No charging options at home or work - Philadelphia

[histein]

Hi,

I work form home and live in a courtyard where my car is 70 feet from my house and unable to run electric to the car. We don't plan on moving for a long time.

I have a deposit on a model 3 , but have not pulled the trigger.

The closest public charger is in an indoor parking garage .5 mikes away that will charge $11 to park form 6 AM to 6 PM and $5.00 for electricity.

Am I crazy for buying a model 3 where I need to drop it off and pick it up every 7-14 days ? We don't drive very many miles since we live in the city. Some trips to the burbs to visit family and some stores and a few 500 (round trip) visits to upstate NY a few times a year?

Went on a test drive the other day and loved it.

There are 1 -2 other parking garages with chargers about .8 to 1 mile away -- Haven't checked them out yet.

1. Does anyone have a model 3 in a similar situation ? No charger at work or at home, How is it working out?

2. Can I get a full charge in 10-11 hours?

3. If I leave my car without driving it for like 5-7 days has much will drain from the battery ? the sales person told me it will not drain at all.

4. Anything else that would be helpful to make this decision?

5. Anyone have any other charging options for me around 2nd and Spruce Sts.

Thanks

 

[jamnmon66]

Is there no option to run a regular 110v extension cord from your home to where you park? If you don't drive a lot then it will probably be good enough.

 

[jaguar36]

I certainly wouldn't be willing to deal with that hassle just to have a Tesla.

 

[Snerruc]

A better question is how far to the nearest supercharger? Also, do any of the shopping centers, stores etc you frequent have level 2 charging. Check PlugShare and you may find a solution to your problem.

 

[SpiceWare]

I work from home and use a standard 5-15 outlet via extension cord without any problems. Just make sure its rated for 15amp, first cord I used was less which caused Talith to drop the charge rate.

The mobile connector's 20', so a 50' cord like this one might be long enough, if not get a 75' cord.

 

[Rockster]

As for your proximity to Tesla Superchargers, the 2nd and Spruce location you specified is nearly equidistant from the Tesla Superchargers in Claymont, DE and Burlington, NJ. Neither seem particularly convenient, however. (Though you would obviously know better how convenient they might be for you. It's been decades since I've lived in that part of the country!)

Two additional Superchargers have been granted a building permit, one in King of Prussia and one in Deptford, NJ. The latter being the closest. The King of Prussia permit was granted 230+ days ago and speculation online is that PECO is quite difficult to work with and is causing delays in construction. Given that, it seems that the Deptford Supercharger may likely come online well before the KoP one does, and quite likely before you get your Model 3. In that case, having a Supercharger 6 miles or so away might be the answer until you can possibly work something out for charging in your courtyard. Dashing over to Deptford once a week or so at a convenient time when traffic is a non-issue might be quite doable.

You say running electricity to your parking is not possible. Is it absolutely impossible? While certainly non-trivial, a 70' trench with a 240v/50amp feed and an outdoor rated outlet (or dedicated Tesla wall charger on a 4x4" post) is not an unreasonable endeavor, as charging deployment goes.

 

[gtmotor]

0) I wouldn't say crazy... I'd say extremely dedicated. I personally wouldn't put up with that.

1) I am extremely blessed with my charging situation (240v 50 amp at home, 120 kw supercharger outside my gate at work, level 2 charger at my office parking spot, and another 72 kw supercharger at my wife's work). This could cloud my judgement in saying what you're proposing isn't a good idea.

2) Yes, with a Level 2 charger.

3) The salesperson is blatantly lying. The Model 3 (currently) loses 3-5 miles of charge on a good day.

4) Invest in a way to get charging at home.

5) No idea... Sorry, I live in Arizona

Hi,

I work form home and live in a courtyard where my car is 70 feet from my house and unable to run electric to the car. We don't plan on moving for a long time.

I have a deposit on a model 3 , but have not pulled the trigger.

The closest public charger is in an indoor parking garage .5 mikes away that will charge $11 to park form 6 AM to 6 PM and $5.00 for electricity.

Am I crazy for buying a model 3 where I need to drop it off and pick it up every 7-14 days ? We don't drive very many miles since we live in the city. Some trips to the burbs to visit family and some stores and a few 500 (round trip) visits to upstate NY a few times a year?

