Ottawa superchargers are closed

[Roger Keay]

For anyone travelling for whatever reason through Ottawa please not that Rideau Centre/ Cadillac Fairview which houses Ottawa’s only superchargers has decided to close the parking garage.

Local media could be interested in this story if you describe it as:

Rideau Centre Management Blocks Access to Major EV Charging Location

Key points:

• Management at Cadillac Fairview's Rideau Centre has blocked access to the only Tesla Superchargers in Canada's capital, without notice.
• No other fast charging location in Ottawa for Tesla vehicles
• Superchargers allow Tesla vehicles to recharge their batteries in about 30 minutes
• Other chargers require 4 to 8 hours for a full charge
• For owners of gas powered vehicles this would be like closing every gas station in the Greater Ottawa/Gatineau area.
• No information from Rideau Centre management about timing for restoration of access to the Supercharger
• Tesla is the best selling EV brand in North America.

You should confirm that none of the EV charging networks has a Tesla connector attached to a Chademo charger like some locations of Electrify America in the US. You also need to confirm that all the information in the key points is correct particularly about the timing for restoration of access.

A call or email to CF's media contact is appropriate before you go to media with the story. (You might cut and paste the headline and key points into an email). You should go to the media contact first as they might be able to resolve the problem without any need for public embarrassment. Corporations want to be seen as 'green' and may have a policy that is not being followed by local management. Give CF every opportunity to resolve the issue first. We need allies for electric vehicles not enemies.

Ideally, the message would come from an Ottawa area EV owners group or recognised EV lobbying organization if it has to be used.

 

[richyrich]

Local media could be interested in this story if you describe it as:

Rideau Centre Management Blocks Access to Major EV Charging Location

Then again this could end up as a more clickable headline like "More reasons to avoid a Tesla - you can't charge it during pandemics!" or "Tesla owners complain about trouble charging quickly while people are dying of Coronavirus". EV and especially Tesla news is regularly full of misinformation, intentionally or not.

Personally I don't think it's a life or death situation that it's closed and it's more an unfortunate side-effect of business closures than anything else. The real blame here sits with Tesla for locating them behind "lockable doors" in the first place. If it's really a problem for you or folks you know, maybe try to connect with Tesla, directly or through one of the official owners club channels? Seems like a better route to get an answer or maybe a solution.

 

[Roger Keay]

richyrich, if the Ottawa SC was on someone's route as part of a long distance trip then finding the SC blocked would be a big deal. What should be a short stop to charge becomes a day long hassle while the car charges at a miserable 7kW. If you accept blocked access to chargers as just "an unfortunate side-effect of business closures" then aren't you really saying that you don't consider EVs to be a serious alternative to gas cars?

 

[Uncle Paul]

title should say the entrances are blocked, not that the Superchargers are closed.

 

[Can37]

Please don't contact the press, please don't complain, please remember that we are not entitled Audi drivers. Closing the SC in Ottawa is a small inconvenience in a worldwide catastrophe. We should all be staying home anyway. If you are downtown and are in need of a charge there are lots of L2s and I am happy to let you use my charger in an emergency.

Get a grip!

 

[Biscuitman]

Happy to offer up my wall charger to anyone who is in need travelling through Ottawa.
I am 3 kms from the Rideau Center and it is located outside in my driveway . PM me for the address and it is marked on PlugShare.
Stay safe .

 

[Casmium]

It's happening in other parts of the world too.
Tesla Reportedly Closing Superchargers In Spain Due To COVID-19

 

[Roger Keay]

Please don't contact the press, please don't complain, please remember that we are not entitled Audi drivers. Closing the SC in Ottawa is a small inconvenience in a worldwide catastrophe. We should all be staying home anyway. If you are downtown and are in need of a charge there are lots of L2s and I am happy to let you use my charger in an emergency.

Get a grip!

This is a matter of principle. The day they close the gas stations to stop people travelling is the day I will accept closing Superchargers. In Ontario, gas stations are on the list of businesses permitted to stay open. I haven't visited the Ottawa SC so I don't know how difficult keeping the location might be. Would it be a real inconvenience to make the SC area open? Why do they have to close the parking lot anyway?

