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Bay Area to Newport and back

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I'm picking up my new baby tomorrow (S90D) and being a huge Disney fan I've got a trip planned to Orange County in November. I've been reading the forums (in maybe too much detail) about the SuperChargers along the route, the trip reports, and the wait times. I think getting down there won't be too challenging as I expect Harris Ranch and ButtonWillow will be somewhat manageable with minimal if any waits. It's the LA area I'm more worried about as it sounds like the waits are lengthy. I think I'm more worried about the return trip. Since I'm staying in Newport Beach, I assume my first stop would need to be Fountain Valley to get charged up (my destination resort only has 110v available so it won't help much), or I am hoping the new one in Buena Park will be open by then. I'm hoping I can then make it to Tejon or ButtonWilllow without a charge again (again trying to avoid Burbank).

Any suggestions? Are the waits really that bad? Should I skip SC and just go with a chargepoint somewhere in Burbank? Should I just drive my ICE car down. I guess I'm wondering if the pain of charging will make the trip overly painful with a wife and 3 kids in the car. Anyone have advice/suggestions?
 
If you're coming down in November, Buena Park will definitely be open, and maybe even Santa Ana (which is about 3 miles south of Disneyland) and will have 12 stalls, so it may be premature to be concerned about wait times this early. Any time I've been to Fountain Valley, I've never had to wait more than 10-15 minutes but I imagine the demand will spread once the other two OC locations open.

Make sure to use EVTripPlanner.com to provide some guides on when/where to stop. It's usually more precise than the car's navigation, but it's helpful to use both.
 
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If you're coming down in November, Buena Park will definitely be open, and maybe even Santa Ana (which is about 3 miles south of Disneyland) and will have 12 stalls, so it may be premature to be concerned about wait times this early.
I would say it is "premature" to assume either of those two locations will be open in November. Buena Park probably will be. Santa Ana, who knows?

To the OP: from Fountain Valley you can readily make it to Tejon or Buttonwillow, just get a 95%+ charge and drive moderately, meaning not over 75 and watch the Energy Graph on the center display during the trip. Adjust speed as necessary.
 
I would say it is "premature" to assume either of those two locations will be open in November. Buena Park probably will be. Santa Ana, who knows?

To the OP: from Fountain Valley you can readily make it to Tejon or Buttonwillow, just get a 95%+ charge and drive moderately, meaning not over 75 and watch the Energy Graph on the center display during the trip. Adjust speed as necessary.
Thanks! I'm figuring I'd try to charge at an off peak time to get maximum charge before heading out, because Fountain Valley is another bad one. I don't wanna be the guy in the stall for an hour holding everyone else up.
 
To the OP: from Fountain Valley you can readily make it to Tejon or Buttonwillow, just get a 95%+ charge and drive moderately, meaning not over 75 and watch the Energy Graph on the center display during the trip. Adjust speed as necessary.
Last time I made this trip, I charged to 90% at Fountain Valley and then did a bunch of city driving before getting on I-5. Arrived at Tejon with about 12 rated miles left... comfortable, but would not have had the option to go on to Buttonwillow. My car is a P85 and the A/C was on the entire time. Since you have a 90D, you should get more miles from a 90% charge.

When you're at Fountain Valley, input the Buttonwillow supercharger as your destination in the Nav system, then get at least the charge it recommends to make that trip.
 
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Since you will eventually have to return back home, you may wish to plan a different route for each way. Say, use the I-5 on the way down and brave the Harris Ranch stop about 10 minutes south of what seems like 100,000 dairy cows (this is where the Model X's bio-weapon defense HEPA filter would earn its keep), and maybe stop at the Space-X compound, although the Supercharging stations there are very popular. (I wonder if you could wheedle a tour?)
On the way back home, try taking the Hwy 101 route back north through Santa Barbara, Solvang, Santa Maria, San Luis (not Louis) Obispo, the King City Speed Trap (don't ask), Salinas, garlicky Gilroy, and home again. It'll take a bit longer, but the food options are somewhat better than the fast food gauntlet on the I-5.