Went on a test drive the other day and loved it.

There are 1 -2 other parking garages with chargers about .8 to 1 mile away -- Haven't checked them out yet.

1. Does anyone have a model 3 in a similar situation ? No charger at work or at home, How is it working out?

2. Can I get a full charge in 10-11 hours?

3. If I leave my car without driving it for like 5-7 days has much will drain from the battery ? the sales person told me it will not drain at all.

4. Anything else that would be helpful to make this decision?

5. Anyone have any other charging options for me around 2nd and Spruce Sts.

Thanks

 

[TexasEV]

3) The salesperson is blatantly lying. The Model 3 (currently) loses 3-5 miles of charge on a good day.

The salesperson is incorrect, as is often the case, but it’s unlikely they’re intentionally lying. There’s a thread here somewhere of stupid things Tesla people have said. I wish Tesla trained their sales and service people to say “I don’t know but I’ll find out for you” rather than just saying the first thing that pops into their head when they don’t know the answer to something.

 

[ezevphl]

Hi,

I work form home and live in a courtyard where my car is 70 feet from my house and unable to run electric to the car. We don't plan on moving for a long time.

I have a deposit on a model 3 , but have not pulled the trigger.

The closest public charger is in an indoor parking garage .5 mikes away that will charge $11 to park form 6 AM to 6 PM and $5.00 for electricity.

Am I crazy for buying a model 3 where I need to drop it off and pick it up every 7-14 days ? We don't drive very many miles since we live in the city. Some trips to the burbs to visit family and some stores and a few 500 (round trip) visits to upstate NY a few times a year?

Went on a test drive the other day and loved it.

There are 1 -2 other parking garages with chargers about .8 to 1 mile away -- Haven't checked them out yet.

1. Does anyone have a model 3 in a similar situation ? No charger at work or at home, How is it working out?

2. Can I get a full charge in 10-11 hours?

3. If I leave my car without driving it for like 5-7 days has much will drain from the battery ? the sales person told me it will not drain at all.

4. Anything else that would be helpful to make this decision?

5. Anyone have any other charging options for me around 2nd and Spruce Sts.

Thanks

Hi, I live in Philly and don't have a garage and just got out model 3 a few weeks ago. We previously had a PHEV so we got one of those EV street parking permits two years ago.

I know someone that just got a model three a few blocks from you without a charger and they have been happy so far between public chargers and superchargers. Some of the supermarkets like whole foods and Moms have free charging and parking.

You can reach out to the owners of the current EV parking spaces, there are a bunch on Delancy, Pine, 2nd, etc.
The spots are public but the chargers are private. There are some Teslas and I'm sure you can work out an arrangement if you only need to charge once a week.

Feel free to ask for more info.

 

[Dana1]

Hi,

I work form home and live in a courtyard where my car is 70 feet from my house and unable to run electric to the car. We don't plan on moving for a long time.

I have a deposit on a model 3 , but have not pulled the trigger.

The closest public charger is in an indoor parking garage .5 mikes away that will charge $11 to park form 6 AM to 6 PM and $5.00 for electricity.

Am I crazy for buying a model 3 where I need to drop it off and pick it up every 7-14 days ? We don't drive very many miles since we live in the city. Some trips to the burbs to visit family and some stores and a few 500 (round trip) visits to upstate NY a few times a year?

Went on a test drive the other day and loved it.

There are 1 -2 other parking garages with chargers about .8 to 1 mile away -- Haven't checked them out yet.

1. Does anyone have a model 3 in a similar situation ? No charger at work or at home, How is it working out?

2. Can I get a full charge in 10-11 hours?

3. If I leave my car without driving it for like 5-7 days has much will drain from the battery ? the sales person told me it will not drain at all.

4. Anything else that would be helpful to make this decision?

5. Anyone have any other charging options for me around 2nd and Spruce Sts.

Thanks

Rent an electric vehicle for two weeks. Doesn’t have to be Tesla. I think the hassle will overcome your enthusiasm if you don’t have a charging plan. The garage seems like a reasonable option. Drain can range from 3-20 miles a day depending on whether cabin overheat is on, how often you check app, etc.

