And the award for Technology of the Year goes to…

AOL Autos announced this month Tesla Motors is the winner of their second annual Technology of the Year award.  Tesla earned the honor for the development of their venerable Supercharger Network, which already boasts 54 charging stations across the United States.  Aside from the shear number of Supercharger stations Tesla now supports, the technological advances they’ve made with them is truly impressive.    

Superchargers along the Tesla electric highway are nearly 16 times faster than the average public charging station.  When hooked to a Tesla charger on the network, the Model S is able to reach 50% charge in just 20minutes, or 80% in 40 minutes.  With an EPA rated range of 265 miles for the Model S, being able to make a cross-country drive is fast becoming a real possibility as Tesla continues to expand their charging network.

Beyond their Supercharger, Tesla is also working on the development of battery swapping at certain Supercharger locations, which would allow drivers to switch out a depleted battery for one with a full charge in less than 90 seconds. 

By 2015 Tesla plans to have Supercharger stations capable of serving 98% of the U.S. population.  They aim to have nearly 80% of the U.S population covered by the end of 2014 alone. 

Daniel Sparks of The Motley Fool reports that Tesla is serious about building their charging infrastructure to accommodate drivers worldwide in the very near future. 

“Its Norway expansion is already complete, and Tesla is expanding rapidly in Germany, where it plans to have 100% coverage by the end of 2014,” he writes.  “Tesla also expects to have 100% coverage by the end of 2014 in Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, Denmark, and Luxembourg. It expects to have 90% of the population covered in England, Wales, and Sweden in 2014, too.”

In particular, Norway should be ready to put Tesla’s Supercharger stations to good use. The Model S grabbed national headlines in September of last year when it overtook the Volkswagen Golf as the country’s best-selling car with a 5.1% market share.  By November, combined electric car sales accounted for more than 12% of Norway’s total new car sales.  

AOL Auto’s multimedia director, Adam Morath reminds us that it’s hard to overstate the social changes Tesla is pioneering. 

"With the Supercharger, Tesla is tackling the tired arguments against the electrification of the automobile head on by addressing range, charge times, charger accessibility and clean energy production (the Supercharger is powered by solar energy, not coal) all in one stroke,” he said.

At Torklift Central we’re developing products that will help empower consumers to continue purchasing Eco-Vehicles like the Model S.  Innovations such as our Ecohitch, The Law and The Under Cover are designed to ensure driving an eco-friendly auto doesn’t come at the expense of convenience, creature comforts or living an active lifestyle.  As a matter of fact, we happen to have an electric car charging station of our own.   

SOURCES: 

AOL Autos  

The Motley Fool

PICTURE:  

Tesla Motors