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Tesla's Creepy 'Solid Metal Snake' Robotic Charger Slithers Its Way Into Model S
bigwophh writes: Last year, Elon Musk hinted at a new product that Tesla Motors was working on in its research lab. What Musk described seemed creepy at the time, especially considering that he had just recently shown off "The D" at an evening press event. "By the way, we are actually working on a charger that automatically moves out from the wall and connects like a solid metal snake," said Musk. We didn't think much else about this intriguing contraption given the precious little details that Musk provided at the time. But fast forward seven months and we now have video of the serpent-like charger in action.
Tenticle porn
Sex Cells.
Mod me down, my New Earth Global Warmingist friends!
It is creepy. All it needs is a squid head and about 7 more arms and it's something out of the Matrix.
yours,
kbs
GAME OVER "Snake?! Snaaaaaaaaaaaake!"
Cue hack to create slow-motion tentacle porn in 5, 4, 3, ...
You don't even need to modify the hardware to make it serviceable.
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be."
... or that video must be a fake.
For you kids in the crowd: Spiders & Snakes and Wildwood Weed.
The AC is mixing his metaphors.
Creepy, sexy, whatever.
systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
It doesn't have to creep to be creepy.
From The Free Dictionary:
creep-y (krp)
adj. creep-i-er, creep-i-est Informal
1. Of or producing a sensation of uneasiness or fear, as of things crawling on one's skin: a creepy feeling; a creepy story.
2. Annoyingly unpleasant; repulsive: the creepy kids next door.
If it weren't for deadlines, nothing would be late.
Why not just save tens of thousands of dollars and get a Carolla.
Nowhere in the summary or article does it use tthe word "creeping". It says "creepy" in the context of producing a sensation of uneasiness or fear.
Why not just save tens of thousands of dollars and get a Carolla.
He's apparently not for sale, but you make a fair point... buying Carolla would be cheaper than a Tesla. http://adamcarolla.com/
Pretending this is my office full of bitter coworkers..
That would be a shocking misuse of the charging apparatus.
Obviously, not everyone will buy one... for example, I can't see Indiana Jones owning one.
Freudian slips aside, my point is that if you are already willing to buy a Tesla, you probably want a big metal dick, I mean snake, I mean charger.
Ultimately the advantage of something like this is better charge times. If you wanted to charge a Tesla in five or ten minutes you'd need a cable that's too heavy and unwieldy for manual use.
How many snakes would you need to charge an electric plane?
Why not just save several thousands dollars and walk the cord over and plugin yourself.
So since no actual price has been announced I assume you're trolling?
Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
I presume an actual human can plug in the charger in a few seconds. But again, I guess this is being built for the case where there is no actual human (i.e. autonomous car "goes away" to charge itself up while you aren't there).
LOL! That's really funny, Larry! You're referring to sperm and ova! That's funny, Larry! Ovaries! LOL! Testes! LOL! Fallopian tubes! LOL! Penis! LOL! Vas deferens! LOL! Uterus! LOL!
Actually it was more like batteries, you dolt.
Mod me down, my New Earth Global Warmingist friends!
I have a Tesla model S. It takes me under 5 seconds to plug it in and 5 seconds to unplug. I just push a button on the end of the cord and the rear reflector opens and I just plug it in. The connector itself is extremely well designed, one of the easiest connectors to plug in due to the funnel-like design so you don't have to line it up exactly before shoving it in and it locks in place. To unplug, just push a button on the plug and pull.
People keep saying it takes too long to charge. Bullcrap. It charges while I sleep and I spend a lot less time plugging and unplugging the car than I did filling my gas car.
The only use I see for this is marketing and for people who have more money than sense, although it might prove to be quite popular in Japan. This could be somewhat useful for superchargers that are not covered with solar panels since you won't have to leave the car at all, although in my case I usually get out and grab something to eat with the money not spent on gas to return to a fully charged car. Every time I stop the car is usually ready to go before I am.
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where being fast is preferred.
The use for this is clearly not for you but for the car. Once the car is self driving, this will allow it to run off down the street, find a charging station, and plug itself in while it waits for you to need it again.
The point isn't the negligible effort saved in plugging in the charger when you're around. Consider it a big step forward to having a self-parking vehicle that can charge itself when you're *not* around.
