Be honest: is SCing on a long trip annoying?

[Max*]

SpCs at service centers are rare here on the east coast, I can only think of two that I've been to. the SpCs are almost always placed at either 2nd tier shopping centers or by hotels and they are usually fairly close to interstate route, of course there will be exceptions but those are the outliers.

You mean public SpC's at service centers. As I believe most (all?) SvC's have SpC's. I know the one by me does, but it doesn't allow just anyone to use it. Though if you have an emergency they'd let you charge.

 

[kort677]

You mean public SpC's at service centers. As I believe most (all?) SvC's have SpC's. I know the one by me does, but it doesn't allow just anyone to use it. Though if you have an emergency they'd let you charge.

I think you might be confusing the HPWC units and supercharger units.

 

[Max*]

I think you might be confusing the HPWC units and supercharger units.

I'm not.

I can give you an example. Tysons has a Supercharger in their service center. It's not for public access. But I was told personally, and have heard from other people, that in an emergency they'll let you supercharge if you need to.

I've also heard the same about other Service Centers, though I don't have personal experience with them telling me this.


Also, the rare times when they didn't disconnect remote access, I've seen my car supercharge (not at 40A on a HPWC) at Tysons. Yet it's not listed on either the in-car nav or on the website.

 

[RogerHScott]

Tysons has a Supercharger in their service center. It's not for public access. But I was told personally, and have heard from other people, that in an emergency they'll let you supercharge if you need to.

I've also heard the same about other Service Centers, though I don't have personal experience with them telling me this.

Are service centers different in this regard than showrooms? I've used the SpCs at the Chicago store a couple of times and they
seem completely ok with it (they're more-or-less available 24/7, even though much of that time the store is closed). I haven't had
occasion to try SpCing at a service center (there'd have to be a service center first...).

 

[Max*]

Are service centers different in this regard than showrooms? I've used the SpCs at the Chicago store a couple of times and they
seem completely ok with it (they're more-or-less available 24/7, even though much of that time the store is closed). I haven't had
occasion to try SpCing at a service center (there'd have to be a service center first...).

Showroom = show you the car. They are usually in the mall. They often have a HPWC somewhere to allow you to charge.

Service Center = show you the car. Test drive the car. Purchase the car. Repair the car when it breaks. Has a HPWC and most (all? I dunno, maybe just most. I'll even go down to just "some", though from what I heard I think it's most) have superchagers hidden away for staff use.


Showrooms were Tesla's legal loophole before they started opening up service centers in VA. The showroom can't sell you a car, they can't discuss price, and I believe they can't let you test drive it.


ETA: The Chicago one is listed on the Tesla site as having a Supercharger: Find Us | Tesla
The Tysons one is not: Find Us | Tesla

 

[bmah]

I can give you an example. Tysons has a Supercharger in their service center. It's not for public access. But I was told personally, and have heard from other people, that in an emergency they'll let you supercharge if you need to.

Presumably this would be primarily for the service personnel to diagnose customers' Supercharging issues? It'd be kind of hard to deal with those otherwise.

I had my car serviced at Burlingame last week. They have a bunch of public HPWCs out in front of the store, but I'm pretty sure I saw a Supercharger pedestal in one of the service bays.

Bruce.

 

[Max*]

Presumably this would be primarily for the service personnel to diagnose customers' Supercharging issues? It'd be kind of hard to deal with those otherwise.

I had my car serviced at Burlingame last week. They have a bunch of public HPWCs out in front of the store, but I'm pretty sure I saw a Supercharger pedestal in one of the service bays.

Bruce.

Probably, also to top off the car faster if the customer brings it back empty.

 

[ohmman]

Probably, also to top off the car faster if the customer brings it back empty.

San Rafael has one in the center. Off limits to the public but they always charge my cars there during service. (I get the push notifications).

 

[jvonbokel]

when my children where that young they'd sleep for a good portion of a long road trip.

Since childhood (since my Mom's childhood, really), we've taken an annual family vacation from St Louis to Michigan, a ~450mi trip. When we were young, Mom would drag us out of bed at 4am to pile into the car, and we'd sleep through at least half of the 7-8hr drive. These days I drive myself, and I usually leave closer to 10am, which makes for a much later arrival (especially adding in ~1hr for charging stops), but someday I'll hop in the car at 10pm and wake up in Michigan.

 

[jerry33]

You conveniently don't count lunch breaks and night stops. It's not entirely wrong as you take those stops anyways so you are not waiting for the car. But if you want to keep driving you have to account for the time. I did many 2000 miles road trips from LA to Minneapolis and back. It's usually 15-17 Supercharger stops. The average time I spend at a Supercharger is 42 min.

Actually, I did put lunch and night stops in there. I just didn't assign a time because the car is always done by the time we get back to it.

 

[wdolson]

Is the trip planner calling for stopping at all of the same SpCs either way? That doesn't seem realistic -- in a 90 you could certainly skip
some that would be necessary in the 60. Does "Charge time" include the time to get to and from the charger, or is that still counted in
"Drive time"?

The problem with SpC placement today is the superchargers are often placed just right for traveling with a 60, but that is just a little too far apart for traveling with a 90 and only hitting every other SpC. As the network fills out, I expect they will be putting SpCs about halfway in between the existing SpCs and that will make skipping much easier with a larger battery. That is beginning to happen in some parts of California. I took my only long trip shortly before the Santa Nella (Gustine) SpC was started. On my next trip I can probably skip the Harris Ranch one all together, and if they put a new supercharger in just north of Sacramento, I can skip Manteca (which is 7 miles east of I-5 and takes a long time off the freeway to get to). With a North Sac supercharger, I can also skip Corning and go directly to Mt Shasta.

