Tesla’s super-charged media event: BYO EV

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RenewEconomy was delighted to RSVP to the invitation to Tesla’s big battery storage announcement – this Thursday, American time – even though we can’t actually get there, barring a last minute plane trip.

What really got our attention was the offer from the Tesla people to supercharge our electric vehicle, should we have one, and should we use it to get to the 8pm event.

“Please enter the industrial park via Jack Northrop Ave. (accessible from Prairie Ave. to the east or Crenshaw Blvd. to the west) and proceed to valet parking at the Design Studio,” the Tesla team told us.

“Should you require charging, please alert the valet team. There will be no direct access to the Superchargers.”

The assumption, then, is that if a journalist is writing about electric vehicles, then he or she should probably already have one, preferably a Tesla.

Well, it was certainly the first time we’ve been invited to a media event with BYO EV. The host will provide the charge, if needed.

Which begs the question:

Do US journalists get paid more money than Australian journalists? And when will fast-charging be offered at Australian news conferences?

Giles Parkinson is founder and editor-in-chief of Renew Economy, and founder and editor of its EV-focused sister site The Driven. He is the co-host of the weekly Energy Insiders Podcast. Giles has been a journalist for more than 40 years and is a former deputy editor of the Australian Financial Review. You can find him on LinkedIn and on Twitter.

Giles Parkinson

Giles Parkinson is founder and editor-in-chief of Renew Economy, and founder and editor of its EV-focused sister site The Driven. He is the co-host of the weekly Energy Insiders Podcast. Giles has been a journalist for more than 40 years and is a former deputy editor of the Australian Financial Review. You can find him on LinkedIn and on Twitter.

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