwj two YEARS just to have legislation changed so that EVs can go on the expressways without having to apply for an exemption for each and every single registered vehicle. And how we cannot have the rear facing seats and web browsing. Hong Kong is free and open, and bound and closed, at the same time. Square and silly literal interpretation of laws written in a way that seem appropriate for a horse carriage and rickshaw transport, rather than a modern one, with self-propelled vehicles. Electric bikes? Forget about it, in Hong Kong that is a motorcycle, as it is a cycle with a motor, and thus has to be registered and approved as such. Violating it can give you up to 6 month in jail. In-line skating in a public place, and most people look at you like you just fell down from Mars - in 2014!
Clean air, anyone? Yes please, but don't touch my business or change anything in the process. Duh.
The existing car parks and shopping malls that could have super chargers are now approached by other brands and their specific charger requirements. So even when you find a place to put a supercharger, this is the next challenge - Tesla Motors have to pay up to "offer" the ability for charging Tesla model S cars. As must BMW for their i3 and i8, and so on.
And each time one spot is converted to a charging spot, there is one less (ICE propelled) customer to shop, one more blocked spot, because where are all those cars to use the chargers? Remember all those ICEd existing parking spots?
They don't care that there are hundreds of cars to be delivered within the summer and fall of 2014, because they are not here yet.
It's a catch-22 that so many new technologies meet, the kind of technology that requires some kind of infrastructure. Remember 3G mobile phones? Who would make the network, when there were no phones, and who would make the phones, when there was no network? Eventually, something has to break, and Tesla is "making the phones AND the network" - brilliant, except Hong Kong is not an easy place to make a network it seems.
Besides all that, there are technical issues. A supercharger, and even more so, a whole battery of them (no pun intended), draws a lot of power, so you cannot just install a supercharger station where you like. If it's inside the parking lot of a building, which was never designed for the purpose, new installations must be made all the way to the nearest capable network station.
Could we add to that also, that the location must also be somewhere accessible and popular, yet not in the worst congestion of traffic in rush hour?
If had property and a location which was suitable, I would invite Tesla Motors for sure - come build a super charger station here, I will roll out the red carpet! But I don't own one, I don't even own a parking spot.
Hopefully some of the buyers of the car are forward looking entrepreneurs, who have some control over a location they can "offer" for Tesla to use.
So the question shouldn't be "Where would you suggest Tesla to build their supercharging stations in Hong Kong" but rather, where could they install them.
... having written all that, it would have made things a lot easier, if there had been a proper open DC fast charging industry standard.
What is the best standard so far, which is fast, and that most or all EVs can use? VHS won over BETAMAX and VIDEO2000 (for those old enough to remember), as DOS won over CP/M, so who deserves to win this war of standards?
One of the key parameters will be whether it's an open or closed standard. Can anyone make a CHAdeMO charger, and does it take approval and licensing? We don't want a few players to control a future standard. Imagine if a few entities alone controlled a future fast charging standard? Thanks, but no thanks!
Maybe CHAdeMO - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia is the best option for a global standard, as they claim it themselves.
Although the present highest powered CHAdeMO gives less than half of a Tesla super charger, it's still about 4 times as much as an 80A HPWC (which is changing it's name, btw, I think to merely "wall charger")
CHAdeMO, not instead of super chargers, but as the next most powerful charger - yet one that works for all brands of EVs. At least it will, via adapters, if it gets more widespread. Both ZERO motorcycles and Mission Motorcycles offer CHAdeMO adapters, so it's not even limited to cars.
When you go to a gas/diesel/LPG station, you can choose any brand, as long as you pick the correct propellant. Why not the same for charging stations? Fill it up, please! AC or DC?
I don't expect too many superchargers in Hong Kong. I thought there would be half a dozen or more, very soon, while now I think we should be content with two or three stations by Christmas.
Over the course of some years, it might even be that most of the supercharging stations will be outside built up areas. Hopefully also one at the airport (pick-up or drop off people, while getting a quick zapp, and then hopefully we will get Tesla model S taxis and limos?). Maybe one in connection with the upcoming Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai connection?
Nevertheless, it's all very exciting
What is the best standard so far, which is fast, and that most or all EVs can use? VHS won over BETAMAX and VIDEO2000 (for those old enough to remember), as DOS won over CP/M, so who deserves to win this war of standards?
One of the key parameters will be whether it's an open or closed standard. Can anyone make a CHAdeMO charger, and does it take approval and licensing? We don't want a few players to control a future standard. Imagine if a few entities alone controlled a future fast charging standard? Thanks, but no thanks!
Maybe CHAdeMO - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia is the best option for a global standard, as they claim it themselves.
Although the present highest powered CHAdeMO gives less than half of a Tesla super charger, it's still about 4 times as much as an 80A HPWC (which is changing it's name, btw, I think to merely "wall charger")
CHAdeMO, not instead of super chargers, but as the next most powerful charger - yet one that works for all brands of EVs. At least it will, via adapters, if it gets more widespread. Both ZERO motorcycles and Mission Motorcycles offer CHAdeMO adapters, so it's not even limited to cars.
