Tesla is launching today a new trip planner tool that resembles Tesla’s in-car navigation system using Superchargers to plan routes that require more than one full charge.

The main difference is that the new tool is accessible from a web browser and not only to Tesla owners.

To tool is built on Google Maps and works just like the normal service, but users can choose a Tesla vehicle with a specific range (only vehicles currently for sale) and plot a route based on the Supercharger network.

The company is presenting this as an education tool for prospective Tesla customers who want to learn more about what it would be like to plan a long-distance trip in a Tesla vehicle.

It’s accessible on Tesla’s website here.

Here’s an example going from Montreal to New York using the Model S 100D, Tesla’s longest range vehicle:

Of course, the engine is not as efficient as Tesla’s incar system since it doesn’t have access to your Tesla’s current state-of-charge.

Electrek’s Take

The tool is clearly built for prospective buyers and not current Tesla owners since it only works with Tesla’s new vehicles available to order today, but it could also prove to be a useful tool for owners who want to plot a route using the Supercharger network without having to use the onboard navigation system.

The ability to do that on a web browser or a mobile application and then send the route to your Tesla is something that owners have requested in the past.

Maybe Tesla could build on this tool to offer the feature in a future update? What do you think?

Either way, it serves as a cool educational tool in the meantime.

You can also send it to people who don’t believe you can do long-distance driving in electric vehicles. The example above is pretty standard Montreal to New York road trip with a 50-minute stop to charge. On a 7-hour road trip, you’d probably have to stop for a bite to eat and a restroom break anyway.

The trips should also get easier with time as Tesla adds more charging stations to the Supercharger network. At the end of 2017, Tesla had just over 8,250 Superchargers at 1,120 locations around the world.

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