Harris Ranch is getting first battery swap station

[BlueTan85]

Folks taking pics of this site: if you get a chance, please ask any construction workers what they're building there. I would not mention Tesla at ALL. I would like to know if they are saying it's a renovated car wash, or if they volunteer that it is Tesla-related.

Because until I hear it straight from the workers at the site, I don't believe this is a Tesla project.

 

[SW2Fiddler]

Inside there is a deep pit similar to oil change pits.

BatterySwapBots are huge. If one is going in, it'll take some time to place it. Big long photo op.

 

[roblab]

So I take it the previous post was wrong and the old car wash building is still there, or are these photos older?

Old car wash site is there. Building gutted, but you can't see anything, fences covered with netting. Looks like some secret spy op going on. Workers might nod, they didn't to me. Too busy.

I would guess they have a lot of machinery to put in under floor level. But they don't want you to do any more than guess.

Took my Sig S in yesterday for some routine stuff, turned out they needed it another day to rework the battery switches *and connections* for quick disconnect and connect, which possibly my Sig didn't have. Had entire battery pack out, top off, so serious stuff. Getting my car ready for pack change, I guess. The work, which was done in Rocklin, was excellent, the people are like family. I ignore my local-er service center to go to Rocklin, more than twice the distance. Evidently word gets around, as Francis Coppola was sending his Model S to Rockin for service today from Napa Valley.

On another site note, there is a crew putting in a street light next to the superchargers at Truckee so people can see to get over to Safeway for a Starbucks. All paid for by Tesla, of course. Pretty nice.

 

[rlang59]

Inside there is a deep pit similar to oil change pits.

Would be pretty funny if this ends up just being a Jiffy Lube type oil change place.

 

[RubberToe]

I would think that if this is indeed the first battery swap station, it is going to be more of a proof of concept than anything else. If they have perfected the swapping hardware in the lab to the greatest extent possible, the next thing you would do is roll it out into a single location and allow limited use to see what kind of problems crop up so that you can fine tune things later. That car wash is not that large of a building really, and Tesla battery packs are pretty substantial. From what I have seen so far, I'm having trouble imagining how they would store hundreds of packs in an automated manner. Think about how much room that is underground. I'll bet you that they only allow for "back and forth" swaps too. Meaning, that on the way back you have to have your original pack re-installed. That will keep the logistics reasonable to start off, no battery packs wandering off to who knows where (well, Tesla knows...). I could also see them possibly rolling out new packs to those that want them, but the pricing on that is going to be pretty complicated.

There is obviously a sizable market for people driving between LA and SF who are: 1) in a hurry, 2) drive Teslas, and 3) would pay extra $$$ to save time. Best corridor to test this out in for sure. Once open, I will be very curious to see how it works out, both technically and from a business standpoint. Maybe they are trying to get it open before the end of the year?

RT

 

[Lloyd]

If they make this a working station, does this allow them to capture again 7 carb credits per vehicle?

 

[FredTMC]

If they make this a working station, does this allow them to capture again 7 carb credits per vehicle?

My understanding is "yes" BUT it's something like only 7 credits on the percentage of cars using battery swap (or percent of miles on swapped battery). In other words, TM doesn't get 7 credits on every car made.

 

[apacheguy]

Took my Sig S in yesterday for some routine stuff, turned out they needed it another day to rework the battery switches *and connections* for quick disconnect and connect, which possibly my Sig didn't have. Had entire battery pack out, top off, so serious stuff. Getting my car ready for pack change, I guess. The work, which was done in Rocklin, was excellent, the people are like family. I ignore my local-er service center to go to Rocklin, more than twice the distance. Evidently word gets around, as Francis Coppola was sending his Model S to Rockin for service today from Napa Valley.

Um, my Sig S was in for annual service on Monday and I received no such treatment. Can any other Sigs confirm that our packs need new switches for battery swap? First I've heard of it.

 

[Lloyd]

My understanding is "yes" BUT it's something like only 7 credits on the percentage of cars using battery swap (or percent of miles on swapped battery). In other words, TM doesn't get 7 credits on every car made.

If this is the case, then I'm not sure that it makes economic sense for them to proceed on this...... More abundant superchargers would be money better spent.

