Tesla’s Model S P90D sedans have relatively few owners in Europe for now, among whom Stephan Maag is one. Apart from the coveted car, one more thing that sets Maag apart from other drivers is a residential hydroelectric generating system.
Hydro power a good way to charge
Maag uses it for charging his Tesla car, while many others make use of solar panels mounted on the roof of their home for recharging a Tesla Model S. The hydro facility deployed at Maag’s home makes use of the force from 317 gallons of water per second falling through a 12-feet-tall pipe to turn on the generator at the bottom, according to Autoblog.
How much time the system takes to fully recharge his Tesla was not been revealed in the video from Maag, but the video does show a very cool control panel that automatically opens and closes the sluice gate. It also shows the volume of electricity transferred into the Model S’ battery. It is assumed that Maag will also be using some of the power from the hydro generator for supplying electricity to his home.
It is a known fact that the use of green electricity for charging makes an electric car greener. Several studies show that if more than 90% of the electricity obtained by an electric car in West Virginia comes from coal, then it is actually less friendly to the environment than a Prius. They are greener than a Prius on most of the grid, however.
Having a stream or a mill pond on their property is a luxury that not everyone has, but for those who have hydroelectric power, it is the perfect choice for recharging an electric car.
Tesla marching towards self-driving
Meanwhile, Tesla started distributing autopilot software for the Model S and Model X in North America beginning Thursday. With the new features, the cars can park themselves, automatically steer down the highway and change lanes.
The cars are not completely autonomous as yet due to safety and regulatory reasons, but the company has taken a step towards going driverless. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has asked drivers to exercise caution while using the Autopilot mode.
On Thursday, Tesla shares closed up by over 2% at $221.31. In the last three months, the stock is down by almost 16%.
