Jalopnik article about Supercharger network

[EVie'sDad]

While i disagree with the author of this article, it does demonstrate the demand for EVs has skyrocketed here in California. Fortunately not impacted, but wow. Definitely plan accordingly and use destination charging when possible.

Perhaps thats why they had the megacharger truck come by, looks like at least 2 of the permanent stalls were offline during this rush.

Here's The Main Problem With Tesla's Supercharger Network

 

[nwdiver]

While i disagree with the author of this article, it does demonstrate the demand for EVs has skyrocketed here in California. Fortunately not impacted, but wow. Definitely plan accordingly and use destination charging when possible.

Perhaps thats why they had the megacharger truck come by, looks like at least 2 of the permanent stalls were offline during this rush.

Here's The Main Problem With Tesla's Supercharger Network

It would be interesting to see what percentage of those people wouldn't need to supercharge if they were able to charge at their destination.

 

[Merrill]

Ok, thanksgiving day. Some Superchargers are very busy but this is somewhat overstated, oh and by the way what other manufacture has Superchargers!

 

[Cory151]

Gas prices just peaked on Thanksgiving, I'll take my free supercharger with a side conversation with other nice Tesla owners, while we wait.

GasBuddy predicts fuel prices will be at their highest since 2014 over Thanksgiving

 

[Cory151]

The is every single weekday at the local Costco.

 

[Merrill]

I still have an F-150 that I use once and a while and every time I have to get gas I get surprised and how much a gallon gas is.

 

[StealthP3D]

While i disagree with the author of this article, it does demonstrate the demand for EVs has skyrocketed here in California. Fortunately not impacted, but wow. Definitely plan accordingly and use destination charging when possible.

Perhaps thats why they had the megacharger truck come by, looks like at least 2 of the permanent stalls were offline during this rush.

Here's The Main Problem With Tesla's Supercharger Network

It sounds like they picked a Supercharger station that just happened to have 4 stalls out of service. It wouldn't surprise me if they vandalized it that morning to ensure a good story!

 

[Kuhz]

This is a problem only a few days of the year and mainly in CA

 

[jkoya]

The is every single weekday at the local Costco.

The gas lines at Costco are craziness !!! I saw one car jump ahead of a few cars, by pulling into an open pump in a different lane. The pump was open because the next car in line was waiting for the front car (3 pumps per lane) to finish, so they could pull up all the way....

Watched this as I was walking back to my car. Thought a fight was going to start...

 

[Chisale]

Just as an aside, supercharging overcrowding is rarely a problem where I live in the Midwest. Just made a long there and back 7 supercharger trip over the Thanksgiving weekend and no problems whatsoever even with many stations having only 8 stalls. Once I got the last spot but 10 minutes later I was the only car there.
So anyway, the article referenced has some valid points to make but it's hardly a crisis in most parts of the country...yet.

 

[ucmndd]

It sounds like they picked a Supercharger station that just happened to have 4 stalls out of service. It wouldn't surprise me if they vandalized it that morning to ensure a good story!

Almost every charger along the major travel routes in California (US 101, I-5, SR-99) was at a similar level of overcapacity yesterday afternoon and early evening.

SLO wasn’t even THAT terrible given the relatively high number of stalls there and the Megapack trailer. The line is long, but turns over quickly.

Meanwhile some smaller stations that are must-stops for the majority of the fleet were hopelessly overwhelmed. The 10-stall station in Fresno CA had 9 stalls working and a queue 20 deep yesterday afternoon. That makes a Costco gas line look like an Olympic sprint.

 

[StealthP3D]

Almost every charger along the major travel routes in California (US 101, I-5, SR-99) was at a similar level of overcapacity yesterday afternoon and early evening.

SLO wasn’t even THAT terrible given the relatively high number of stalls there and the Megapack trailer. The line is long, but turns over quickly.

Meanwhile some smaller stations that are must-stops for the majority of the fleet were hopelessly overwhelmed. The 10-stall station in Fresno CA had 9 stalls working and a queue 20 deep yesterday afternoon. That makes a Costco gas line look like an Olympic sprint.