 

[NoCO]

I would think that if this is indeed the first battery swap station, it is going to be more of a proof of concept than anything else. If they have perfected the swapping hardware in the lab to the greatest extent possible, the next thing you would do is roll it out into a single location and allow limited use to see what kind of problems crop up so that you can fine tune things later. That car wash is not that large of a building really, and Tesla battery packs are pretty substantial. From what I have seen so far, I'm having trouble imagining how they would store hundreds of packs in an automated manner. Think about how much room that is underground. I'll bet you that they only allow for "back and forth" swaps too. Meaning, that on the way back you have to have your original pack re-installed. That will keep the logistics reasonable to start off, no battery packs wandering off to who knows where (well, Tesla knows...). I could also see them possibly rolling out new packs to those that want them, but the pricing on that is going to be pretty complicated.

There is obviously a sizable market for people driving between LA and SF who are: 1) in a hurry, 2) drive Teslas, and 3) would pay extra $$$ to save time. Best corridor to test this out in for sure. Once open, I will be very curious to see how it works out, both technically and from a business standpoint. Maybe they are trying to get it open before the end of the year?

RT

Knowing nothing about the design of the battery swap, the building itself looks like there could be enough room for a lot of batteries (depending on how efficient the storage is). When I go to Hawthorne for SC the status screen showing the top ten or when it loops through individual locations, I don't recall ever seeing one with over 100 charges. I go late (about 10 PM) and I remember Hawthorne was at 73. I have noticed that people seem to go to charge about the same times, so it might give the appearance that a lot of people use super chargers, but when I have gone to super chargers, I have never seen more than one or two.

In the past week, I have been to Oxnard (afternoon) and Hawthorne (10PM) and I was the only one at Oxnard and only two others at Hawthorne. Based on that, it could be years before they are doing more than a hundred swaps. How will most people use them. Single day business trip? Weekend? it will be interesting.

 

[FredTMC]

If this is the case, then I'm not sure that it makes economic sense for them to proceed on this...... More abundant superchargers would be money better spent.

I tend to agree with you. That being said, musk said all along that first swap station will be for testing customer behavior. It's a learning exercise. I highly doubt swap stations will ever be deployed nationally by tesla.

 

[Cottonwood]

I tend to agree with you. That being said, musk said all along that first swap station will be for testing customer behavior. It's a learning exercise. I highly doubt swap stations will ever be deployed nationally by tesla.

Or in a "Better Place!" :wink:

 

[callmesam]

I tend to agree with you. That being said, musk said all along that first swap station will be for testing customer behavior. It's a learning exercise. I highly doubt swap stations will ever be deployed nationally by tesla.

Widespread swapping is unlikely. Key city pairs joined with swap seems very likely.

 

[Tyl]

My photo were taken 11/19/2014. The Harris Ranch Office and the contractors have confirmed that his going to be a TESLA battery swap station!! Yes, Tesla will have to monitor our behavior and battery swap purchases to evaluate whether this is a good business venture. If a few battery swap facilities are strategically placed along the SF-LA corridor they will get used. .... but only time tell.

 

[FredTMC]

My photo were taken 11/19/2014. The Harris Ranch Office and the contractors have confirmed that his going to be a TESLA battery swap station!! Yes, Tesla will have to monitor our behavior and battery swap purchases to evaluate whether this is a good business venture. If a few battery swap facilities are strategically placed along the SF-LA corridor they will get used. .... but only time tell.

Thx!!

 

[strider]

Based on that, it could be years before they are doing more than a hundred swaps. How will most people use them. Single day business trip? Weekend? it will be interesting.

We are planning a 3-day weekend trip down to Magic Mountain with the kids and if there is any wait at all for an SC I would gladly pay $75 to shorten the time spent in the car w/ small children.

So where's the second one going to be? Tejon for the SoCal folks headed North?

 

[ChriZ]

11/29 update. Looks like trenching has been done.

 

[Modelxvin1365]

11/29 update. Looks like trenching has been done.

I have to say i love as owners (and soon to be owners and enthusiast ) we are sooo emphatic about tesla movements that we start becoming Mini detectives, The community of Teslons (i dubb people who follow tesla) is how should i say..... Awesome!!!

 

[apacheguy]

Very cool. Thanks for the update. When do you all figure this site will be up? End of January?

 

[pgiralt]

I think they should have left the car wash equipment in there. You could get a battery swap and a car wash at the same time. Try doing that with an ICE vehicle