Planning the cheapest Supercharging route?

[JetFalcon]

I'm just wondering has anyone schedules their road trips in order to get the cheapest rate on supercharging without going too much outta your way for it?

I going to do a road trip from Orange County (Lake Forest CA) to San Jose CA. I checked the route, it says 2 supercharging needed for the trip. However for both these superchargers, it's free before 10am, but its 38 cents per kwh from 10am-7pm for both chargers. So could get the best rate and get one free charging if we leave early, then pay 38 cents kwh for second one. But 38 cents seems like alot, I more used to paying 26-28 cents per kwh. I was surprised there is a free time to charge.

However my friend wants to stop at Valencia to "clean out an arcade". Maybe try play there for 30-60min and hopefully leave. I think there is a supercharger in valencia but I don't know its prices. I could either charge there or just charge in Bakersfield. But it seems that any supercharger in a road trip area, or middle of nowhere, charge a premium at peak hours, like 38 cents kwh. I was hoping stopping at this arcade and whatever prizes they got would be worth paying the extra $20 we may have to pay at Bakersefield because we get there after 10am which means it's not free. Or we factor the fun.

But I can't find a website that lists all the supercharging rates. I can only find it on my Tesla map screen, when I'm inside the car but not on the computer / iPhone. Not even the official Tesla supercharger map has the rates, just list of restaurants.

 

[Tam]

...But I can't find a website that lists all the supercharging rates. I can only find it on my Tesla map screen, when I'm inside the car but not on the computer / iPhone. Not even the official Tesla supercharger map has the rates...

Knowledge is power. Do you expect Tesla to make it easy for consumers to be informed and powerful consumers?

Is your free info updated? It's free according to Tesla but during certain days:

Holiday Supercharging | Tesla

Charge for free during off-peak hours at select Superchargers this Thanksgiving holiday.

www.tesla.com

 

[JetFalcon]

Knowledge is power. Do you expect Tesla to make it easy for consumers to be informed and powerful consumers?

Is your free info updated? It's free according to Tesla but during certain days:

Holiday Supercharging | Tesla

Charge for free during off-peak hours at select Superchargers this Thanksgiving holiday.

www.tesla.com

I thought Tesla said they didn't want to make money off supercharging. But does that mean the free supercharging time doesn't apply anymore because it said last day was Dec 26 and its past that date.

 

[bmah]

I thought Tesla said they didn't want to make money off supercharging. But does that mean the free supercharging time doesn't apply anymore because it said last day was Dec 26 and its past that date.

I think your recollection about not making money off Supercharging is correct, but "not making money" is not the same as "give it away for free".

As far as I know the off-peak holiday Supercharging around Christmas ended the day after Christmas, exactly as Tesla originally announced in the page linked by @Tam.

All IMHO: The whole point of free Supercharging during those times was to incentivize people to travel off-hours, reducing congestion of the Supercharger network during a holiday travel weekend. Basically Tesla gave up some (probably miniscule to them) amount of Supercharger fees in exchange for a better Supercharging experience for holiday travelers (i.e. no more ridiculously long lines and bad PR from resulting YouTube videos). Of course the build-out of more Superchargers helped too, nothing wrong with a belt-and-suspenders approach.

Bruce.

 

[e of pi]

If you're looking for free charging, Electrify America is often free during the holidays (I think right now it's free until Jan 3rd). It does mean sticking to slower charging this time, though, since Tesla's still dragging their feet on North American CCS support.

 

[Tam]

I thought Tesla said they didn't want to make money off supercharging...

Tesla also said that its Service Center is not to make profit. Tell that to the owner who just blew up his car rather to pay for $20,000 Service bill.

 

[JetFalcon]

If you're looking for free charging, Electrify America is often free during the holidays (I think right now it's free until Jan 3rd). It does mean sticking to slower charging this time, though, since Tesla's still dragging their feet on North American CCS support.

Yeah I guess I can try use it if we are stopping somewhere for a while. Or if I'm really determined, could try find an Electrify America charger within 1-2 miles from my hotel and use my E-scooter to go back to my hotel while it charges for free. If it's gonna be slow, and if it allows overnight, and no penalty for not moving it (after full charge).

 

[mociaf9]

Yeah I guess I can try use it if we are stopping somewhere for a while. Or if I'm really determined, could try find an Electrify America charger within 1-2 miles from my hotel and use my E-scooter to go back to my hotel while it charges for free. If it's gonna be slow, and if it allows overnight, and no penalty for not moving it (after full charge).