In 1956 General Motors had a better idea for the future of motorway trips. We were told everything would be "peachy-keen" by 1974. Instead, we got even worse congestion, smog that could make you feel sick and shorten your life by years, long gas lines with unaffordable gas, etc. I guess the problem was government got in the way of the progress GM had planned for us :

 

[ucmndd]

In 1956 General Motors had a better idea for the future of motorway trips. We were told everything would be "peachy-keen" by 1974. Instead, we got even worse congestion, smog that could make you feel sick and shorten your life by years, long gas lines with unaffordable gas, etc. I guess the problem was government got in the way of the progress GM had planned for us :

Nonsensical reply is nonsensical.

 

[linkster]

I get surprised and how much a gallon gas is.

Oh my goodness, me too! I had to pay $2.24/gal for my gas cars and a CRASZCHY $2.64/gal for my diesel the other day AND then I had wait 90 seconds on Friday at the Turkey Lake super this past weekend. It is just plum ridiculous to pay these exorbitant fuel prices or waste my time waiting for a super pedestal. Thankfully my Donovan 8.9ltr is 15:1 and I can conveniently fill her up at my storage facility.

 

[Merrill]

Oh my goodness, me too! I had to pay $2.24/gal for my gas cars and a CRASZCHY $2.64/gal for my diesel the other day AND then I had wait 90 seconds on Friday at the Turkey Lake super this past weekend. It is just plum ridiculous to pay these exorbitant fuel prices or waste my time waiting for a super pedestal. Thankfully my Donovan 8.9ltr is 15:1 and I can conveniently fill her up at my storage facility.

You obviously do not live in California, regular is $3.65 and probably will go up.

 

[mociaf9]

It sounds like they picked a Supercharger station that just happened to have 4 stalls out of service. It wouldn't surprise me if they vandalized it that morning to ensure a good story!

. Tesla is in the process of adding 8 superchargers to the SLO location and they weren't finished in time for Thanksgiving. Four of those 8 new stalls, while not yet activated, already have the pedestals installed. Those 4 were covered. No need for garbage paranoia and nonsense conspiracy theories.

Also, TMC users reporting long waits at some other CA superchargers, too. 40+ car line at Kettleman City, a 90 minute wait at Fresno, etc. It isn't like this was the only station about which this same story could have been written.

 

[S4WRXTTCS]

In the US market it feels like numerous things aren't going the way we'd really like them.

Tesla hasn't introduced a CCS adapter yet so this pretty much rules out being able to use Electrify America's Network as a release valve of sorts to demand.

I tend to favor destination charging over stopping at a Supercharger. But, destination charging is still pretty limited in terms options. It's certainly better than it was, but there is a lot of room for improvement.

 

[linkster]

I tend to favor destination charging over stopping at a Supercharger.

I too much prefer destination charging and charging on friends and relatives dryer outlets (10-30 and 14-30) with my 50’ Gen 1 UMC over wasting my time supercharging. I wish Telsa still offered the 72a or 80a option on my LR RWD M3. It is not very often that I charge my P85 at 80a, but it sure can be very convenient and time saving when available. I have zero desire to attempt to charge on a CCS or the terribly unreliable CHAdeMO (Charging Hardware Always de-energized Mostly Offline) dc sites.

 

[Big Ike]

While i disagree with the author of this article, it does demonstrate the demand for EVs has skyrocketed here in California. Fortunately not impacted, but wow. Definitely plan accordingly and use destination charging when possible.

Perhaps thats why they had the megacharger truck come by, looks like at least 2 of the permanent stalls were offline during this rush.

Here's The Main Problem With Tesla's Supercharger Network

Per the above referenced article: "While companies like GM twiddle their thumbs and pen useless op-eds for CNN wondering who, WHO, could possibly build the infrastructure their cars require for them, Tesla just went out and did it."

While I've done my share of complaining about one SC site in particular, I believe that the SuperCharger network is a strategic competitive advantage that is an obstacle for other manufacturers to overcome, emulate, or license (thank goodness no-one has licensed use of the SC network - yet).

The vast majority of my driving can be accomplished charging at home - that's the model and it works for my life. Road trips require a bit of planning and patience, but so does rush hour traffic regardless the vehicle.

 

[jboy210]

My choice is not to travel on Thanksgiving. The other 51 weeks of the year they are usually no or minimal lines at superchargers. The longest I have waited for a spot here in the Bay Area was 2 cars. Less than 10 minutes.