When you go to a gas/diesel/LPG station, you can choose any brand, as long as you pick the correct propellant. Why not the same for charging stations? Fill it up, please! AC or DC?
I don't expect too many superchargers in Hong Kong. I thought there would be half a dozen or more, very soon, while now I think we should be content with two or three stations by Christmas.
Over the course of some years, it might even be that most of the supercharging stations will be outside built up areas. Hopefully also one at the airport (pick-up or drop off people, while getting a quick zapp, and then hopefully we will get Tesla model S taxis and limos?). Maybe one in connection with the upcoming Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai connection?
Nevertheless, it's all very exciting
Well-said and written DITB, but for what we can do now, is to keep suggesting anywhere which seem possible and let the TM team to work out the rest. Suggesting locations can help them quite a bit because I doubt anyone in the TM team will know every part of Hong Kong well, but together, we can help, even if it ends up not being suitable because of land ownership or power issue.
We just have to trust that someone from this forum will remember to inform the TM team about our tiny bit of contribution.
We just have to trust that someone from this forum will remember to inform the TM team about our tiny bit of contribution.
Totally agree. I wish I knew some better places, yet I don't, and will leave it up to others to suggest locations.
Of course I can suggest several locations, though there are probably many reasons not to do it where it seems logical to laymen (like me!)
have you forwarded this idea to Tesla? I'm in agreement 100%. some sort of valet service to make sure all 6 bays are being used with maximum efficiency.
We understand HK is a unique situation and finding parking space and spots is pretty tough. That's why it would be great if the spots were being valet to handle the traffic.
I remember talking to the Tesla staff about the Cyberport and he mentioned, "Ya. Charge your car while you go for dinner or a movie."
And I thought, that's a wonderful idea, but man would I hate to block a spot for 2+ hours while I watch a movie if I only need 20-30 minutes. And it would be extremely inconvenient to run out of the cinema halfway through a movie and repark the car. A Valet service solves that problem by optimizing the usage of the 6 bays.
I think it's a great idea, how do we get Tesla to hear it?
They are reading here, some of them, when they have time off (which is hardly ever). Reluctant to post here to avoid disclosing information they shouldn't have, and I can understand that. Being an incurable open-mouth, I'd better not be on these forums myself, had I been a TM employee.
I appreciate you agree, mchk, though I think this is so straight forward I am sure TM have thought of it themselves already. And I am sure I am not sufficiently informed to see all the issues about implementing my idea.
Let's see what happens when those super chargers open. The solution should come naturally, once the line-up of MS owners become long enough, while the cars in the bays are done charging before people come back from "Police Academy 9"
I totally agree. The only problem is the supercharge only take around 30 mins to charge 80% and sometime people might go away for a long time even the charge finish which might be holding the spot for who need to use. Hopefully they will come up a solution.
Sometime I went to the parking lot, lots of people park at the electrical vehicle charging sport with a gasoline vehicle. Such as Middle Road Parking & Tsuen Wan Multi-Storey Carpark Building.
I suggested that to Tesla for Pacific Place. They already have valet for Great supermarket there, and they are very experienced with high-end cars. Issue is that Pacific Place are not EV-friendly - they used to have a single 13A charging spot, but put it in a very inaccessible place and ripped it out once the contract was up. They'd rather spend the money on wooden walled car park ramps (is it just me or does anyone else miss the mural?).
after test drive and talking with an owner adviser, i really think majority of tesla owners may never use the supercharge station at HK, if they can install a charger at their parking.
but certainly, within more supercharging stations, it will be much better Tesla brand recognition. owners will be happier even never use it.
but certainly, within more supercharging stations, it will be much better Tesla brand recognition. owners will be happier even never use it.
Electric700
Active Member
They already did this! Supercharger | Tesla Motors
I hope it's a Supercharger model that will be standardized soon.
I hope it's a Supercharger model that will be standardized soon.
Yes, if they can install a charger at their parking.
For those who cannot, and for those who come from Mainland China in their LHD Model S, there will be a need for sure.
I have no control at all over "my" parking, except I can try to help, inform and influence the management. If they decide not to do it, which really means postpone it as it will come sooner or later anyway, then I will be looking for high speed charging spots.
By year end, there will be a thousand Model S luxury car owners who will be directing their shopping, dining and other money spending activities to places that offer a better charging-parking-shopping facility. I really like the supermarket in Festival walk, Kowloon Tong, although it's a bit far away. If I can park there for a reasonable price, while charging fast enough to top up while dining then raiding the super market, then that is where I will be going most of the time. If they don't get a decent charging solution in Festival Walk, while other malls or supermarkets do, then I will be seeking those places instead.
The local supermarket has 2 charging spots, sporting free 13A charging at the moment (yay!), though paying for the parking itself, by the hour, makes it quite an expensive charge.
Charging free of charge
That's how it should be, as long as you will be shopping in return for that.
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