 

[histein]

Wow, great responses everyone -- thank you these responses were extremely helpful!

Being in a courtyard and parking in the private courtyard parking lot with 14 cars - using an extension cord won't work with people driving in and out of the lot -- that said -- the lot needs repaving - so when that happens that will be the best time to run it out to the space

Parking out on the street and running a 75 ft cord across a sidewalk won't work -- Philly being what it is - someone will claim they tripped and sue me.

I think my best bet is to introduce myself to someone who has a charger on the street and see if they will let me plug in once a week.

meanwhile -- i checked out some of the public chargers and I have a few options

Also, if I use a supercharger every time I charge - I heard that this is not good for battery life --- can someone comment on - is that true?

 

[histein]

Hi, I live in Philly and don't have a garage and just got out model 3 a few weeks ago. We previously had a PHEV so we got one of those EV street parking permits two years ago.

I know someone that just got a model three a few blocks from you without a charger and they have been happy so far between public chargers and superchargers. Some of the supermarkets like whole foods and Moms have free charging and parking.

You can reach out to the owners of the current EV parking spaces, there are a bunch on Delancy, Pine, 2nd, etc.
The spots are public but the chargers are private. There are some Teslas and I'm sure you can work out an arrangement if you only need to charge once a week.

Feel free to ask for more info.

Thanks so much for the response -- I found a charger in a public garage at 3rd and Race - $11 for 12 hour early bird special and $5.00 flat fee for electricity. any chance the person you know who has the model 3 will take a call from me so I can ask hime some more detiled questions? I would like to run a line to my space -- I just thought it would cost a fortune especially dealing with the L&I. Thanks, Harvey

 

[pkodali]

Thanks so much for the response -- I found a charger in a public garage at 3rd and Race - $11 for 12 hour early bird special and $5.00 flat fee for electricity. any chance the person you know who has the model 3 will take a call from me so I can ask hime some more detiled questions? I would like to run a line to my space -- I just thought it would cost a fortune especially dealing with the L&I. Thanks, Harvey

Which Model are you thinking of getting? If you get the P3D with free supercharging, you could probably get away with chargin at superchargers

 

[Gavyne]

Also, if I use a supercharger every time I charge - I heard that this is not good for battery life --- can someone comment on - is that true?

This is only bad if you charge multiple times a day using the supercharger, and you charge to 100%. If you keep your charge between 30% - 80%, you'll be fine. Is there a supercharger close to where you live, or close to a place you visit often such as work, grocery stores, etc..?

 

[ezevphl]

Thanks so much for the response -- I found a charger in a public garage at 3rd and Race - $11 for 12 hour early bird special and $5.00 flat fee for electricity. any chance the person you know who has the model 3 will take a call from me so I can ask hime some more detiled questions? I would like to run a line to my space -- I just thought it would cost a fortune especially dealing with the L&I. Thanks, Harvey

@Phillyasian Has had a model 3 downtown without a dedicated charger for about two months.

I have a curbside charger in West Philly which is still only 110 (upgrading soon) that was put in for a previous PHEV.

Tesla has said that a Supercharger is coming to Philly this year, but they also said the same thing last year.

Definitely take a look at PlugShare. Someone is listing their Tesla charger on the 200 block of Locust. You can message them right through the site/app.

 

[histein]

@Phillyasian Has had a model 3 downtown without a dedicated charger for about two months.

I have a curbside charger in West Philly which is still only 110 (upgrading soon) that was put in for a previous PHEV.

Tesla has said that a Supercharger is coming to Philly this year, but they also said the same thing last year.

Definitely take a look at PlugShare. Someone is listing their Tesla charger on the 200 block of Locust. You can message them right through the site/app.

Thanks so much for that suggestion -- I have the app but it did not have the private chargers turned on - so I turned it on and saw the one at 2nd an dLocust -- so I just went him a message -- By the way - in one hour - how many miles can you get in an hour? Thanks Harvey

 

[eprosenx]

Hi,

I work form home and live in a courtyard where my car is 70 feet from my house and unable to run electric to the car. We don't plan on moving for a long time.

I have a deposit on a model 3 , but have not pulled the trigger.

