by Vas Mylko, Roman Bilusiak
We are integrating Curiosio with Tesla. You will be able to follow your curiosity in the Tesla car. Curiosio philosophy is different from the tesla.com/trips planner where you are just hopping between the stations. Curiosio is not about the chargers with some interesting points in the vicinity. Curiosio is about the experience first. We are maximizing your traveler’s experience with a guarantee you will not be running out of charge.
This post is Part 1. Part 1 is mining and massaging the raw data in the United States. Road trips in Tesla require accurate geo-fencing to avoid running out of charge, a sufficient number of Superchargers for a fast sip of power on the route, overnights with Destination Chargers to replenish the batteries while you are sleeping.
Part 2 will follow in a couple of weeks or sooner. Part 2 will introduce Tesla Road Trips in the United States with interactive examples. It will be possible to take both Curious and Obscure-themed journeys in Tesla.
Fast Charging
There are 1,000+ Tesla Supercharger stations across the United States (2,000+ stations with 25,000+ Supercharger stalls worldwide). “The Supercharger network allows you to stay charged on the go. Plug in at a convenient location, grab a cup of coffee or a quick bite to eat, and get back on the road.” tesla.com.
The genuine Tesla-owned fast-charging network was designed along the major routes, with increased density in California and the East coast. The stickiness to the highways is clearly visible in the Northern and Central USA: Interstate 94 in Montana and North Dakota, Interstate 90 in South Dakota, Interstate 80 in Nebraska, even U.S. Route 66 stands out.
We are designing Curiosio to keep Tesla travelers in the comfortable zone, i.e. not reaching the buffer. The map of the charger locations will remain relevant when [in the future] instead of charging the drained batteries will be replaced with fully charged ones. This will happen at the same stations because the drained batteries must be eventually charged for the next replacement… and where to recharge them other than the same charging station?
More Fast Charging
Tesla cars use a propitiatory charge port because Teslas were built before the industry agreed on the standard for fast charging. CHAdeMO aka “CHArge de MOve” chargers are slower than genuine Tesla Superchargers, but they can give ~100 miles of charge to a Model 3 in half an hour, which is practical.
There are 3,600+ CHAdeMO chargers at ChargePoint public stations in the US. The visualization below shows a combined ~4,700 public charging stations by Tesla + stations with CHAdeMO in the US.
For the comparison with genuine Tesla Superchargers coverage, notice the stations along the Pacific coast in Oregon and Washington. Also, notice more stations in California; it’s not only the interstate anymore in North Dakota.
Slow Charging
There are 4,500+ Tesla Destination Chargers in the US. Destination Chargers are convenient when you park for a few hours or stay overnight. Usually, they are owned by resorts, restaurants, hotels and are free to use by Tesla drivers who are customers of the destination.
There is more with slow charging — known as J-plug, formally SAE J1772. There are 36,000+ J1772 chargers at ChargePoint stations in the US. Usually, ChargePoint stations are located near the retail locations. The visualization below shows combined Tesla Destination Chargers + stations with J1772 in the US. Visible gaps in Central Northern USA, e.g. Montana, South Dakota.
Inside the Gadget
Tesla requires special attention. People don’t notice utility but love and cherish gadgets. iPhone is a gadget people love. Tesla car is a gadget people love. Our vision is travel “inside the gadget”.
Tesla cars are computers on wheels. More to come from the entertainment side — geo-infotainment. Geographically related experience will go a long way from the old flat screens to the augmented reality pretty quickly. Tesla is the first, but others will start to emerge.
Future travel will be more independent, more personal, more technological. We predict the convergence of the gadgets — smaller than a traveler and bigger than a traveler — Apple Car by 2024, Tesla Phone by 2024.
We will release Tesla travel for the US first, then we will add Tesla travel in Europe and Canada. Follow your curiosity. Play and experiment with Curiosio. Stay tuned for the upcoming Tesla Road Trips, Part 2.
