Charge Anxiety

[oktane]

How about make the supercharger cable longer? Allow the supercharger to be disconnected when the car is fully charged so someone else can use it? Let summon mode mode the car out of the stall and into a regular spot?

Just some food for thought...........

I'd be happy if there were a 15 minute grace period.

 

[Haxster]

I'd be happy if there were a 15 minute grace period.

I'm pretty sure that there's a 5 minute grace period.

 

[oktane]

Yes there is, but that's not really enough. You could not immediately notice the alert, or be in the restroom, or be on the phone etc. Furthermore many superchargers are more than 5 minute walk to the nearest store. No one needs the added stress of being fixated on their phone for when the supercharging will complete. It's painful enough as it is to wait 30-40 minutes for the car to be topped off.

 

[TexasEV]

Yes there is, but that's not really enough. You could not immediately notice the alert, or be in the restroom, or be on the phone etc. Furthermore many superchargers are more than 5 minute walk to the nearest store. No one needs the added stress of being fixated on their phone for when the supercharging will complete. It's painful enough as it is to wait 30-40 minutes for the car to be topped off.

I think you misunderstand the 5 minute grace period. It doesn't mean you have 5 minutes to get back to the car. You should plan to be back at the car by the time charging finishes, and you have a 5 minute grace period in case you're not. Don't wait until the car finishes charging before you think about heading back to the car.

 

[Missile Toad]

1) Eat your meal at 5:15PM instead of the busy 6:30-8:00PM time;
2) Skip the desert (your doctor will thank you);
3) Eat faster (oh, and now you have an excuse for somebody else to pay the tab);
4) Put $100 in the piggy bank and just figure it is far less than the cost for any car repairs, and is par for the course, given all-you-can-eat electricity;
5) Consider plugging in to an alternative charge source;
6) Don't supercharge except at fast food joints (and really, who watches movies while charging?)
7) RUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNN !

 

[Topher]

Amazing how worried people are now that it is them who are inconvenienced rather some other driver. Where was all this angst when sitting in a restaurant, relaxing to a slow meal was causing other people to not be able to charge and get on their way?

Thank you kindly.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

Amazing how worried people are now that it is them who are inconvenienced rather some other driver. Where was all this angst when sitting in a restaurant, relaxing to a slow meal was causing other people to not be able to charge and get on their way?

Thank you kindly.

Nonexistent as long as Tesla was building sufficient Supercharger capacity to let everyone in all the time.

 

[oktane]

I think you misunderstand the 5 minute grace period. It doesn't mean you have 5 minutes to get back to the car. You should plan to be back at the car by the time charging finishes, and you have a 5 minute grace period in case you're not. Don't wait until the car finishes charging before you think about heading back to the car.

Not that familiar with the app, but does it give me an exact time the car will be finished charging? If it does, then I can agree with your logic. If the time is not exact, then the grace period needs to be larger.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

Not that familiar with the app, but does it give me an exact time the car will be finished charging? If it does, then I can agree with your logic. If the time is not exact, then the grace period needs to be larger.

It does not give an exact time.

The time can be off by hour(s), though of course you can keep watching it get more accurate - but it never fully will be as amps can change dramatically any time.

 

[mmd]

How about wearing a "I'm a Tesla owner' T-shirt, so restaurants sit you next to the exit and give you a quick meal for $20 extra?

But seriously, I think a valet service will solve this issue in a much better way. Tesla should use valets at the busy super chargers. There can't be that many busy super chargers.

 

[GMDC]

Just put yourselves in someone else's shows. What if you were the one arriving 10' after, no stall available, and in the worst case you had to wait 20-40' for all the cars to charge 20-40' plus the 15' grace being requested? That's long wait for someone else needing charge.. especially if you are traveling (Versus those who live close to the SC).

 

[AnxietyRanger]

Just put yourselves in someone else's shows. What if you were the one arriving 10' after, no stall available, and in the worst case you had to wait 20-40' for all the cars to charge 20-40' plus the 15' grace being requested? That's long wait for someone else needing charge.. especially if you are traveling (Versus those who live close to the SC).

I would assume most of us fully realize that. The debate is about the right balance on:

- what is a reasonable stay at an SpC
- how many SpC's should Tesla be expected to build for reasonable availability
- how long is a reasonable wait at an SpC

Opinions differ.

 

[GMDC]

I would assume most of us fully realize that. The debate is about the right balance on:

- what is a reasonable stay at an SpC
- how many SpC's should Tesla be expected to build for reasonable availability
- how long is a reasonable wait at an SpC

Opinions differ.

I hope so yes, but if that were the case, there would be no need for a fee, like Tesla had to implement in response to owner requests..

Regarding the 3 points you mentioned, I have no issue with that, but it seemed to conversation was more about people concerned about not being able to do their errands while charging .. sorry if I misinterpreted.

 

[TexasEV]

Not that familiar with the app, but does it give me an exact time the car will be finished charging? If it does, then I can agree with your logic. If the time is not exact, then the grace period needs to be larger.

I'm beginning to wonder if you even own a Tesla.

 

[Haxster]

Maybe a new opportunity for food trucks to hang around the more isolated SC stations when they're likely to be busy.

 

[oktane]

I'm beginning to wonder if you even own a Tesla.

I'm beginning to wonder if you are a paid Tesla shill.

 

[David99]

Elon said the idle fee only applies on busy stations. I've taken close to 50k miles on road trips on Superchargers and visited almost 60 different Supercharger locations. In the vast majority of cases I was the only person there or maybe one other car. Very few times was a station more than 50% occupied. So in all these cases, having the car plugged in longer would have been totally fine and you would not have been charged an idle fee.

When you know you are going to stay longer and the station is very busy, how about only charging as much as you need and plan your long meal at the next station. I just drove from Los Angels to Wisconsin. 16 Supercharger stops. At none of the places would there have been any problem with staying 20 min longer than needed.

On those stations that get busy on crazy days, just don't plan your long meal right there. Drive to the next station. Or here is another idea. Go to the restaurant, get a table, order your food, then walk back and plug in. That cuts off 15 min.

 

[mhan00]

Elon said the idle fee only applies on busy stations. I've taken close to 50k miles on road trips on Superchargers and visited almost 60 different Supercharger locations. In the vast majority of cases I was the only person there or maybe one other car. Very few times was a station more than 50% occupied. So in all these cases, having the car plugged in longer would have been totally fine and you would not have been charged an idle fee.

When you know you are going to stay longer and the station is very busy, how about only charging as much as you need and plan your long meal at the next station. I just drove from Los Angels to Wisconsin. 16 Supercharger stops. At none of the places would there have been any problem with staying 20 min longer than needed.

On those stations that get busy on crazy days, just don't plan your long meal right there. Drive to the next station. Or here is another idea. Go to the restaurant, get a table, order your food, then walk back and plug in. That cuts off 15 min.

Ummmm, no, don't do that last thing. That's you being an asshole. If getting charged the idle fee is a worry, then the station is obviously at least fairly busy with at least half of the stalls in use. Don't be the asshole who parks in a stall, doesn't plug in so he can order food first, and takes fifteen minutes longer to charge because he delayed the charge start time.

 

[OBX John]

Since the fee is only charged if the station is full, making someone wait for a charge should be the only source of anxiety.

 

[Topher]

Tesla should use valets at the busy super chargers.

How much are you willing to pay for this service?

Thank you kindly.