Petition for charging stations in all National Parks

[Wumple]

Hi Everyone,

Personally i find the necessity of driving a gas car to visit a national park incongruous and deeply upsetting. It should not be necessary to pollute in order to enjoy our National Parks. The point of National Parks is to preserve and protect those environments. Generally speaking as electric car enthusiasts we all enjoy the outdoors and care about the future of our planet so i hope you will join me in signing this petition and spreading the word.

Director of the National Park Service: Install charging stations in all National Parks

 

[R0b_]

Done!

 

[dgpcolorado]

While I agree with the general sentiment, I don't know about ALL national parks. Some of the national parks that I've visited in Alaska, such as Katmai and Glacier Bay, aren't even accessible by car. Just saying...

 

[GSP]

Done!

 

[Lu Ann]

Done!

Also done. It's hard to believe this petition only has 23 signatures!

 

[MP3Mike]

26 signatures now..

 

[Wumple]

Thanks everyone for the support so far! If any of you have any ideas about how to get the word out, please let me know! This is my first petition i've attempted so its all a bit new to me.

@dgpcolorado I also thought about that, but for brevity decided to just go with all National Parks. As long as the Park service or other services have vehicles there, then having a charging stations will still be useful, especially given the carbon footprint of transporting fuel to those remote locations.

 

[dhrivnak]

Hi Everyone,

Personally i find the necessity of driving a gas car to visit a national park incongruous and deeply upsetting. It should not be necessary to pollute in order to enjoy our National Parks. The point of National Parks is to preserve and protect those environments. Generally speaking as electric car enthusiasts we all enjoy the outdoors and care about the future of our planet so i hope you will join me in signing this petition and spreading the word.

Director of the National Park Service: Install charging stations in all National Parks

I would also push for the NPS to buy EV's for their use. The Government could do SO MUCH MORE by practicing what they want US to do.

 

[Wumple]

I completely agree NPS should buy EVs for their own vehicles and power the charging stations from renewable sources. I was trying to keep this petition as simple as possible, by just focusing on one aspect that all EV enthusiasts could get behind. I'm in Las Vegas at the moment, where even the word recycling is met with confused looks... On the positive side, the petition up to 59 signatures which is in the top 15%! Does anyone know people who are social media wizards that would be interested in promoting this?

 

[SDRick]

Who would be paying for this?

 

[David99]

Who would be paying for this?

The upkeep of national parks is an expense that we all pay for with our taxes. Visitors pay for it with entrance fees. The installation of charging stations is a small expense. Cost is less than installing a restroom or an AC at the visitor center.

 

[Michelx]

Hi Everyone,

Personally i find the necessity of driving a gas car to visit a national park incongruous and deeply upsetting. It should not be necessary to pollute in order to enjoy our National Parks. The point of National Parks is to preserve and protect those environments. Generally speaking as electric car enthusiasts we all enjoy the outdoors and care about the future of our planet so i hope you will join me in signing this petition and spreading the word.

Director of the National Park Service: Install charging stations in all National Parks

Done.

 

[modamoda]

Does anybody know the latest update of this petition?

 

[Don TLR]

Did you see this?
Partnerships Result In Up To 100 Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Across Parks (U.S. National Park Service)

 

[Sharkbait]

Did you see this?
Partnerships Result In Up To 100 Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Across Parks (U.S. National Park Service)

This is 15-month old information. I think the BMW Partnership ran into a block wall. Does anyone have a list of National Parks that have electric vehicle chargers? They certainly don't have any at the Grand Canyon.

 

[dgpcolorado]

This is 15-month old information. I think the BMW Partnership ran into a block wall. Does anyone have a list of National Parks that have electric vehicle chargers? They certainly don't have any at the Grand Canyon.

A list of charge stations in or near National Parks would be nice. There are several different kinds of charging, however.

Is basic L2 really useful? In the case of Zion NP it is, since visitors to Zion Canyon park at the Visitor's Center and take shuttle buses into the canyon. L2 is best for overnight destination charging or for long stays in one spot, as with the Zion shuttle bus model. Not really helpful for brief stays at a particular location.

Some of the National Park charging that I am aware of in my area:

J1772 charge stations inside a National Park:
Zion NP
Yellowstone NP

Tesla destination charging in or near a National Park:
Mesa Verde NP (Far View Lodge)
Zion NP (Springdale UT)
Arches NP and Canyonlands NP (Moab UT)
Yellowstone NP (West Yellowstone MT)
Rocky Mountain NP (Estes Park CO)
Capitol Reef NP (Torrey UT)

Supercharging Stations very near a National Park:
Yellowstone NP (West Yellowstone MT)
Arches NP and Canyonlands NP (Moab UT)
Grand Teton NP (Jackson WY, ICEing problems reported)
Rocky Mountain NP (Estes Park CO)
Petrified Forest NP (Holbrook AZ)

Campground charging inside a National Park:
Zion NP (TT-30, needs adapter)
Mesa Verde NP (14-50)
Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP (14-50)
Yellowstone NP (14-50)
Grand Teton NP (14-50)


I expect that others could add a lot more examples from other parts of the country. There are also many examples of Supercharger Stations well within Tesla range of National Parks, for example Zion NP (St George UT) and Bryce Canyon NP (Beaver UT).