In Newport Beach, there are a fair number of L2 charging stations all over the place, but there are probably more Teslas per square inch here in Newport Beach than in Sunnyvale, so don't be surprised if they are busy. And don't be disappointed if fellow Tesla S or X owners don't wave back.

Idiotic as it may seem, the two highest-grossing shopping meccas in the area (Santa Ana's South Coast Plaza and Newport Beach's Fashion Island) are severely lacking in an adequate number of charging stalls. South Coast Plaza has less than 10 of 'em, next to Nordstrom, but they seem to be managed by the valet parking kids rather efficiently. However, they are usually full of Volts and Leafs. I think all of Fashion Island has only two (!) L2 charging stations in the parking structure right next to Forever 21, but this mall houses a Tesla Store, and in the basement of that parking lot are 4-5 Tesla chargers. But be forewarned, they are usually in use for the Tesla Store demo cars.

Oh. When you finally *do* get to Disneyland, there are about a dozen L2 charging spots on the first level of the Mickey and Goofy parking structure. Parking fees are $17 (!), and you'll have to ask the Disney parking attendant (er, "cast member") to be routed to the electric car charging locations. The charging stations still need a ChargePoint card to activate them. Disney was never one to give away stuff for free. Nevertheless, you'll have to get there early, as they fill up rather quickly, and the cars will stay there all day. Otherwise, you can ignore the charging stalls and take an ordinary one. But it may still worth it to say you want to charge (even if you don't) to get a strip of yellow paper on your windshield so the parking guides will shunt you over to the ground level parking rather than be routed 4-5 levels up to park. Saves some time when you are ready to leave.

Happy trails,
-- Ardie
 
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Based on the fact that Buena Park seems about done with construction and Santa Ana has recently started, I'd say it's very likely but I suppose time will tell, eh? You're more of the expert than me in these matters.
I am not an "expert". But after observing (primarily via TMC) the construction and completion timelines of many Supercharger sites over the past few years, it seems reasonable to me not to assume that just because a site looks complete that means it will open soon, and just because a site has started constriction that means it will be done in a few months. That is not always the case.
 
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Cool thanks! I think I'm overly stressing myself out reading the SC reports.
^^ This. Just set the nav, stop for charging when it tells you to, and enjoy the ride. :cool: Since you're planning a multi-day trip and might be away from the Superchargers, be sure to bring your charging cable; in the worst case, you can find an RV park with a 240V outlet and charge up. Other than that, don't overthink it.

Regarding wait times for charging, with a wife and 3 kids in the car... I'd be surprised if you can drive 200+ miles without someone needing a pit stop. Most of your supercharger stops will be relatively short (< 30 minutes) and they're always near something to do; the idea is not to charge to 100% but to pick up enough charge for the next station. Take the suggested charge times if everyone is good to go or take a longer charging break when it's time for meals, etc. With a charging rate of 200+ miles per hour, your car will be fully charged in less time than it takes to feed a family of 5.

You *may* have a wait time if you travel on a holiday weekend, but other than that it really shouldn't be a problem. Leave your ICE at home and enjoy the ride.
 
^^ This. Just set the nav, stop for charging when it tells you to, and enjoy the ride. :cool: Since you're planning a multi-day trip and might be away from the Superchargers, be sure to bring your charging cable; in the worst case, you can find an RV park with a 240V outlet and charge up. Other than that, don't overthink it.

Regarding wait times for charging, with a wife and 3 kids in the car... I'd be surprised if you can drive 200+ miles without someone needing a pit stop. Most of your supercharger stops will be relatively short (< 30 minutes) and they're always near something to do; the idea is not to charge to 100% but to pick up enough charge for the next station. Take the suggested charge times if everyone is good to go or take a longer charging break when it's time for meals, etc. With a charging rate of 200+ miles per hour, your car will be fully charged in less time than it takes to feed a family of 5.

You *may* have a wait time if you travel on a holiday weekend, but other than that it really shouldn't be a problem. Leave your ICE at home and enjoy the ride.
Thanks :) Just picked her up today from the factory (they are gorgeous)! I'll stop overthinking it :)