World Cup 2018: Tesla Owners Built Charging Stations to Power Russia Trips

A team of Tesla fans are charging the way for World Cup journeys. The Moscow Tesla Club has rolled out a series of free-to-use 22-kilowatt chargers to help soccer fans make it to the games, plugging a gap in electric charging infrastructure that left 310 miles between Moscow and the first possible charger in Belarus.

“The project was carried by Moscow Tesla Club and our partners – “Amphora” hotel in Vyazma and “Usadba” hotel in Smolensk, where the stations were deployed,” the group told Electrek. “While going from Moscow to Europe, the first charger is located in Vyazma (230 km / 143 miles from Moscow), and the second one in Smolensk (400 km / 248 miles). Next charge may be performed in Belarus with a wide net of chargers located there.”

Tesla is rapidly expanding its self-developed supercharger network, capable of charging the company’s vehicles with up to 120 kilowatt-hours of energy to replenish a typical Model S in around 30 minutes. There are 1,261 stations worldwide with 10,021 charging points altogether, but while superchargers have arrived in far corners of the globe, Europe’s network only extends as far east as central Poland and Finland. Supercharger stations are planned across the continent, including five in Russia and two in Ukraine, but the company has yet to release target opening dates for many of its upcoming stations in Eastern Europe.

Tesla fans are known for pushing their vehicles to push past typical limits. The long-range Tesla Model 3, which launched in July 2017, only has an advertised range of 310 miles. Two fans were able to push this much further last month when they drove for 606 miles over 32 hours on a “hypermile” challenge, considering elevation and speed to reach their goals.

Of course, another way to plug such large gaps is to use a car that offers a lot of range. The second-generation Tesla Roadster, set for launch in 2020, is set to offer 620 miles of range with a 200-kilowatt battery pack.

The electric vehicle revolution is gradually spanning the globe.