Nevada Superchargers (location speculation, discussion)

[slcasner]

No matter the income level, if you make something free there will always be someone who takes advantage of it.

Like the Tesla HPC that was installed at the Rabobank in Atascadero and later converted to a J1772 connector. Now it is monopolized by locals so it is almost always occupied if a Roadster driver wants to include it as a stop between the Bay Area and Santa Barbara. In fact, if a Roadster does happen to be lucky enough to sneak in, I'm told the locals have been known to chastise the driver for parking longer than a half hour. It seems they think it is there just for their rotation.

Similarly, I've learned that the reason the Tesla store at Santana Row no longer has a Roadster HPC is that a very rude local Roadster driver was parking there all the time and had even managed to damage the unit.

 

[mesalum]

New member here. Getting ready to order a P85 and dumping my ICE (2007 MDX).

I have a question (or clarification) about "free" charging at SC's. My configuration is going to be $115K. Is not part of that for use at SC's? I guess at some point the subsidy runs out and it will be "free." I work in Folsom near the SC there and I plan to use it. Not all the time as my commute is 50 miles round trip.

FYI: I love this site.

 

[Lloyd]

New member here. Getting ready to order a P85 and dumping my ICE (2007 MDX).

I have a question (or clarification) about "free" charging at SC's. My configuration is going to be $115K. Is not part of that for use at SC's? I guess at some point the subsidy runs out and it will be "free." I work in Folsom near the SC there and I plan to use it. Not all the time as my commute is 50 miles round trip.

FYI: I love this site.

Elon has "decreed" (sounds kind of omnipotent) that all Tesla's will have unlimited use of the supercharger network for the life of the vehicle. Welcome!

 

[Rockster]

Because they don't know that Supercharging exists. You have drag them by the ears, kicking and screaming, to their web browser and show them that, yes, you really can drive a Model S from LA to NY in about the same amount of time as an ICE.

I completely agree. I was at Cars and Coffee in Dallas this past Saturday and everyone who stopped by to look at my Model S was already familiar with Tesla and with the Model S, but NOT ONE OF THEM knew anything about the Supercharger network. Not one! I had the Supercharger map open in the browser to show them and they were astonished that the Superchargers exist.

 

[ferdboyce]

Speaking to the East-West connections, there are a lot of us folks who anticipated the SEA-SLC (and SFO-SLC) routes as originally offered earlier this year, and are disappointed at their unfortunate delay . . . I know that with family in SLC I've made plans for visiting that are thwarted by the apparent postponements. That said, the Billings/Bozeman/Missoula superchargers will provide a lot of owners in WA (second only to CA in market penetration) and Canada the opportunity to travel East . . . and many more than you think are planning to do so. I love my Model S, and the idea of true cross country travel in a PEV is what separates us from the crowd. I'd just like to believe that what Fremont promises "by 2014" really does appear in 2014, or at least early next year!

 

[dsm363]

"The biggest problem with the SCs is that they aren't pay at the dispenser, which means that they can't (although they seem to be doing so in China, but there are special conditions there that require it) be located right downtown at major junctions in big cities, to prevent freeloading locals from hogging them."

I live near a new SC and plan on using it regularly so I guess that makes me a "freeloading local"... however, I am not aware of any restrictions on how often you can use a SC or if there are any distance requirements which would prevent locals from using it.
Do you know of any restrictions on freeloading locals?

There aren't restrictions but why would you need to use it on a regular basis if you can charge at home while sleeping? If you live in an apartment or condo with no charging I understand. They say Supercharging isn't hard on the battery but have to believe using it a few times a week is worse than charging at 30A.

 

[mspohr]

I have charging at home but the SC is located a short drive away in the parking lot of a Safeway supermarket so I can easily drive to the Safeway, charge the car and pick up a few things at the grocery.
I don't know about SC being "hard on the battery". Tesla says it's not. I think doing a full "range" charge is harder on the battery than a SC to 80%.

 

[Cottonwood]

I have charging at home but the SC is located a short drive away in the parking lot of a Safeway supermarket so I can easily drive to the Safeway, charge the car and pick up a few things at the grocery.
I don't know about SC being "hard on the battery". Tesla says it's not. I think doing a full "range" charge is harder on the battery than a SC to 80%.

I would not worry about higher than 80%, 100% is fine if you have some distance to drive after shopping. Even if your house is around the block, 90% is very safe.

Normally the amount that you can save in electricity at a Supercharger is only a little above minimum wages, but if you have something else to do, like grocery shopping while at the Supercharger, that changes the equation.

Grab some Joules while you buy groceries; go for it!

 

[detlefo]

Grab some joules? Maybe I should name my Model S "Pink Panther":biggrin:

 

[Cottonwood]

Grab some joules? Maybe I should name my Model S "Pink Panther":biggrin:

That's Joules spelled with a capital J for James Prescott Joule.

See my footer for more info...

 

[mspohr]

I'll be harvesting MegaJoules on my trips to the grocery!
"Since the joule is also a watt-second and the common unit for electricity sales to homes is the kW·h (kilowatt-hour), a kW·h is thus 1000 (kilo) × 3600 seconds = 3.6 MJ (megajoules)."
(The Wikipedia article doesn't seem to capitalize joule.)

