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Tesla unveils the location of its first Irish charging point

Tesla has announced that its first Irish charging point will be at Powerscourt Hotel in Coun...
Newstalk
Newstalk

10.12 21 Dec 2016


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Tesla unveils the location of...

Tesla unveils the location of its first Irish charging point

Newstalk
Newstalk

10.12 21 Dec 2016


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Tesla has announced that its first Irish charging point will be at Powerscourt Hotel in County Wicklow.

It also plans to announced another 10 locations in the coming weeks as it prepares to open its first Irish showroom.

This is a 'Destination charging' point - allowing visitors to recharge once they reach the hotel.

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Separately 'Supercharger' points are used by Tesla drivers to top-up their batteries during long journeys are also on the way to Ireland in the new year.

"The key is to think of your car charging when it’s idle during your downtime, either at home or where you are going. Then using the Supercharger network to take a short break to grab a coffee on a long journey," the company explained.

Its vehicles can cover up to 613km on a single charge.

Tesla believes that its charging network will help to bring more British motorists to Ireland: "We are continuing to build momentum for our Irish store opening and first Irish deliveries next year. The new destination charger is not just for Irish owners though, as a lot of our UK (and probably European) customers are looking forward to the development of the Tesla charging network in Ireland."

The company was co-founded by Elon Musk

In the new year, the company will no longer offer unlimited free Supercharger facilities at charge points. The remote high speed charging points are designed to enable long distance travel in the company's vehicles.

Until now it has cost nothing for Tesla drivers to use these points - but that will change in 2017.

For Tesla cars ordered after January 1, 2017, 400 kWh of free Supercharging credits (roughly 1,000 miles / 1,600km) will be included annually so that all owners can continue to enjoy free Supercharging during travel.

Tesla has confirmed to Newstalk that cars ordered by Irish buyers before January 1, 2017 will continue to receive unlimited free charges.

If you buy a car from it after that point then after the 400 kWh mark there will be what the company calls "a small fee to Supercharge which will be charged incrementally and cost less than the price of filling up a comparable gas car."

Tesla will open a showroom in Dublin in 2017 and it is already possible for eager electric car lovers pre-order their motors.

Its Model S and Model X SUV are available to officially pre-order, with deliveries expected early next year.

You can get your hands on an entry-level Model S for €81,086, with the full-spec version costing double that figure.

The Model S will let you travel over 400km on a single charge for its basic model (up to 613km for full-spec) and go from zero to 100km/hour in 2.7 seconds at its fastest. The Model X SUV starts at a price of €110,042. You can order test drives of both now.

No word as yet on when Ireland will be getting the more affordable Model 3, which Tesla itself says is its first vehicle aimed at the mass market.  It is set to retail at a base price of $35,000 across the Atlantic, with full production slated for 2018 (though Tesla CEO Elon Musk has admitted it may take until 2020 to fulfil demand).


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