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Charleston, S.C. supercharger?
- Thread starter ronnussbaum
- Start date
Just drove my Model 3 to Charleston last month from DC area. Only 3 available "quality" charging options for public, 1 in Mt. Pleasant, 1 at Tanger Mall, and another near Northwoods. (By quality, i mean something to do within walking distance.) All Level 2. So upon arriving at about 15% charge, I had to spend a pair of 4+ hour sessions at ~ 20 miles/hr rate over the 4 days in town to accommodate the 4 day activities, and finally get me to the Santee supercharger on my way home (70 miles away) with some % to spare. Not fun constantly thinking about my level of charge for that day, and planning when I'd have to kill that time. This is ONLY drawback I can think of... I did see 1/2 dozen Teslas around over the weekend, but all those have home stations and don't need superchargers. Since it's a destination city (on the cost at the end of an Interstate, I understand it's not as cost effective or attractive to install a SCharger there. Anyway, I'll likely have to continue to drive the Saab for the foreseeable future until a supercharger is installed in the Charleston area. I hope one pops up soon!
Ormond
Endless Peacock
I charged overnight during my stay at the Charleston Place Hotel a year ago. They just offer destination chargers.
paulkva
part of the supercharge.info dev team
I spent a couple nights with my family in Charleston in 2014, at a hotel ~6 miles west of the city center. Between supercharging to a high percentage in Savannah beforehand, plugging into a 120V outlet at our hotel overnight, and using a charger in a municipal garage downtown, we had no problem regaining enough charge to reach Santee on our way home. According to PlugShare, there are at least 3 public lots in/near downtown where you have to pay to park but there's no additional fee to charge -- and I'm pretty sure all three were there in 2014. Lots to do nearby each of them.
I also see two EVgo CCS/CHAdeMO locations -- one to the west near the hotel we used, and another ~20 miles north near the intersection of I-26 and Route 78. Although I've heard the CHAdeMO adapter doesn't work with the Model 3 yet.
Especially if you don't want to mess with parking/charging downtown, I agree that staying at a hotel near the Tanger outlet is a good strategy. We never used that location specifically, but we've had consistent success at the Tanger outlets in Rehoboth DE.
Having said all that, I agree Charleston would benefit from a supercharger and/or additional destination charging locations.
I also see two EVgo CCS/CHAdeMO locations -- one to the west near the hotel we used, and another ~20 miles north near the intersection of I-26 and Route 78. Although I've heard the CHAdeMO adapter doesn't work with the Model 3 yet.
Especially if you don't want to mess with parking/charging downtown, I agree that staying at a hotel near the Tanger outlet is a good strategy. We never used that location specifically, but we've had consistent success at the Tanger outlets in Rehoboth DE.
Having said all that, I agree Charleston would benefit from a supercharger and/or additional destination charging locations.
I have stayed and charged around on destination chargers but would like to know if the TESLA SUPERCHARGER location/permit etc has been applied for as of yet. In Charleston?
Definitely need that Supercharger in Charleston, SC. to open soon! I drive to Pawley's Island each year from Orlando. The last SC I can use is in Savannah and I have about 16% left when I reach Pawley's. With an elderly mother in tow, the range anxiety would be range hysteria with her in the car. Until Charleston is open, I will have to drive an ICE vehicle.
paulkva
part of the supercharge.info dev team
Maybe I'm missing something, but if you supercharge in Santee, it would add ~15 minutes to your trip (vs the most direct route) and eliminate range anxiety. Alternatively, you could buy a CHAdeMO adapter and charge at one of the EVgo stations just outside of Charleston (probably the AAA site near the south end of I-526 would be your best bet -- PlugShare - Find Electric Vehicle Charging Locations Near You).
I know neither of those would be ideal, and I'm not disputing that a supercharger in Charleston would be a huge help (as I said last month in this thread), but it should make the trip possible in a Tesla. Hope this helps.