Right now you have to make small stops in a 90 because the SpCs are often too far apart for skipping. With an S100D skipping will likely be more feasible. Making the run from Gustine to Corning is possible with an S100D without fear of running out short of the destination.

I remember that time as well. Avoiding 99 and taking the new I-5 through Central Valley required planning gas stops because there were so few options to fill up (sound familiar to Tesla drivers?). Driving I-5 was also really, really, really boring! (Perhaps it still is — haven't been on it in more than three decades.) The advantage was the 70 mph speed limit, which was rare at the time.

Most of the towns in the west valley have built oases of gas stations and fast food right off I-5. The Harris Ranch supercharger is in one of these built on the edge of a huge cattle ranch. The supercharger is a short walk from the Harris Ranch restaurant and store.

There are few stretches now without gas. I think the longest is about 50 miles. Compared to SR 99, I-5 is still very, very boring. The stretch from Stockton to the Grapevine (the mountains at the southern end of the valley) there are very few things to see. I've found myself looking forward to the feedlot at Harris Ranch even though it stinks to high heaven because it's something to break up the monotony. There's also a prison to look forward to.

One time back in the early 90s I was going down to see family in Bakersfield and was driving alone on that stretch trying very, very hard to stay away, even though I was doing 80 mph. I saw a string of cars coming up behind me so I pulled over into the right lane to let them by. Just as the first car's front wheels came in line with my back tires, he had a blow out of the left front tire and went into the dirt median. He was unhurt, but the front end of the car pretty much came loose. The hood and fenders did not look attached.

If it had been the right front he would have taken me out too. I had no trouble staying awake the rest of the trip!.

Driving I-5 on autopilot with planned stops for supercharging, I found it was a lot easier to stay awake. The AP kept reminding me every few minutes to pay attention and there was the quirk of the version 8.0 firmware that AP tried to steer the car into most highway bridges before veering off. It kept the adrenaline going. Looking forward to the next charging top and having the ability to walk around a bit helped both keep my body from getting the typical aches and pains and it helped with keeping me awake.

 

[wdolson]

You mean public SpC's at service centers. As I believe most (all?) SvC's have SpC's. I know the one by me does, but it doesn't allow just anyone to use it. Though if you have an emergency they'd let you charge.

It may be a regional thing, but Northwest service centers don't have superchargers available to the public, and I'm not sure they have SpCs at all. The Portland one doesn't appear to have anything except some HPWCs that aren't even available to the public.

 

[aesculus]

The stretch from Stockton to the Grapevine (the mountains at the southern end of the valley) there are very few things to see.

The Tule Elk at Buttonwillow is a must see.

Tule Elk SNR

 

[RogerHScott]

Showroom = show you the car. They are usually in the mall. They often have a HPWC somewhere to allow you to charge.

Service Center = show you the car. Test drive the car. Purchase the car. Repair the car when it breaks. Has a HPWC and most (all? I dunno, maybe just most. I'll even go down to just "some", though from what I heard I think it's most) have superchagers hidden away for staff use.

Indianapolis is in a mall, shows you the car, does test drives, does sales. Don't recall if they've got SpC or just HPWC.
Chicago is not in a mall, but shows cars, does sales, does repairs, and has a couple of SpCs.
So the taxonomy is not as simple as you present.

 

[Max*]

Indianapolis is in a mall, shows you the car, does test drives, does sales. Don't recall if they've got SpC or just HPWC.

Looking here, is listed as a Store/showroom.

Chicago is not in a mall, but shows cars, does sales, does repairs, and has a couple of SpCs.

Looking here, Chicago is a Store, Service Center and Supercharger. Everything you listed falls under my rough definition of Service Center. But the Chicago location also has a public Supercharger.

So the taxonomy is not as simple as you present.

It's pretty close, as you selectively quoted part of my response, and left out the pertinent information below.

Showrooms were Tesla's legal loophole before they started opening up service centers in VA. The showroom can't sell you a car, they can't discuss price, and I believe they can't let you test drive it.

In MD, the showroom does test drives, I believe.

 

[VikH]

Looking here, Chicago is a Store, Service Center and Supercharger. Everything you listed falls under my rough definition of Service Center. But the Chicago location also has a public Supercharger.

That is not in Chicago. That location is in the suburbs. There is a service center within the city that has a small (2 stall) non-public supercharger.

 

[ohmman]

@Max* is correct in saying that at least some Service Centers have Superchargers that are intended for use solely by service. There are variations and combinations between stores/showrooms/Service Centers/Supercharger locations. But as I mentioned above, San Rafael for one has at least one Supercharger that is inside of the garage and reserved solely for service. I know for sure it's not the only location. My guess is that the busier the location, the more likely they are to have/need a dedicated Supercharger. San Rafael is insanely busy.

 

[WannabeOwner]

I would imaging getting to/from the chargers would be part of drive time. Though I haven't dove that deep into it.

FWIW I remove all the supercharger stops and press "Route direct" to see what the reduction in mileage is - i.e. what the mileage and drive-time difference might be compared to an ICE. Even when I get routed 2-sides-of-a-triangle for Superchargers it often add less than 10 minutes to the journey.

 

[RogerHScott]

That is not in Chicago. That location is in the suburbs. There is a service center within the city that has a small (2 stall) non-public supercharger.

Are you referring to the one on Grand Ave? That's the one I was referring to, above. It is not purely a service center.
In what sense is the supercharger non-public? As I said above, they don't seem to have a problem with people using it and it's there
24/7.

 

[RogerHScott]

Looking here, Chicago is a Store, Service Center and Supercharger.

Don't let someone from Chicago hear you referring to Highland Park as "Chicago"
Dis is Chicago.