California electric automaker Tesla is plugging into the UAE electricity grid with an investment of tens of millions of dollars to support the arrival of its new cars by summer, confirmed Elon Musk, co-founder and CEO on Monday.
Musk told reporters in a press conference at the World Government Summit in Dubai that Tesla is now taking orders for its electric vehicles that its most ardent followers have dubbed as game changers.
Supercharging stations:
1. Last Jebel Ali exit of Sheikh Zayed Road (bound to Abu Dhabi).
2. Masdar City
There will be five more stations planned to open this year across Dubai and the UAE.
Musk was grilled by reporters as to whether Tesla batteries would hold up under the heat of the UAE where it can reach upwards of 50°C and commonly forces many traditional car owners to replace their car batteries every two or three years.
While acknowledging that in extreme heat, some Tesla cars may see a “10-15 per cent reduction in range”, Musk said Tesla technology has been rigorously tested in Death Valley, in the US – what he called the "hottest place on earth" – where his electric cars beat the heat.
He said Tesla car batteries were tested at 67 degrees Celsius and that cars were driven hard in Death Valley at high noon in summer up steep roads followed by a diesel-powered tow truck. In one instance, the truck broke down, but the electric car endured well, Musk quipped.