Skip to main content

Tesla: Model S drivers can take a road trip coast-to-coast later this year – for free

Tesla Model S
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Tesla, amongst its many EV innovations, has a series of fast-charging stations called “Superchargers.” Currently, these chargers allow for nearly 100-kilowatt charging for the Tesla Model S but are only offered in California and the well-traveled corridor between Boston and Washington, D.C. Tesla owners can juice up their sleek rides in about an hour.

That is all about to change, however.

Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk announced Thursday morning in a conference call that the upstart EV brand would be upping Supercharger power output to 120kw and expand the network across the country to every major metropolis and many well-traveled roadways – all by the end of the year. This year.

120kw rate means a standard 60kw Model S owner get a 2/3rds charge in around 20 minutes, “roughly the same amount of time drivers would want to stop on a road trip anyway,” Musk pointed out.

A 20-minute charge might seem slow to a gasoline-powered vehicle owner but, in comparison to other EVs currently on the market, it’s virtual light speed.

Excitingly, Musk says Model S owners will soon be able to make a trip from New York to LA all on the Supercharger network. In fact, he plans to make that trip with his kids in the near future.

Tesla will also offer use of the Superchargers to Tesla owners for free – for life. This means, aside from food and entertainment, Tesla road trips will cost drivers nothing. How flipping cool is that?

We’re big fans of road trips and of Tesla. We wonder how many we’d have to take before the Model S would pay for itself in saved fuel costs. Hmm…

Editors' Recommendations

Nick Jaynes
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Nick Jaynes is the Automotive Editor for Digital Trends. He developed a passion for writing about cars working his way…
Tesla Model 3 maintenance costs: What can you expect?
A Tesla Model 3 electric car.

One of the big promises of electric vehicles is that they require less maintenance than a gasoline-powered car, and thus cost less over time. That’s largely because EVs have a whole lot fewer moving parts. When you don't have an engine, you don't have to worry about oil changes, spark plugs, or exhaust systems, to name just a few examples.

The Tesla Model 3 is no different in that regard. While Tesla cars notoriously suffer from issues like panel gaps and other factory defects, Tesla covers these repairs under warranty, as long as you buy the car from Tesla itself. After that, there are few costs associated with maintenance at all. Here’s a rundown of the maintenance costs you can expect as a Tesla Model 3 owner.
Tesla Model 3 maintenance

Read more
Tesla Cybertruck delay means it won’t hit the road until next year
Tesla's Cybertruck.

Tesla’s all-electric Cybertruck -- yes, the one with the unspeakably wacky design -- has suffered a production delay that means it won’t start shipping until 2022.

The original plan had been for large-scale production to begin by the end of this year, but a recent change to the Cybertruck’s listing on Tesla’s website, spotted by Electrek, reveals a new launch schedule.

Read more
Watch Elon Musk’s high-speed start to Tesla’s Model S Plaid delivery event
Elon Musk at the delivery event for Tesla's Model S Plaid sedan.

Tesla held its Model S Plaid delivery event on Thursday, June 10.

Model S Plaid Delivery Event

Read more