I am curious to collect opinions from people on how much supercharger users care about price. (Obviously I mean the ones who pay, not those with older Model S and unlimited charging.)
Looking at two Superchargers near me which are very close together, less than 2 miles apart on Stevens Creek Blvd. in Cupertino
Now too be clear, the Cupertino Main Street is a much nicer location to hang out, with better restaurants, people around and a nice nighttime vibe. The other is more suburban strip mall but has better shopping. (It has decent restaurants, ignore the Tesla web page.) However, another couple miles down the same road is Santana Row, which is a major attraction with tons of restaurants and shopping, free (but usually full) destination chargers and a Valet supercharger as well as self-park. As far as supercharger locations go, Santana Row is 10/10, Cupertino Main Street is 9/10 and the Target is 7/10 -- still well above average. CMS is an artificial attempt at a downtown in a town whose former best guess at a downtown was the cluster of retail around the Target supercharger. A new bigger one is coming in between the two. CMS is also 1/4 mile from Apple HQ.
But at double the price? Try to imagine if there were two gas stations not far apart where one was $3/gallon and the other $6/gallon. As we know, the $3 one would get a line around the block and have a wait that compares to the time for a supercharge.
Electricity for EVs is of course cheaper than gasoline. At 24c/kwh, a typical 50kwh charge is $12 and the peak-time charge is $24. That seems like enough of a difference to notice. Add to this having 250kw chargers vs paired 150kw and the cheaper one will also be decently faster. And the greater risk of a wait at the smaller charger.
So, obviously all things being equal, people would pick Cupertino Main Street (or Santana) but at double the price for a slower charge? It's interesting to contrast the desires of Tesla drivers vs. others. As urban area chargers, the people there are not road trippers passing through town, they are mostly locals who don't have charging in their own homes. Such folks, usually renters, should be a bit more conscious of cost, though this is course a very rich town. (At home it's 18c/kwh, or $9, with the huge advantage that it happens at home while you sleep. Even though these are the closest chargers to me, I have only visited once in 4 years, back when I had only level 1.)
So I get that Tesla drivers may not be too money motivated and are more conscious of what they do with their time, so don't tell me that. Instead tell me specifics about how this decision goes down for you.
Looking at two Superchargers near me which are very close together, less than 2 miles apart on Stevens Creek Blvd. in Cupertino
- The older one, at Main Street Cupertino outdoor mall has 10 chargers, 150kw paired. It's on the 2nd floor of a parking garage. It costs 24c/kwh off-peak and 48c/kwh on-peak. Cupertino, CA Supercharger | Tesla
- The newer one, near a Target, has 28 250kw chargers, 24c/kwh all the time. Cupertino, CA - Stevens Creek Boulevard Supercharger | Tesla
Now too be clear, the Cupertino Main Street is a much nicer location to hang out, with better restaurants, people around and a nice nighttime vibe. The other is more suburban strip mall but has better shopping. (It has decent restaurants, ignore the Tesla web page.) However, another couple miles down the same road is Santana Row, which is a major attraction with tons of restaurants and shopping, free (but usually full) destination chargers and a Valet supercharger as well as self-park. As far as supercharger locations go, Santana Row is 10/10, Cupertino Main Street is 9/10 and the Target is 7/10 -- still well above average. CMS is an artificial attempt at a downtown in a town whose former best guess at a downtown was the cluster of retail around the Target supercharger. A new bigger one is coming in between the two. CMS is also 1/4 mile from Apple HQ.
But at double the price? Try to imagine if there were two gas stations not far apart where one was $3/gallon and the other $6/gallon. As we know, the $3 one would get a line around the block and have a wait that compares to the time for a supercharge.
Electricity for EVs is of course cheaper than gasoline. At 24c/kwh, a typical 50kwh charge is $12 and the peak-time charge is $24. That seems like enough of a difference to notice. Add to this having 250kw chargers vs paired 150kw and the cheaper one will also be decently faster. And the greater risk of a wait at the smaller charger.
So, obviously all things being equal, people would pick Cupertino Main Street (or Santana) but at double the price for a slower charge? It's interesting to contrast the desires of Tesla drivers vs. others. As urban area chargers, the people there are not road trippers passing through town, they are mostly locals who don't have charging in their own homes. Such folks, usually renters, should be a bit more conscious of cost, though this is course a very rich town. (At home it's 18c/kwh, or $9, with the huge advantage that it happens at home while you sleep. Even though these are the closest chargers to me, I have only visited once in 4 years, back when I had only level 1.)
So I get that Tesla drivers may not be too money motivated and are more conscious of what they do with their time, so don't tell me that. Instead tell me specifics about how this decision goes down for you.