 

[Biscuitman]

This is a matter of principle. The day they close the gas stations to stop people travelling is the day I will accept closing Superchargers. In Ontario, gas stations are on the list of businesses permitted to stay open. I haven't visited the Ottawa SC so I don't know how difficult keeping the location might be. Would it be a real inconvenience to make the SC area open? Why do they have to close the parking lot anyway?

The SC are in the bottom level of the garage.The location is in the core of the city, since the building is now completely shut , it was a security issue I would think.Large homeless population and shelters in the vicinity.

 

[Can37]

Roger, you are not impacted by this closure, the country is in crisis, Tesla drivers are seen by many as entitled and you are certainly adding to that. The SC is one of a large number of chargers in Ottawa that are still operational and Casselman is not far away, this has no impact.

With the greatest respect and all my best wishes, please STFU and go wash your hands.

 

[RiverBrick]

since the building is now completely shut , it was a security issue I would think

When the building is closed for holidays such as Xmas, there's still an entrance manned by security where Teslas are allowed in. I guess they simply decided to save someone the hassle of buzzing in a few extra cars per day.

 

[Roger Keay]

When the building is closed for holidays such as Xmas, there's still an entrance manned by security where Teslas are allowed in. I guess they simply decided to save someone the hassle of buzzing in a few extra cars per day.

So this is really just mall management trying to save a few bucks. Screw the Tesla owners - let them eat cake.

 

[wayner]

So this is really just mall management trying to save a few bucks. Screw the Tesla owners - let them eat cake.

Or save lives of their employees by following the government's recommendations around social distancing.

It is unfortunate that the SCs aren't accessible, but you really need to chill out.

 

[RiverBrick]

Part of the fault for the inconvenienc is Tesla's due to the projected sites in Gatineau and Nepean being two years overdue.

 

[Can37]

So this is really just mall management trying to save a few bucks. Screw the Tesla owners - let them eat cake.

So your theoretical desire to drive to Ottawa and charge at this particular charger takes precedence over the health of the staff that would be needed to keep the parking lot open?

You are a piece of work, please stop.

 

[Ever34]

So your theoretical desire to drive to Ottawa and charge at this particular charger takes precedence over the health of the staff that would be needed to keep the parking lot open?

You are a piece of work, please stop.

Rideau centre has 3 different parking structures accessible from different streets. The only parking structure they have closed is the one with the chargers. Furthermore, I frequent these parkings and I can attest to the fact that there is practically no employees in there other than someone mending the cameras. Everything is automated. Sorry to say that your whole narrative in this instance does not apply.

 

[Can37]

Rideau centre has 3 different parking structures accessible from different streets. The only parking structure they have closed is the one with the chargers. Furthermore, I frequent these parkings and I can attest to the fact that there is practically no employees in there other than someone mending the cameras. Everything is automated. Sorry to say that your whole narrative in this instance does not apply.

Without the normal traffic you would need to post guards at the entrances to keep out the local population. Given that not one car is charging at any of the other SCs in the area, closing this site seems utterly reasonable.

Being upset about this closure like complaining that you can't get your favourite brand of TP so you have to make do with a lessor brand. FFS grow up, you are embarrassing.

 

[Ever34]

Without the normal traffic you would need to post guards at the entrances to keep out the local population. Given that not one car is charging at any of the other SCs in the area, closing this site seems utterly reasonable.

Being upset about this closure like complaining that you can't get your favourite brand of TP so you have to make do with a lessor brand. FFS grow up, you are embarrassing.

i don’t need these chargers as I have one at home, so I’m not upset per say. My original post was simply to let people know who travel through Ottawa that they are closed.

guards to keep the population out?? It’s a parking structure! What do you think is going to happen in there a party? As I have said I use these parking areas regularly in normal times and there is pretty much no staff in there. There is basically one person in a monitoring station looking at cameras.

That being said I can point one situation where it’s been very inconvenient for one person. This person operates a small delivery service for some pharmacies. He drives an M3 and would use the chargers at least once a day. You can go back to sleep now

 

[Roger Keay]

Are they still closed?

 

[CanadaGoose]

Are they still closed?

Yes