US luxury electric vehicle maker, Tesla, is in the process of installing a network of charging stations at key locations around Australia, to meet the needs of the slowly growing number of Model S drivers in the country.
The California-based company, which has most recently been in the news for its ground-breaking home battery storage offering, said it had already installed more than 10 sites for its High Power Wall Unit, with more to come, concentrating on the locations Model S owners were most likely to visit for longer stops.
In NSW/ACT, the charging units have been established at the Park Hyatt Sydney, The Darling, Hotel Realm Canberra, The Observatory in Port Macquarie, Rundells Alpine Lodge Dinner Plain and at Westfield Chatswood shopping centre.
In Victoria, Model S drivers will be able to recharge at Chadstone shopping centre.
Tesla said the Destination Charging Program had also partnered with Secure Parking in Australia, allowing Model S owners in the CBDs of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne to park and charge while at work or out.
While the Destination Charging Program focuses on longer stops, the superchargers it is also rolling out in Australia will allow Model S drivers to charge their car in around 30 minutes, providing up to 120 kilowatts of power and 270km of range in that time. Superchargers in Australia have been installed in Sydney and Melbourne and announced for Goulburn. Eventually the network will link Melbourne and Brisbane, and eventually Adelaide.
Since announcing the technology in late 2012, Tesla has deployed 415 Supercharger Stations and more than 2,285 Superchargers worldwide, making it the fastest-growing fast-charging network in the world.
Tesla’s Model S all-electric sedan was launched in Australia at the end of 2014. At that time, an estimated 50 Australians had placed orders for the car, which costs between $100,000 and $220,000 depending on options and battery range. It is thought that more than 200 have now been delivered.
More than 50,000 Tesla Model S sedans have been sold globally since June 2012, primarily in North America, Europe and Japan, making it the world’s top selling luxury electric car.