The Restoration hotel in downtown Charleston has Tesla destination chargers, as does the two hotels next to it. The chargers are for customers only, but maybe you would qualify if you eat st their restaurant. The Restoration is a extremely nice hotel and is within walking distance of the attractions, shopping and restaurants. Due to the hitel’s location, I’ve had no need to use my car there so it just sits in the underground parking once charged.
Charleston update..... I realize there are destination level 2's at 1/2 a dozen hotels on the peninsula. But my first-world problem arises (insert soft violins here....) as I stay with family and friends when I visit every 2 months. It's hard to find a level 2 that's convenient. HOWEVER, I forgot I have a 120 V adapter in my Model 3 super trunk! duh... >:-[ So I'll just pack a hefty outdoor extension cord on my next drive. I tested at home and I get about 3-4 m/hr charge on a 15A 120V line. So an overnight charge at say, 14 hours, gives me 42 - 52 miles additional for the next day's activities. More than enough. I'm surprised nobody yelled at me yet on this obvious brain fart. That's why I like this Tesla site; everyone is so nice. =-)
This is fairly important: Don't assume it's thick enough wire gauge just because it seems to look "hefty" or "beefy" or "heavy duty". I had a couple that looked pretty solid, but when I checked the gauge stamped into the rubber, it said they were both 16 gauge wire, which is not enough for constant high load car charging. I would recommend getting (even if you have to order it) a cord that uses at least 12 gauge wire. 10 gauge would be a bit better, but can be pretty stiff and may be a little overkill.
paulkva
part of the supercharge.info dev team
Plain old 120V outlets and a heavy duty extension cord have "saved" me many times. Including Charleston in 2014 when there were fewer L2 chargers available but the hotel we were at had a 120V outlet.
(Fast-forward to today, I'm planning a week-long trip zig-zagging across rural Pennsylvania, and between superchargers and L2 at hotels I might not even need my own cable.)
(Fast-forward to today, I'm planning a week-long trip zig-zagging across rural Pennsylvania, and between superchargers and L2 at hotels I might not even need my own cable.)
BlueCarNut
Member
Does anyone know of charging options around Folly Beach? Plugshare shows extremely limited options for the coastal areas of Charleston.
PJP1532
Member
This area desperately needs a supercharger, the closest Tesla level 3 is in Santee, 85 miles from Charleston. In a pinch I have used the Tesla destination chargers at the Springhill Suites on I-26 for some comfort miles on my way back to Santee. The Springhill Suites at this location does not restrict the use of their chargers like the other hotels do in downtown Charleston. Also, there are 4 public chargers at the Mt. Pleasant Town Center, north of Charleston, but they aren't fast. When we visit the coast we bring our charging "brick" and a long extension cord, then plug into a standard 120 volt outlet. Of course we only get 4 miles per hour of range but if we are there for a couple days we can recover enough range to get to the next supercharger.
Add Hilton Head to the list. We are heading down there from Charlotte in August. We got several times per year but this will be the first time since owning a Tesla. Charging options are limited. We typically rent a house in Sea Pines and there are no options there except for regular 120 volt outlet at the house (I'll grab a 12 gauge extension chord). Most of the decent charges are at hotels. I've found a few options that will work but with three kids in tow (ages 6, 5, and 3) patience will be limited while waiting for sufficient L2 charge.
Savannah, Santee, and Columbia SCs are too far out leaving you with not much juice by the time you get there.
Savannah, Santee, and Columbia SCs are too far out leaving you with not much juice by the time you get there.
BlueCarNut
Member
Where are these located? Plugshare doesn't appear to have any CHAdeMO sites listed in the Charleston area.
You might need to change your Plugshare filters so that they show CHAdeMO or don't exclude certain networks, etc.
- Brookgreen Town Center (EVgo)-- https://www.plugshare.com/location/93471
- AAA (EVgo)-- PlugShare - Find Electric Vehicle Charging Locations Near You
- North Charleston Target (Electrify America)-- PlugShare - Find Electric Vehicle Charging Locations Near You
- Spinx (EVgo)-- PlugShare - Find Electric Vehicle Charging Locations Near You
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