The closest public charger is in an indoor parking garage .5 mikes away that will charge $11 to park form 6 AM to 6 PM and $5.00 for electricity.

Am I crazy for buying a model 3 where I need to drop it off and pick it up every 7-14 days ? We don't drive very many miles since we live in the city. Some trips to the burbs to visit family and some stores and a few 500 (round trip) visits to upstate NY a few times a year?

Went on a test drive the other day and loved it.

There are 1 -2 other parking garages with chargers about .8 to 1 mile away -- Haven't checked them out yet.

1. Does anyone have a model 3 in a similar situation ? No charger at work or at home, How is it working out?

2. Can I get a full charge in 10-11 hours?

3. If I leave my car without driving it for like 5-7 days has much will drain from the battery ? the sales person told me it will not drain at all.

4. Anything else that would be helpful to make this decision?

5. Anyone have any other charging options for me around 2nd and Spruce Sts.

Thanks

Let's think outside the box here:

There is nothing necessarily that says the charger has to be connected to *your* electrical service. I take it you live in some kind of MDU/Condo situation? Might there be a way to add a charger off the condo's main electrical feed and come up with some way for you to pay for it? (refurbished old meters are stupid cheap since the power company moved to all wireless meters and removed the old ones before the end of their lifespans) Perhaps the condo could find a way to put in a charging station that already has billing capability built in like Chargepoint or Blink?

Or can you get another electrical service added for you near the parking area?

I personally would be extremely hesitant to own an EV without a way to charge it at home at least at some slow rate. I don't want my life dictated by trying to figure out how to charge my car.

Note that you might be surprised how cheap it may be to add an additional electrical service right next to your car.

Say if there is a ground mount transformer right next to where you park. Drop this right next to it:

GE RV Pad Mount Metered Pedestal with 100 Amp 120/240-Volt Panel with 50, 30 and 20 Amp GFCI Receptacle-GE1LM532PS - The Home Depot

It would cost you another minimum meter fee per month, but perhaps you could even put it on a time of use plan which would make charging at night cheap and help subsidize the meter fee (my meter fee is like $10 a month). Now this would require you to use the UMC and I would not suggest plugging it in and out of a 14-50 every day due to wear and tear (better to just mount a HPWC to the back of this style of pedestal and do that), but you get the idea.

Think outside the box!!! ;-) Electricity is everywhere...

 

[ezevphl]

Thanks so much for that suggestion -- I have the app but it did not have the private chargers turned on - so I turned it on and saw the one at 2nd an dLocust -- so I just went him a message -- By the way - in one hour - how many miles can you get in an hour? Thanks Harvey

So I get about 4-5 miles an hour on 110.
Which is generally more than enough for our daily needs when considering stops at chargers etc.


We just did a longer roadtrip which included our first Supercharger stop. It charged at 482 miles per hour at the beginning.

 

[Reid]

I wouldn't put up with it. It would turn the car into a hassle rather than something you enjoy. Even the first two weeks before my HPWC was installed was a minor hassle, and I was charging 24rmph on a 10/30 dryer outlet. I had to find a $100 extension cord of sufficient gauge and quality to run from my laundry through my garage to the mobile charger, and then run the cord out from under the door. And that's about 2% of the hassle you're looking to run into. And this is from a guy that has 16c/kWh chargepoint 6.6kW at work. Having to think about range and which days I should bring the car into MY office garage vs letting my wife take it to her office (we carpool) was a (very, very minor) hassle. But I wouldn't want to do it for the entire ownership of the car. IMO sufficient charging at home is a must, as it makes the car MORE convenient than a gas car.

 

[Thirsty3]

First time poster, long time lurker ....So, I live in the same general neighborhood (Washington Square) and am struggling with this option myself. Looking to order the car within the next week or so but I don't see the lack of home charging as a dealbreaker - but I am surprised by how few monthly garages in this city lack charging options (I live in a high rise). I don't drive every single day (maybe 2-3 days per week/700 miles per month) so the 310 mile range of the LRD is probably fine. My longest trips are to the Atlantic City, NJ area - and the Egg Harbor super charger is right by my exit/entrance to the expressway. That said, since it's been a couple of months, wondering how you're making out?