Vendor Beaverton detailing business needs charging advice

[Fresh Start Detail]

I'm wondering if there would be any benefit for my Tesla charging customers for me to add a NEMA 14-50 outlet right next to our existing 'lobotomized' Blink station with the J1772. You're going to have to whip out your adapter bag either way so my question is more of an electrical current type of question.
We currently get about 13MPH charging out of this station, but it wouldn't be terribly difficult or expensive to add another outlet (using the existing wiring) if it provided Telsas more charging juice. Basically I just don't know if that Blink station is robbing any power.
It's currently supplied by a line on a 40 amp breaker.
Thanks for any input!

This is one of the Model X's we used for charging testing, but like most Tesla owners, they do all their charging at home or at superchargers so I'm not really sure adding another outlet would benefit anyone.

This is the outlet I am thinking about installing, available for about $30 from Home Depot.
If we did install something like this you would have to use your own cord instead of the convenient Blink J1772, but either way you'd have to use one of your own adapters.

 

[MP3Mike]

I say stick with the J1772. People often carry their J1772 adapter with them, but not their UMC which would be needed for the 14-50. (The J1772 fits in the glovebox on the Model S.)

 

[scottdoc]

Can you get a Tesla Destination charger installed? It could only be used by Teslas though.

 

[zarkuu]

I vote for the 14-50. I always carry the UMC with me and would gladly whip it out to get double the charge rate (30MPH vs 12MPH) if I needed a charge. That said I don't imagine a lot of your customers live so far away they would actually NEED to charge that badly so it probably isn't going to be used all that often. But more choice is always good and even if it comes in handy once or twice it might be worth it to you.

 

[Lyon]

There's probably no significant reason to have really rapid charging. I imagine many of your customers leave the vehicle overnight or for a good portion of the day. If you can add a few miles for folks that would be awesome. One idea is that, if you'd like to be more Tesla friendly, just buy a J1772 --> Tesla adaptor to keep in the shop. That way your customers aren't going to have to get into their charging gear. Also, it's probably a lot cheaper than installing a NEMA 14-50.

Tesla — SAE J1772

 

[TaoJones]

Tesla Destination Charging may well send you, free of charge, an HPWC and maybe even a companion Clipper Creek J-1772. They may not, but it does not hurt to ask. Recommend calling the main number and asking for a contact in Destination Charging.

No strings attached, other than that they will ask you to cover the cost of the install(s) and to not charge for usage for at least 6 months.

As far as the install goes, customers always appreciate more juice. If you could upgrade that circuit to 100A, it would accommodate the new chargers (72A) as well. If not, no huge deal.

 

[Fresh Start Detail]

There's probably no significant reason to have really rapid charging. I imagine many of your customers leave the vehicle overnight or for a good portion of the day. If you can add a few miles for folks that would be awesome. One idea is that, if you'd like to be more Tesla friendly, just buy a J1772 --> Tesla adaptor to keep in the shop. That way your customers aren't going to have to get into their charging gear. Also, it's probably a lot cheaper than installing a NEMA 14-50.
Tesla — SAE J1772

Good idea on me having a J1772 adapter on hand, I could use one anyway to keep me from always asking our clients if they brought theirs.

You bring up a good point that clarifies my original question... for clients that we're actually working on their vehicles at the time, we have them long enough to give them a full charge inside our shop no matter what. It's any other Teslas that happen to stop by for a free charge on our outside 24/7 station that I'm trying to give the best experience and quickest charge to.

 

[Fresh Start Detail]

Tesla Destination Charging may well send you, free of charge, an HPWC and maybe even a companion Clipper Creek J-1772. They may not, but it does not hurt to ask. Recommend calling the main number and asking for a contact in Destination Charging.

No strings attached, other than that they will ask you to cover the cost of the install(s) and to not charge for usage for at least 6 months.

As far as the install goes, customers always appreciate more juice. If you could upgrade that circuit to 100A, it would accommodate the new chargers (72A) as well. If not, no huge deal.

Someone else mentioned this to me the other day so I will certainly look into this option. I wouldn't mind paying for the necessary wiring to the charger if I got the rest of the hardware for free. I will contact them.

 

[Lyon]

Good idea on me having a J1772 adapter on hand, I could use one anyway to keep me from always asking our clients if they brought theirs.

You bring up a good point that clarifies my original question... for clients that we're actually working on their vehicles at the time, we have them long enough to give them a full charge inside our shop no matter what. It's any other Teslas that happen to stop by for a free charge on our outside 24/7 station that I'm trying to give the best experience and quickest charge to.

You're close enough to a Supercharger that it's unlikely that folks will want to stop by just to charge.

 

[Fresh Start Detail]

You're close enough to a Supercharger that it's unlikely that folks will want to stop by just to charge.

Really? To my knowledge the nearest superchargers to Beaverton are in Sandy and Woodburn. Did they install one somewhere in Portland and/or Washington county?

 

[TaoJones]

I have fond memories of that Woodburn SC. Anyway, I rethought what I typed above - exactly as you note, often customers' cars will be in the shop for some number of hours - and so they'll end up getting a healthy charge no matter what the service run is. No need to spend the $ for 100A unless perhaps you plan to have TWO HPWCs . Just saying... and just kidding.

Especially given that there may be an SC nearby and that most people charge at home anyway, having an HPWC or similar at your shop will primarily serve as a differentiator/early adopter benefit versus the competition, *and* your location, once HPWC'd through the DC program, will show up in Nav for all cars in the fleet.

 

[Lyon]

Really? To my knowledge the nearest superchargers to Beaverton are in Sandy and Woodburn. Did they install one somewhere in Portland and/or Washington county?

No, those are the ones. In my experience, daily driving around town is covered by charging at home and long distance travel is covered by the Superchargers. Folks who live in your area won't need rapid charging because they'll have charged at home. People traveling through the area will likely stick to the freeway and use Superchargers.

 

[Fresh Start Detail]

No, those are the ones. In my experience, daily driving around town is covered by charging at home and long distance travel is covered by the Superchargers. Folks who live in your area won't need rapid charging because they'll have charged at home. People traveling through the area will likely stick to the freeway and use Superchargers.

Understood, and great points. Thank you.

 

[Fresh Start Detail]

Looks like our charger output varies quite a bit, we've been getting 20-22MPH all day today.

 

[Lyon]

Looks like our charger output varies quite a bit, we've been getting 20-22MPH all day today.

That looks like it's more than fast enough to make a difference overnight or over the course of a day. If you're able to make up the range your customers use getting to you that's probably good enough! I know I would be really happy with that.

 

[Fresh Start Detail]

Yeah, most Tesla clients get our Opti-Coat Pro Plus service which takes two days anyway so we just leave it charging over night so they get a full charge for the trip home.

 

[TaoJones]

Looks like our charger output varies quite a bit, we've been getting 20-22MPH all day today.

Nicely done. Showing up in the Nav as a destination charging location is a Big Deal.

When traveling, I know that I am more likely to support local businesses with HPWCs than without. Would never have found Bomboras on Hilton Head Island or the Inn at Bay Ledge in Bar Harbor otherwise. And now I know there's a Tesla-friendly detail shop up north in an area that I do visit for weeks at a time.

When local, as I am one of the non-garaged, I do enable the lightning bolt at the upper right of the Nav to see who's added HPWCs in the area. Makes sense to support the businesses that support Tesla owners.