Pull up to your door, get out, unload the groceries, and then have your car park and charge itself. Or imagine a scenario, a few years and several legal and technical hurdles down the line, where you drive yourself to the office and have your car return home, charge itself, and be ready to pick you up at the end of your workday.
"I think the real question on everyone's mind is what happens when a Japanese school girl walks by this thing?" - DinkumThinkum
By the way, we are actually working on a charger that automatically moves out from the wall and connects like a solid metal snake
I suspect this might not end well.
Uh... You might want to remove the 10kW power feed.
Good point. I had not thought about that.but it makes sense for taxis.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
Hey idiot; Tesla already has that done. 90 second exchange. But ppl do not want that. It is way too expensive. Like buying a tank of gas.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
I guess this would be most useful for potential next-gen superchargers with really thick cables (400V, 1000A?).
---- Sig. gone.
It looks like a sex toy for a terminator
Tesla charge ports are always in the same position (at least for now, when there's basically one mainstream model). They don't need to solve such a complex controller problem (with this many degrees of freedom) to plug in the charger. They're just doing it because they can...
Is there any reason it can't? Other than it being a fire hazard? I assume its electricly driven not pneumatic.
It should be reasonably safe for diesel as is.
Minimum threshold fixed. Thanks!
Freudian slips aside, my point is that if you are already willing to buy a Tesla, you probably want a big metal dick, I mean snake, I mean charger.
Brings new meaning to the term "penis extension."
If it weren't for deadlines, nothing would be late.
Get to work, set laptop on desk and when I get done with everything else the laptop is already plugged in.
Cellphones too! all the convince of wireless charging with none of the downsides!
Minimum threshold fixed. Thanks!
Behold the Spine!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats. -HLM
Wireless charging would be much more convenient but I imagine it can't charge the car as quickly as a Tesla charging cable.
what exactly is cool about this?
I KUT J00 M4NG!!!
Why not just save several thousands dollars and walk the cord over and plugin yourself
Yeah, yeah, bulky cables blah blah. The real reason is there were robotic gas/hydrogen/fusion stations in BTTF2, so get with the program we have to build it because 2015 is a theme year
Now if you'll excuse me, the Ayatollah wants to take my order.
How can I believe you when you tell me what I don't want to hear?
buying Carolla would be cheaper than a Tesla.
Your link does not make that clear, but this one does.
If it weren't for deadlines, nothing would be late.
"I wouldn't stand there in a short skirt, Virginia. You might be in for a helluva shock."
I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
Somehow you sounded disappointed.
Slashdot social media options: AIM, ICQ, Yahoo, Jabber and Mobile Text. Why no MySpace?
It'll ship with a vibrator attachment.
"Honey, I need to go out to the garage and check the car..."
Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
The use for this is clearly not for your car, but for the lazy impatient passenger-owner of the car. Once charging stations become self-driving, they will catch up to self-driving cars, and plug themselves in to charge them while those self-driving cars are still going around the block indefinitely because their lazy impatient passenger-owners told their self-driving cars not to park too far (in a place that is almost impossible to find parking) and to be ready to pick them up at a moment's notice.
Dunno, I think it's a way cool idea. It's not that plugging in the charger takes any time. It's just that it's one more thing you have to remember to do in your day. Tesla is trying to make charging effortless. Presumably it will only charge when the time is appropriate and to the level desired and will slither away when it's done. It's a beautiful thing.
Don't go to the zoo. The elephants' trunks will have you peeing yourself from fright.
Nah, Teslas don't work for me. I commute 60 miles to work, none of it down town driving, and there are no recharging stations near anywhere i'd be traveling, nor would it be profitable to have one along the route. Most convenient form of energy transference, Dino Juice.
A superconducting cable with insulation and cryogenic cooling would most certainly be unwieldily.
"I'd totally buy an electric car tomorrow if not for the herculean task of lifting a cord and plugging it in all by myself." - Said Nobody Ever.
Nah, Teslas don't work for me. I commute 60 miles to work, none of it down town driving, and there are no recharging stations near anywhere i'd be traveling, nor would it be profitable to have one along the route. Most convenient form of energy transference, Dino Juice.
You said enough to say that you're not a good fit for a leaf and other short range EVs, but you said NOTHING that disqualifies you from using a Tesla.
