The biggest hassle electric vehicle owner’s face is the long time it takes to charge their vehicles. In comparison to common fossil fuel based cars which can be filled to the brim in a matter of mere minutes, electric vehicle owners have to wait at least half an hour for charging. Tesla is reportedly endeavoring to make this waiting period a bit more acceptable for the owners by adding convenience stores in the close vicinity of charging stations.
According to Grub Street, Tesla’s supercharging stations could soon sport 7-Eleven stores. Tesla’s chief technology officer J.B Straubel unveiled new supercharger stations plans at FSTEC conference with what appeared to be convenience stores on the same premises. “People who are coming to the Supercharger stations want to have the same conveniences at their disposal which might be available at an ordinary gas station. They want to catch a bite, have some coffee and use the rest room”
Tesla’s supercharging stations are strategically placed along frequently traveled roads, but lately, it unveiled ideas to spread out its network to cities and urban regions. The major uplift in supercharger station design would be that owners could indulge in other activities at the convenience stores while their vehicles are being charged.
The charging rate in urban stations would be brought down a notch from 135 kilowatts (normal rate of superchargers) to 72 kilowatts. Tesla plans to exponentially increase its supercharging stations from 5,400 to 10,000 in the near future, where driver’s waiting period can be made a bit more interesting.