Tesla to set up Dublin dealership and Supercharger stations in 2017

lintdrummer · 18-10-2016 01:12PM #1

This is something that Tesla have been promising for some time and it seems it's eternally happening "next year", so I take this article with a large pinch of salt. It is vague and there is nothing concrete (other than the fact they have registered 'Tesla Motors Ireland LTD' in D4), but they are now saying that a retail facility/service centre will be built in Dublin and that Superchargers will be built in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Belfast in 2017.
I have to say, I like the Model S a lot and I think there is certainly a market here for the Model 3 so I do hope they come through on this and get set up here. Ireland, Spain and Portugal are the only Western European countries yet to have a Tesla presence.

http://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/tesla-motors-to-open-new-irish-store-in-2017-1.2831894

Electric car giant Tesla is coming to Ireland next year. The Silicon Valley firm, led by tech innovator Elon Musk, is preparing to open a store in Ireland in 2017, along with rolling out supercharging stations on the island.

The store is likely to be in Dublin, while the likely locations of the four supercharging stations are Dublin, Cork, Galway and Belfast.
The supercharging stations allow for fast and free recharging for Tesla owners. Each station comprises between six and eight charging stands and are customarily located near food and retail facilities. According to the firm, 30 minutes plugged into one of these stands gives a Tesla a range of over 270km. According to official figures, Tesla s current fleet of electric vehicles can travel up to 613km on a single full charge.

Peter Bardenfleth-Hansen, Tesla Motors director of Nordic sales, says the opening of the Irish store will happen simultaneously with the introduction of superchargers . He told The Irish Times the firm was pretty far into the process of entering the Irish market. The Irish store will be operated directly by Tesla.
Tesla Motors Ireland Ltd was incorporated last August, with a registered address at South Bank House on Barrow St, Dublin 4.
Shopping streets
In many countries, Tesla operates stores on popular shopping streets and upmarket shopping centres. However, Mr Bardenfleth-Hansen said that while this may yet be the case in Ireland, probably more likely but still to be confirmed would be what we call a Service-plus outlet. This is a more traditional dealership set up with a service location and a retail location in the same spot.
However, the firm will partner with others for the introduction of supercharging stations. Usually we partner with a site that has the amenities for our customers to be able to use the restrooms and restaurant. Customers will be in that location for anything between 30 minutes and an hour. We have an unwritten rule of thumb that it needs to be a place where a mother with children coming in at 10pm at night feels safe.

While he would not go into detail on the investment costs, he said there is a significant infrastructural development required.
Each stand is about 135kW and it s very rare that we come to a site where there is enough power, so usually it involves quite a bit of digging because we have a lot of cabling to put into the ground in order to set up a supercharger station. Tesla currently has 4,543 supercharger stands at 727 locations worldwide.
Tax relief
The firm recently launched its new Model X, a crossover SUV, starting in the UK at 76,500 ( 85,000) for the 75D entry model. However, Tesla cars imported into Ireland also qualify for tax relief of up to 5,000. The Model X P100D version also manages to get from standing start to 100km/h in 3.1 seconds, a faster acceleration time than most Ferrari production cars.
The four-door coupe Model S starts at 50,900 ( 56,555). Prices for the upcoming Model 3 a rival to the likes of the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4 will not be confirmed until next year but the car can be ordered in the US starting at $35,000 ( 31,900). It is not due to be delivered to US customers until the end of 2017 and 2018 for Europe.

ironclaw · 19-10-2016 07:23AM

Going to be really difficult to find areas to put charge points in. The SuperCharger banks are usually in well trafficked and hence securable locations in the US e.g. Malls, Petrol stations. We have neither in the city centre and if you want to park, you have to pay. On the street I'd give them about a week before they were valdalised.

As for infrastructure, most shopping centres have that sort of supply available but it gets tricky in the longer winters when you have more load applied. Few would have the overhead capacity for a full bank of chargers on the go and to power the center itself. My bets for charger banks is Donnybrook (D4), Milltown, Dundrum and the Green (For PR / Show)

lintdrummer · 19-10-2016 12:34PM

Well, to be fair, the ESB charge points are around a long while and I'm not aware of them being subjected to undue vandalism. Also, I thought the point of the Superchargers was that they would be available en-route for a quick top up rather than in city centres where cars are parked usually for hours at a time. In Dublin there is that 24hr petrol station on the South Quays which may be suitable if they did want to have one in the city. Otherwise I think the large Motorway service stations make the most sense, providing that a capable power supply exists. This is mostly what they've done in the UK. What they also do is set them up in hotel car parks which would be a decent option in and around cities. Tesla does say that they generally have to install hefty cables at most locations anyway, so it seems they are willing to upgrade the infrastructure to meet the power requirements.
The problem in Ireland is there are few journeys that would require an en-route charge, so having the superchargers where one can go and spend an hour meaningfully will be important.

Cuddlesworth · 19-10-2016 12:38PM

lintdrummer wrote: »

Well, to be fair, the ESB charge points are around a long while and I'm not aware of them being subjected to undue vandalism.

You mean those parking spots with chargers beside them?

lintdrummer · 19-10-2016 12:49PM

Yes...

ironclaw · 19-10-2016 12:58PM

lintdrummer wrote: »

they generally have to install hefty cables at most locations anyway, so it seems they are willing to upgrade the infrastructure to meet the power requirements. .

That's not the problem though. You need to be able to deliver 135kW (And more) to the location in question in the first place. Doesn't matter the size of your pipe at the location if you have a straw on the way there.

I very much doubt any petrol station on a motorway in Ireland has that sort of capacity running to it, not for a bank of them anyway. In the rural sections you'd be at a loss for sure.

lintdrummer · 19-10-2016 01:08PM

Is this purely an Irish problem? They have lots of Super Chargers at Motorway petrol stations in the UK.

Tesla to set up Dublin dealership and Supercharger stations in 2017

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