1. 60 mile commute, no city driving: Not within a leaf's range, but easily within a Tesla's. You could recharge every other day or so, as a matter of fact.
2. No recharging stations where you travel: Unspecific, but Tesla keeps building more supercharge stations. And technically speaking, with the Tesla there actually probably ARE charging stations 'near anywhere' you'd be traveling. One of the adapter plugs they give you with the car is compatible with RV plugins. Is there an RV park near where you're going? Then you have a charging station. Even if you go camping those are generally 'all over'.
3. Profitable - Tesla isn't charging for using it's stations.
I don't read AC A human right
He also neglected to consider the weight involved. Moving so much as my truck's battery is a pain. Moving an EV battery requires equipment.
I don't read AC A human right
1) If i could guarantee 150 miles per day at 70mph minimum (speed limit is 70), that would cover my commute. Driving with a bunch of batteries, waiting to get rear ended however, not looking forward to, but a minor concern.
2) No RV stations, and no place to charge at my destination. If I'm low on juice at my destination, I'm screwed and can't get home. I can buy gas within 5 minutes of any point along my route. Thieves are also common in my city, so having a plug outside the home is an invitation to be robbed, if just for the plug's metal alone, plus if I can afford a tesla, what other expensive goodies are in my house.
3) If tesla isn't charging, who is paying for the electricity? Electricity ain't cheap here, esp during the summer. What motivation is there for third parties to install chargers at existing stations if it brings in zero revenue. What is the charging time? It already takes 90 minutes to get to work, I can't wait another 30 on the road to charge up if some damn prankster kid unplugged me over night.
I thought "The D" was the nickname of the charger.
Sorry, messed up on editing - quote tags disappeared.
1) If i could guarantee 150 miles per day at 70mph minimum (speed limit is 70), that would cover my commute.
You're in luck, the model S has that range. Specifically, it has 225 miles@75mph.
Rear ended: The Model S has TWO batteries, a tiny 12V one for accessories, and the big lithium-ion one that's over 7k 18650 cells. However, the big battery is unlikely to be hit, given it's location. The body of a model S is basically a skateboard with the battery attached to the bottom of the board between the wheels.
On safety: highest marks.
Destination: How far away is it, and does it have electricity at all? I was thinking that you camp on the weekends or something.
Plug: Right now most Tesla owners have a garage they can pull into.
Thieves: I might be mean, but I would laugh heartily when any metal stealing thieves manage to electrocute themselves.
Breaking in: Home security system. Smith & Wesson is popular, but I went with the cheaper but more modern CZ. Slap a home monitoring sticker on your door/window, it should dissude most.
On electricity: Tesla pays for the electricity, with the cost for the superchargers built into the price of the vehicle, much like how many dealers are bundling the first 2 years of oil changes and routine maintenance with their vehicles.
Electricity not being cheap: If you don't mind, where are you, and what's your electric company? Industrial/Commerical users normally see quite a break in price. As for third parties, it's a mix of things:
1. If they install a supercharger station Tesla pays them.
2. If they install something else, they're allowed to charge.
3. Loss leader to attract the normally wealthier than normal EV owners
4. Electricity isn't actually that expensive
Prankster kid: The charger for the tesla locks into the port when connected. You need your proximity key to unlock it. If they're bringing tools to cut the cord, well, electrocution awaits and they could just disassemble your car as is.
Charge time: It all depends on the station. 150 miles ~ 50 kwh; With a dedicated 30A charger, you're looking at about 7 hours to reach full again. 50A or higher would be faster, of course.
Cheapness: Look into 'off-peak' electricity. You're still looking at $15/day in gasoline(30mpg vehicle) vs $5 of electricity.
That being said, I agree that cost is the single biggest reason to NOT get a Tesla today.
I don't read AC A human right
Even when I forget I usually still have plenty of range since my commute is around 45 miles per day. It's not like a Leaf or the other low-range EVs. It certainly does look cool. I use their wall charger, which also looks cool. It's quite small compared to most of the EV chargers I've seen, especially considering it handles far more current than most of them (80A). The funny thing is that the local code requires a shut-off within 3-feet and the shut-off box is about 3 times as big as the charger! So far I haven't found a smaller 100A shut-off.
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