Confrontation at Woodstock Supercharger!

[rypalmer]

Charging sites should be at the back edge of the parking lot, not the front.

This is common practice because the electricity source is usually in the building and it's much less expensive to locate the station close to the building. Most EV owners would rather have the spots farther away (less chance of ICEing), but again, too expensive to run wire out there.

 

[BluestarE3]

Most shopping centers have a back side where the loading docks and service entrances are located. The charging stalls can be located there and still be close to the buildings and electrical source. Being on the back of the mall makes these spaces undesirable for the lazy folks who want to park close to the front doors of their favorite establishments. And being on the service side of the mall emphasizes the fact that these are service stalls, just like the loading zones back there where mall patrons shouldn't park their vehicles.

 

[ibdb]

Most shopping centers have a back side where the loading docks and service entrances are located. The charging stalls can be located there and still be close to the buildings and electrical source. Being on the back of the mall makes these spaces undesirable for the lazy folks who want to park close to the front doors of their favorite establishments. And being on the service side of the mall emphasizes the fact that these are service stalls, just like the loading zones back there where mall patrons shouldn't park their vehicles.

While I agree that the charging stalls don't need to be front and center, I think this is going too far to the other extreme. Malls are extremely common locations for car prowls, even in the more heavily trafficked and populated public parking areas. Moving a charging location to an area with fewer witnesses, particularly when you're talking about cars that are likely to have things in them to attract those who might have less than honorable intent, isn't a good answer either.

 

[Phillip L]

While I agree that the charging stalls don't need to be front and center, I think this is going too far to the other extreme. Malls are extremely common locations for car prowls, even in the more heavily trafficked and populated public parking areas. Moving a charging location to an area with fewer witnesses, particularly when you're talking about cars that are likely to have things in them to attract those who might have less than honorable intent, isn't a good answer either.

And another consideration is that of my wife: She likes driving the Model S but she does not like charging it while alone because most chargers are not in heavily travelled areas and as a woman she feels much more vulnerable than at a gas station that is well lit and busy. So I think a compromise is necessary: far enough away from the entrance to not be ice'd yet not so far as to be uncomfortably isolated. I think the SC's at the mall in Drummondville, Québec is a pretty good example of good placement.

 

[NikeWings]

That may be an issue in SoCal but here in Canada it is rarely an issue. I have used the Woodstock SC several times and never seen more than one other car there - granted I haven't used it on very heavy travel times, like long weekends.

Understood but CA is the microcosm of your future. As more Teslas are sold outside of CA, similar behavoir is likely to follow. I'll check back in with you in a couple of years.

 

[Canuck]

And another consideration is that of my wife: She likes driving the Model S but she does not like charging it while alone because most chargers are not in heavily travelled areas and as a woman she feels much more vulnerable than at a gas station that is well lit and busy.

This is a good point. My wife travels to Portland for competitions with my daughter and I wouldn't want them stopping at superchargers when they travel at night, which is often the case, especially coming home.

I don't understand why there are no surveillance cameras at the superchargers, that stream online so we can also see how many stalls are open on the car's browser (the bar system currently in use has never been right so far with me). They can be stills, refreshing every few seconds like the traffic cams I watch. The could also add it to the maps so we can click the camera beside each SC listing. Privacy is not an issue, since there's no expectation of privacy at superchargers, and this would be no different than the traffic cams, which are everywhere. Bright LED lights and ip cams are cheap too and would also prevent some vandalism claims.

 

[MorrisonHiker]

I don't understand why there are no surveillance cameras at the superchargers, that stream online so we can also see how many stalls are open on the car's browser (the bar system currently in use has never been right so far with me). They can be stills, refreshing every few seconds like the traffic cams I watch.

Streaming cameras would also allow the "bad guys" to watch and see if person charging is a potential victim, such as an elderly couple or a single mom. With the current bar system, they don't have that additional information.

 

[RAM_Eh]

This is what you get for parking in the wrong spot! ICE POLICE!

 

[wayner]

Understood but CA is the microcosm of your future. As more Teslas are sold outside of CA, similar behavoir is likely to follow. I'll check back in with you in a couple of years.

I hope you're right but unlike in CA, users of SCs in Canada today don't have to be too vigilant about overstaying at an SC - the Toronto location being the one exception.