David's Supercharger location and deployment analysis

[PhilBa]

I thought an interesting exercise would be to see how the 2015 SC map would align with the US interstate system.
For the most part it's pretty good but it does point out some problem areas.

1. Little Rock to Dallas (I30) is almost 300 miles, no SCs.
2. Atlanta to Dallas (I20) is around 750 miles, 1 SC.
3. Michigan has a huge number of SCs for it's size, what's with that?
4. Milwaukie - Sheboygan - Green Bay. 3 SCs in a 100 mile stretch seems excessive.
5. Why not move the St Augustine, FL SC to Ocala on I75?

I could go on but that's enough for now.

Edit: By the way, there have been some comments that the 2015 map shows a city centric approach. However, this map shows that the cities chosen are where interstates intersect. That makes sense from an efficiency perspective (one SC site versus many).

 

[William13]

I appreciate PhilBa's map above. It points out even more clearly that the I-80 corridor will not be practical to use across the country as the SC locations are very far apart especially driving at the speed limit with hills and mountains.

 

[neroden]

I appreciate PhilBa's map above. It points out even more clearly that the I-80 corridor will not be practical to use across the country as the SC locations are very far apart especially driving at the speed limit with hills and mountains.

Actually, if you crunch the numbers, I believe that none of the direct cross-country corridors are practical without extra charging.

I-90 fails west of Buffalo due to lack of charging in Erie, PA. Most of the rest fail somewhere in Ohio, Kentucky or Tennessee. The Gulf Coast route fails around San Antonio. The I-80 route fails further west.

You can do a cross-country trip if you repeatedly detour north and south to get to the more densely-Supercharged routes, but that isn't direct -- and some of the north-south routes don't work either, such as I-55 which has too large a gap between Memphis and St. Louis.

Some of this is well thought out. Some of it isn't. I also don't see the purpose of the Sheboygan supercharger given Milwaukee, Green Bay, Madison and (for ferry users) the Superchargers in West Michigan. On the other hand, St. Ignace, MI would be an excelleent location -- access to the Upper Peninsula and Sault Ste Marie -- and it isn't scheduled to get any.

I really do wonder if there's questions related to utilty companies' ability/willingness to provide high-voltage, high-amperage service, and if that is driving Superchargers out of certain areas.

 

[PhilBa]

@Neroden, I think Michigan looks like someone tossed a bunch of darts at the map. I'd like to see a well thought out east west corridor. maybe north and south ones too.

 

[AudubonB]

Chiming in as someone who has done and continues to do more LOOONG-distance driving*** than, I can safely say, effectively everyone on this forum who is not a commercial trucker, I would like to suggest an alternative concept to what has been bandied about here even amongst respondents who thought they were disagreeing with each other.

An alternative that may be more idealistic than practical, yet not without practical considerations.

It's easy to see where I'm going to suggest when I state that I utterly detest interstate driving. Wretched, horrible, abysmal experience - and for those of you who have to commute daily on them - my heart goes out.

So.......as for me, I would love to see the SCs emplaced where they could encourage Americans to get back to the enjoyment of driving, thus off in those back roads over there and around that back-of-the-way place there. That would leave the interstate system, and other arterials, to the big rigs and ICEs, and open up the great side roads to EVs.

It'll never happen, I know. But I can still dream.

***Winter before last it was a Dec-Mar road trip of just over 21,000 miles, about 85% off-interstate. My most glorious trip was the Alaskan "drive around the block": down the coast to San Diego, turn left. Brownsville, TX and Key West, FL, turn left. Coast of Maine, turn left and back home. 26,000 miles, almost -0- of it on interstates.

 

[bollar]

So.......as for me, I would love to see the SCs emplaced where they could encourage Americans to get back to the enjoyment of driving, thus off in those back roads over there and around that back-of-the-way place there. That would leave the interstate system, and other arterials, to the big rigs and ICEs, and open up the great side roads to EVs.

It'll never happen, I know. But I can still dream.

I agree that would be cool and I am hopeful that SCs could be placed near some classic ,out-of-the-way destinations, like Carlsbad Caverns. Maybe filling out the network in 2016-17 will allow that.

 

[PhilBa]

Yeah, but I think the placement needs to be done to serve the most customers. Like it or not, that says Interstate Highway System.

 

[4sevens.com]

I'd just like to revive this thread - with all the updated locations present and future - Tesla's strategy does consider my two points... City-centric and in-between-city. Awesome!