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New Supercharger expansion model?

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Sure, and after much debate we took my wife's CRV rather than our Model S for our recent tour around the northern California mountains. But that's what this thread is about, how can we have greater availability of superchargers spread around (just more destination chargers would have helped in my case).
I believe the primary way that there is going to be greater ability of SC's is to wait for them. They are going in everywhere. I would just wait it out. Tesla seems to want to be the predominant charging platform for EV's a s a whole. I'm not sure why, but..... I would just wait it out. Its going to happen.
 
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(Like when I stop at the ones in NH, which are conveniently located at rest areas with the NH liquor stores - a destination themselves. ;) )

Can confirm.

They're converting a former swimming pool retailer into the largest liquor store in NH, on DW Highway.


Alas, I won't be in town for the holiday weekend to enjoy it.

I'll be on a trip I would love to take some day in my Model 3....a week in the Poconos. Plenty of Superchargers along my route, plus an RV plug at the lakehouse we're renting.

Sadly, I have to drive the Impreza. :rolleyes:
 
A bit off topic but after looking at the national Supercharger map I see there are major "holes" if you will on the map. Are these due to State legislation issues, Tesla just hasn't gotten around to those areas, or just a lack of need?
Yes. I suspect there have been some low level, backroom, under-the-table, gentleman's agreements made between Good Ole' Boys who are under the thumb of local Boss Hogg type characters to slow the progression of the Supercharger network in some places. Paperwork that is 'lost', permit applications that are spontaneously and mysteriously misfiled, applications that are denied for no reason at all or for some rather insignificant technicality without warning -- all these can slow things down. There is, of course, the possibility that some folks just don't do their jobs very well, rather than being malicious and attempting to harm Tesla Motors intentionally.

Whenever I note such suspicions, I am immediately called a 'fanboi' and reminded that no one, anyone, anywhere cares about the pitiful number of cars that Tesla Motors might want to sell when Ford locations are trying to move 1,000,000 F-Series trucks per year in the US alone if they can. I point out that Tesla Motors has always consistently only spoken up publicly about actions taken at the State level to halt their business. I believe that is strategic, so that they don't appear to be some big, outsider, carpetbagger, corporate entity that is throwing their weight around in small burgs. Better to make it seem they are the ones being persecuted by Big Government that is slowing down the progress of an innovator who has the deck stacked against them. No need to go after clerks and administrators at the municipal or county level.

Others protest further, saying that Tesla Motors can build Superchargers 'Anywhere they want, anytime they want.' As if they are purposely meting out their construction to somehow 'save money' each quarter. At least one person states that no local interference could possibly prevent a Supercharger installation, because corporate firms own the malls and shopping centers and negotiate in good faith with all potential tenants. Thus, they have no concern whatsoever about local politics or private individuals might want.

I'm usually in agreement @Red SagePutting Superchargers in locations with gas stations ONLY is beyond stupid. Putting Superchargers in locations with food, coffee and bathrooms that ALSO has gas is Super-Smart.
Agreed. Hence, why I want Tesla Motors to build their own locations where they can. That is my preference. I understand it may not be feasible in all areas. I understand it may be easier to partner with existing facilities in some places. I'm just not a fan of 'co-branding' at all. I would simply prefer that gas stations and truck stops were the absolute last resort as choices for Superchargers. That is all. Considering that folks have complained of a lack of Supercharger coverage in Western Pennsylvania for at least two years straight, hooking up with SHEETZ to cover I-80 may be that last resort.
 
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Oh, yeah... I keep forgetting my #1 reason for saying "I'M AGIN IT!" when it comes to the notion of Superchargers installed at gas stations. Basically... people are stupid... and Newscasters are stupid people. The instant this happens at a location that has gas pumps and a Supercharger on the scene, some idiot is going to claim it was caused by the electric chargers from Tesla.


Never mind the fact that no energy flows from a Supercharger until after it is hooked to a car...


If a Supercharger is on site and a mysterious fire starts at a pump, Tesla Motors will be blamed.


Just the slightest spark is all it takes to ignite gasoline.