 

[Bill r]

I agree. It's sad that we can't have the superchargers as shown on the earlier maps

 

[GRA]

I'll be harvesting MegaJoules on my trips to the grocery!
"Since the joule is also a watt-second and the common unit for electricity sales to homes is the kW·h (kilowatt-hour), a kW·h is thus 1000 (kilo) × 3600 seconds = 3.6 MJ (megajoules)."
(The Wikipedia article doesn't seem to capitalize joule.)

Dug out my "Principles of Electronic Circuitry" textbook and it isn't capitalized there either, just the symbol 'J' is.

 

[S-dog]

I have it on good authority that Nevada has come into "sharper focus" with the supercharger team (wonder why??):wink: Anyway.. it is looking like Lovelock, Winnemucca, Elko and West Wendover. I though Wells would be a good choice as its at a major intersection but Wells is ...well... Wells. (apologies to anyone from Wells) This way Tesla owners can feed quarters and dollars into the Nevada economy (one armed bandit like) while charging up... so Nevada can recoup some of that subsidy money!!.. Probably need something in Tooele area in UT and then Salt Lake City is accessible to Cali!! Might still have to continue east on I-70 but that's a prettier trip anyway.

 

[GRA]

I have it on good authority that Nevada has come into "sharper focus" with the supercharger team (wonder why??):wink: Anyway.. it is looking like Lovelock, Winnemucca, Elko and West Wendover. I though Wells would be a good choice as its at a major intersection but Wells is ...well... Wells. (apologies to anyone from Wells) This way Tesla owners can feed quarters and dollars into the Nevada economy (one armed bandit like) while charging up... so Nevada can recoup some of that subsidy money!!.. Probably need something in Tooele area in UT and then Salt Lake City is accessible to Cali!! Might still have to continue east on I-70 but that's a prettier trip anyway.

I'd thought they could manage it with just three in NV to to start with, i.e. Lovelock/Battle Mountain/Wells, but most people about to set off across Bonneville or who've just crossed it want to stop and recharge (themselves as much as their batteries), so putting an SC in Wendover instead of further east makes sense. And there's nothing to stop Tesla from infilling SCs in Battle Mountain and Wells later.

 

[Cottonwood]

I have it on good authority that Nevada has come into "sharper focus" with the supercharger team (wonder why??):wink: Anyway.. it is looking like Lovelock, Winnemucca, Elko and West Wendover. I though Wells would be a good choice as its at a major intersection but Wells is ...well... Wells. (apologies to anyone from Wells) This way Tesla owners can feed quarters and dollars into the Nevada economy (one armed bandit like) while charging up... so Nevada can recoup some of that subsidy money!!.. Probably need something in Tooele area in UT and then Salt Lake City is accessible to Cali!! Might still have to continue east on I-70 but that's a prettier trip anyway.

Good Info, S-dog!

Those spacings look very reasonable. I had heard some rumors before that the Supercharger near Salt Lake City would be near the airport. The Residence Inn seems as good a guess as any. If I put your list together with that guess, then this is the route from Truckee to Nephi heading towards I-70, 10199 Frates Ln, Truckee, CA 96161 to 2025 S Main St, Nephi, UT 84648 - Google Maps

The distance are then:

Truckee, CA - Start
Lovelock, NV - 122 mi
Winnemucca, NV - 72 mi
Elko, NV - 124 mi
West Wendover, NV - 127 mi
Salt Lake City Airport - 117 mi
Nephi, UT - 91 mi

I hope this happens soon. It will let all those Bay Area Teslas head east without having to go south to LA or north to Washington.

 

[Owner]

I agree, the spacings are reasonable. And the towns with facilities on this road are few and far between.

Good Info, S-dog!

Those spacings look very reasonable.
The distance are then:

Truckee, CA - Start
Lovelock, NV - 122 mi
Winnemucca, NV - 72 mi
Elko, NV - 124 mi
West Wendover, NV - 127 mi
Salt Lake City Airport - 117 mi
Nephi, UT - 91 mi

I hope this happens soon. It will let all those Bay Area Teslas head east without having to go south to LA or north to Washington.

 

[detlefo]

Hopefully the Supercharger Team is monitoring this thread. The "Official" map showing only two charging stations across Nevada is completely unrealistic. I suggest emailing the Supercharger team advocating for this plan.

 

[Cottonwood]

The rest of S-dog's info looks reasonable, so I looked further into his Tooele hint. The town of Tooele is off of I-80, and most of the interchanges in that area are just pavement on salt flats. Then I found the I-80 interchange with UT-36 has some Tooele addresses. That gives this map, Truckee, CA to Nephi, UT - Google Maps:

With following distances:

Truckee, CA - Start
Lovelock, NV - 122 mi
Winnemucca, NV - 72 mi
Elko, NV - 124 mi
West Wendover, NV - 127 mi
UT-36, Tooele, UT - 100 mi
Nephi, UT - 107 mi
​

OK, Tesla, only 5 Supercharger Installs to connect the Bay Area to the east. Get to work!

 

[S-dog]

Thanks Cottonwood, you have a pretty good track record on this stuff. This will work for Norcal. I-70 makes sense for cross country since Tesla seems to be making their major investment on that route for now. Not quite as direct but what ICE car owner wouldn't drive a little bit out of their way if they could fill up free multiple times on a parallel route.