Tesla Plans Chain of EV Quick-Charge Stations in Germany

California-based Tesla Motors Inc. says that by the end of 2014 it will open at least 40 high-power charging stations across Germany to support the sale of its €73,000 Model S electric sedan there.

Tesla's 135-kW Supercharger system can deliver enough power in 20 minutes to give the Model S's 60-kWh battery about 240 km of range if the car is equipped with the company's optional €2,200 system to handle the quick charge.

In the U.S., Tesla's Supercharger stations are accessible only to the company's own customers.

Sales of the Model S in Germany lag other EVs. But Tesla CEO Elon Musk predicts the charging station network will help increase demand.

The high-power facilities will first be installed along the Cologne-Frankfurt, Munich-Stuttgart and Munich-Zurich (Switzerland) corridors. The company's goal is to place a quick-charge station within 200 km of any location in Germany.

Musk has not indicated how much it will cost to build the network. But company figures for the system it is installing in the U.S. suggests a per-station price between €145,000 and €218,000.

Model S EVs sold in Germany will be upgraded to enable them to drive for reasonable periods at sustained speeds as high as 210 kph. The car currently discharges quickly at speeds in excess of 100 kph. Musk has not explained how the cars will be changed to solve that problem.