Not to mention the fact that my Friends and Family members can hardly wait three seconds after getting out of a car while travelling to start lighting a cigarette. Heck. They can't wait until I come to a complete stop to take off their seat belts either...
 
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Agreed. Hence, why I want Tesla Motors to build their own locations where they can. That is my preference. I understand it may not be feasible in all areas. I understand it may be easier to partner with existing facilities in some places. I'm just not a fan of 'co-branding' at all. I would simply prefer that gas stations and truck stops were the absolute last resort as choices for Superchargers. That is all. Considering that folks have complained of a lack of Supercharger coverage in Western Pennsylvania for at least two years straight, hooking up with SHEETZ to cover I-80 may be that last resort.

I am not paranoid either, but have observed some locales that LOVE Tesla Motors, want to be associated, and believe it will bring visits and dollars into local communities that see the obvious benefits. You can watch the Mammoth City Council presentation for a great example.

On the other hand, we've all seen stores shut in Virginia, lawsuits, anything and everything to derail Tesla. I wish we had more smoking guns regarding Superchargers, but I believe Hanlon's Razor "Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity."

In this case, fear of the unknown and stupidity outweigh malice . . . but aren't enough to explain all the difficulties Tesla has had with a glorified laundromat electricity connection.

As for the difficulties in PA, I think there are just simply fewer negotiating partners for Tesla. Fewer good choices. I don't think Tesla targets gas stations. The opposite is likely the case: they are a target of last resort.
 
Oh, yeah... I keep forgetting my #1 reason for saying "I'M AGIN IT!" when it comes to the notion of Superchargers installed at gas stations. Basically... people are stupid... and Newscasters are stupid people. The instant this happens at a location that has gas pumps and a Supercharger on the scene, some idiot is going to claim it was caused by the electric chargers from Tesla.


Never mind the fact that no energy flows from a Supercharger until after it is hooked to a car...


If a Supercharger is on site and a mysterious fire starts at a pump, Tesla Motors will be blamed.


Just the slightest spark is all it takes to ignite gasoline.


Not to mention the fact that my Friends and Family members can hardly wait three seconds after getting out of a car while travelling to start lighting a cigarette. Heck. They can't wait until I come to a complete stop to take off their seat belts either...



Back to the Sheetz I'm heavily in favor of......
The blue circles are current spots they could just slap some stalls in.
red circles are where they could take out some landscaping and make the SC area a little larger if they had to.

Seeing as this would be a gap-filler, and nowhere near the usage of say...Newark, DE, you're not talking about 16 stalls. Maybe 4.

Point being...most of those are away from the pumps.

We get it, you don't like ICE vehicles. But they still far outnumber EVs on the roads. You can sit in a bunker until they're gone, or learn to coexist while they fade away. :)

sheetz.PNG
 
On the other hand, we've all seen stores shut in Virginia, lawsuits, anything and everything to derail Tesla. I wish we had more smoking guns regarding Superchargers, but I believe Hanlon's Razor "Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity."
When I was growing up, it took the better part of a decade for me to begin to fathom this concept. I steadfastly refused to believe that people could possibly be as stupid as they acted. Then, one day, it clicked. They really, truly, were exactly that dumb. They weren't faking it. They weren't being clever, or pulling my leg. They honestly thought there was no harm to the stupid things they did. They were literally just trying to have fun, blow off some steam, and had no idea the danger they were in by approaching me that way.

That was over thirty years ago, and I still struggle with it. My natural state is 'happy'. I like being that way. I will fight tooth, nail, club, and stone to get back to it. I am astounded that so people quite literally go out of their way specifically to ruin my day. And that they do it on purpose. And that they literally believe they have every right to do so -- with no consequence as a result. Because, somehow or other, they determined that they could get away with it. Or that I wouldn't, or couldn't, 'do nuthin 'bout it'.

I fear no man. I am thoroughly frightened by stupid people. They will do things that are contrary to their own best interest, just so that they can 'see what happens'. And, they are either unwilling or unable to understand cause and effect.
 
