Recharge Wrap-up: meet the Luka EV project, VisibleTesla allows Model S hacking

Select Registry is partnering with Tesla to install chargers at many of its lodgings. More than 170 hotels, inns and bed & breakfasts will install Tesla High Power Wall Connectors for their guests to use. So far, 63 properties have installed the chargers. Eventually, Select Registry members in 34 states as well as Nova Scotia will offer charging on-site. Tesla's wall charger provides the Model S with 58 miles of range per hour. The hotels will rent you a room for the full night, as well. Read more in the press release below.

Tesla Model S owners can hack their car with the VisibleTesla app. The free, open source app allows users to check on and control the status of the car and its subsystems, similar to Tesla's official apps. VisibleTesla can also be used to schedule certain automated commands. For example, its creator, Joe Pasqua, has his car send him a text message reminding him to bring his bags with him when he enters the grocery store parking lot. Other users have the car remind them if the car is not charging at a certain time, or schedule the car to turn on the heat before departure. Read more at TechWorm, or learn more at the VisibleTesla website.

Georgia Power has added 32 Chevrolet Volts to its fleet. Employees, particularly the utility's energy efficiency experts, will use the cars to travel to customers' homes and businesses to conduct energy audits. "We are leading by example and demonstrating to our customers, and other Georgia businesses, that electric transportation works for all drivers," says Georgia Power Chairman, President & CEO Paul Bowers. Georgia Power also offers charger rebates and special rates for EV customers. Read more at Domestic Fuel.

The Luka EV is a project to build an affordable, lightweight, retro-looking, road-legal electric car in one year. The team wants to get the car certified for use on EU roads by September 2015. They have goals of achieving a driving range of 300 kilometers (about 186 miles), keeping the cost under €20,000 (about $22,280 US at current rates) and the weight under 750 kilograms (about 1,650 pounds). The builders recently completed their first range test of the working vehicle, which uses in-hub motors for propulsion. Learn more at the Luka EV project page on Hackaday.

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Select Registry Teams with Tesla Motors

Both Tesla owners and their vehicles can recharge at more than 170 B&Bs, inns, and hotels throughout the U.S.

CHARLESTON, S.C., May 7, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Thanks to Tesla Motors Destination Charging program and 170+ forward-thinking, business-savvy, and environmentally-conscious Select Registry member properties, roadtrips just got easier for Tesla Model S owners.

The Tesla Motors Destination Charging program gives Tesla drivers the freedom to charge wherever they want to travel by replicating the charging convenience owners are accustomed to at home. Under this partnership, and when all scheduled installations are complete, drivers will be able to recharge their vehicles at more than 170 Select Registry B&Bs, inns, and hotels in 34 states and Nova Scotia, Canada. Currently, there are 63 properties installed, with the remainder to be installed in the coming months.

Select Registry is the first independent hospitality organization to enroll this quantity of properties all at once, and the only group that consists of unique and quality-assured lodging. Select Registry joins a rapidly-growing network in Tesla's program, in which Tesla partners with hotels, resorts, and restaurants around the world, offering High Power Connectors at locations where drivers have time to charge their vehicles for a couple of hours, or overnight.

Tesla's growing Supercharger network (currently 425 stations along frequently-traveled highways) has inspired Model S owners to hit the road in increasing numbers. Owners can drive all day, charging for 30-40 minutes at Superchargers, and then stop at night to stay and charge at a Select Registry property with a Tesla High Power Wall Connector (this charger adds 58 miles of range per hour, topping off Model S's full 265 miles of range in just a few hours.)

"Select Registry members are recognized for providing exceptional service, unique experiences, and extraordinary lodging for their guests," said Jay Karen, Select Registry CEO, "which is why this partnership with Tesla is so fitting. Offering electric vehicle charging is yet another high-end amenity and valued convenience our member properties can offer their guests."

Select Registry properties' Tesla charging stations are located on Select Registry's website. These and other Tesla Destination Charging station locations can be found on Tesla's interactive webpage and will soon be featured in every Tesla vehicle's 17" touchscreen through the navigation application to easily plan trips and locate the property.