 

[Sharkbait]

A list of charge stations in or near National Parks would be nice. There are several different kinds of charging, however.

I am currently in contact with an assistant to the Director at NPS in Washington. She is tracking down the list for me. I'm surprised it's not more available. The article I cited was supposedly 100 chargers, and your list might well contain that many chargers in total. The article also went on to say, "Dozens of the country’s 417 national parks already have expressed interest and are studying site options." That was 16 months ago. Less than a dozen parks is a far cry from 417. Perhaps Ft. Stockton city officials are coordinating the installation at the other 400+ sites.

There are also many examples of Supercharger Stations well within Tesla range of National Parks, for example Zion NP (St George UT) and Bryce Canyon NP (Beaver UT).

This is true also. However, the vastness of some parks doesn't allow for too much travel within the park before you need to think about charging, like the Grand Canyon for a stay of two or three days. Tesla has offered some destination chargers on their website, and I have used several of them. Again, the one at the Premier Best Western, Tuyasan, just outside the GCNP, is for "guest" only use. But their nightly rates in the summer are around $300-$400/nt if they have availability. The Moenkopi Hotel in Tuba City, AZ, has "guest" chargers for Tesla, and there have been reports that if you buy something like food at the hotel, they will let you use their charger. I read one report that said a guy bought two bottles of water and was able to charge. The other problem, which is more troubling is the availability of chargers at RV Parks and campgrounds within NPS. The Trailer Village RV Park quoted me over $71 for a 24-hour period and not $10 for a "Dry Spot" that was reported earlier. $10 is more than fair but I guess $71 is still more than fair if they are the only guys in town. But, in the absence of something more from NPS, thanks for posting your list. It will most helpful for others here. I'll post again if and when I hear back from NPS. Thanks.

 

[dgpcolorado]

...Tesla has offered some destination chargers on their website, and I have used several of them. Again, the one at the Premier Best Western, Tuyasan, just outside the GCNP, is for "guest" only use. But their nightly rates in the summer are around $300-$400/nt if they have availability. The Moenkopi Hotel in Tuba City, AZ, has "guest" chargers for Tesla, and there have been reports that if you buy something like food at the hotel, they will let you use their charger. I read one report that said a guy bought two bottles of water and was able to charge. The other problem, which is more troubling is the availability of chargers at RV Parks and campgrounds within NPS. The Trailer Village RV Park quoted me over $71 for a 24-hour period and not $10 for a "Dry Spot" that was reported earlier. $10 is more than fair but I guess $71 is still more than fair if they are the only guys in town. But, in the absence of something more from NPS, thanks for posting your list. It will most helpful for others here. I'll post again if and when I hear back from NPS. Thanks.

Tesla destination chargers are usually in hotels way too pricey for me. Staying in RV parks is more appropriate for my travel budget — although $71 is higher than I've seen — and there are hordes of RV parks around National Parks IME. There are a few destination chargers that the hosts open up for general use as a courtesy, although it seems uncommon. I've charged at Gateway Canyons Resort, Gateway CO, to use the BLM hiking trails that I helped build over several years with Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado. They are very friendly to those just passing through, but it seems to be something of an exception.

 

[Owner]

Tesla destination chargers are usually in hotels way too pricey for me.

At first a lot of them were the pricier places.
Recently I did some searching for a destination charger and found some 2 sand 3 star types of motels that had them too in remote areas. So perhaps fancy destination places on the beach might be the pricey places, but always check, there is now quite a range.

I've used destination charging a couple of times. At a B&B near Yosemite (not foo-foo but very pleasant) and a Hampton Inn.

 

[Sharkbait]

Again, having them in only 10 of the 417 NPs is outrageous, especially when Tesla is pumping out thousands of M3s every month not to mention the numbers being produced by other less prominent manufacturers. Grand Canyon, of all National Parks, should have a dozen of them for starters because it appears that Trailer Village RV Park is playing hardball.

A two to three-hour stint on a NEMA 14-50 would get most of back to Flagstaff or Williams, AZ. $10 for a 3-hour session on just an outlet, resold several times a day, would certainly be equitable compared to all the services an RV'er might use in a 24-hour period.