In a similar vein... Here is the Sheetz at the intersection of US 60 and US 522: (Powhatan, VA)

View attachment 183471

Look at all that space!



Here is one in Lynchburg, VA on US29:

View attachment 183472

Lots of room for a couple of superchargers, well away from the gas pumps.

i think what some people are missing is the newer concept these stations represent. They're not the typical neighborhood gas station you had growing up.
 
There's an analogy here with regard to truck stops. Had occasion to frequent a Petro truck stop, er, travel plaza somewhere during this past month's 12,000 miles of wandering. I have found truck stops useful as quick stops at which to grab a shower and sometimes food. Not at/as a destination, but while in transit from destination to destination during which otherwise it's a bit hard to justify $150/night for a few hours of sleep and a shower.

However, not all truck stops are created equal(ly). Caveats deleted for brevity. On average, $12 at the top-tier truck stop chains gets you yer own towels, a clean(ed after each use) private bathroom suite, and that's fine. At a Petro, however, one gets DirecTV embedded in the bathroom mirror and over 100 channels with a remote built into the wall. And a Starbucks inside the store area open before dawn.

With that said, Petros are not everywhere, and I've never heard of (until yesterday) or recall seeing a Sheetz. But the commonalities would appear to include sufficient real estate and a higher volume of clientele more likely to spend money. Win win. As truck stops rebrand as travel plazas with dedicated auto and RV areas, those that differentiate with SCs will be well-rewarded for their, um, courage.
 
Sheetz seems like a great partner. Not really a typical gas station, but more like a convenience store/restaurant. Supercharging travelers get decent services, and Sheetz gets a captive audience/customer. Win-win in my mind. Anything that will help speed up the roll out of superchargers is a good development. And superchargers with 24/7 amenities (food/bathroom) are always welcome.
 
There's an analogy here with regard to truck stops. Had occasion to frequent a Petro truck stop, er, travel plaza somewhere during this past month's 12,000 miles of wandering. I have found truck stops useful as quick stops at which to grab a shower and sometimes food. Not at/as a destination, but while in transit from destination to destination during which otherwise it's a bit hard to justify $150/night for a few hours of sleep and a shower.

However, not all truck stops are created equal(ly). Caveats deleted for brevity. On average, $12 at the top-tier truck stop chains gets you yer own towels, a clean(ed after each use) private bathroom suite, and that's fine. At a Petro, however, one gets DirecTV embedded in the bathroom mirror and over 100 channels with a remote built into the wall. And a Starbucks inside the store area open before dawn.

With that said, Petros are not everywhere, and I've never heard of (until yesterday) or recall seeing a Sheetz. But the commonalities would appear to include sufficient real estate and a higher volume of clientele more likely to spend money. Win win. As truck stops rebrand as travel plazas with dedicated auto and RV areas, those that differentiate with SCs will be well-rewarded for their, um, courage.
I couldn't agree more. Due to some camping and track racing that I do, I frequent these travel plazas on a regular basis for a shower and usually some coffee or a meal. If they had superchargers, I can confidently say that I would be entirely fine with an EV given my style of travel. The car could get a good charge while I take care of everything. Supercharging speeds are necessary though.

I could get by with 1/2 of the supercharging speed of necessary however.
 
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Here in the Pittsburgh area, I have seen Sheetz do what I thought were some pretty crazy things. Twice in the last couple years, they shut down what appeared to be a perfectly good store, and build a new bigger one within a mile or two!

That aside, they do keep their stores clean and in great condition, with a wide variety of foods and coffee and other stuff. If they get in early on hosting Superchargers, and become known as THE place to go to to charge up, it will pay off nicely for them later on.
 
A bit off topic but after looking at the national Supercharger map I see there are major "holes" if you will on the map. Are these due to State legislation issues, Tesla just hasn't gotten around to those areas, or just a lack of need?

Dan


There are quite a few superchargers in Texas and Michigan, which are probably the most egregious promoters of car dealership protectionism. Maybe Tesla figures the best way to fight these states is to arm them with superchargers and Tesla owners....
 
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