Note that you need to have purchased or otherwise have access to an appropriate adapter for CCS1 or CHAdeMO in order to be able to use EA fast charging sites, as they don't have Tesla connectors. Your E-scooter method would be more appropriate for lower powered L2 charging which uses the J1772 connector and your car came with the correct adapter to use that.

 

[GSP]

…….
But I can't find a website that lists all the supercharging rates. I can only find it on my Tesla map screen, when I'm inside the car but not on the computer / iPhone. Not even the official Tesla supercharger map has the rates, just list of restaurants.

I am having the same problem. I want to know the prices at the superchargers that I might stop at. Tesla used to have this info on their website, but I don’t see any pricing info now. Google search is coming up with nothing either. I guess that pricing is still available in the car, but I am not there now, and I never do trip planning in the car. Does anyone have a solution? Thanks.

GSP

 

[mociaf9]

Does anyone have a solution? Thanks.

There is no solution currently. The only place that prices are discoverable is in the in-car navigation system. They are not published in any other location and haven't been for 3 or 4 years now.

 

[JetFalcon]

Well I finished my trip from Orange County CA to San Jose & San Francisco CA.

Gilroy is a good supercharger to stop by, 150w and 16 cents per Kwh before 4pm & night time. The first time charging was at night and on the way to San Jose no one was there and it seem to charge enough during the time it took to eat In n OUt. 2nd time on the return trip, I got there around 12pm and every charger was taken up when I got there (short wait). But when I arrived back about half the cars were gone. I felt charging was a bit slower b/c I didn't reach 20% to 80% within the time it took to eat In n Out so I was forced to wait another 20 min so me & my friend walked around the outlet. Will the same supercharger charge slower if all chargers are nearly all taken vs at 11pm night where there is only 2-3 Tesla?

Had to charge for around 38 cents kwh in the central parts of CA.

But when I reached my destination, I was successful to only charge during off peak hours which is good, which was 24 cents kwh in the Bay area around San Jose, SF, Hayward.

 

[Rocky_H]

I felt charging was a bit slower b/c I didn't reach 20% to 80% within the time it took to eat In n Out so I was forced to wait another 20 min so me & my friend walked around the outlet. Will the same supercharger charge slower if all chargers are nearly all taken vs at 11pm night where there is only 2-3 Tesla?

Generally yes, but it's more specific than that, as it depends on exactly WHERE people are parked. Since you didn't mention anything about "sharing", I'm guessing you aren't familiar with it.

Those ones that do 150 kW are referred to as Version 2 Superchargers, and they are set up in a pairing system, where one cabinet of the charging equipment splits power to two paired stalls. Each number corresponds to the cabinet, and then A and B share that.

For example, the stalls may be in order:
1A 1B 2A 2B 3A 3B
So the shared stalls of 1A and 1B may be right next to each other, and you might see slower charging speed if someone else is charging fast on the other paired stall. They aren't always lined up in that order though--depends on how the building contractor laid them out. Some locations are like:
1A 2A 3A 4A 1B 2B 3B 4B
So the paired one is four spaces away. You would need to look at the labels on the base of the pedestals to make sure where they are and try to avoid pairing with someone if you can.

So with your question, if the place is mostly full, you likely were paired up and sharing power with another stall, but if it's mostly empty, you likely weren't.

 

[JetFalcon]

Generally yes, but it's more specific than that, as it depends on exactly WHERE people are parked. Since you didn't mention anything about "sharing", I'm guessing you aren't familiar with it.

Those ones that do 150 kW are referred to as Version 2 Superchargers, and they are set up in a pairing system, where one cabinet of the charging equipment splits power to two paired stalls. Each number corresponds to the cabinet, and then A and B share that.

For example, the stalls may be in order:
1A 1B 2A 2B 3A 3B
So the shared stalls of 1A and 1B may be right next to each other, and you might see slower charging speed if someone else is charging fast on the other paired stall. They aren't always lined up in that order though--depends on how the building contractor laid them out. Some locations are like:
1A 2A 3A 4A 1B 2B 3B 4B
So the paired one is four spaces away. You would need to look at the labels on the base of the pedestals to make sure where they are and try to avoid pairing with someone if you can.

So with your question, if the place is mostly full, you likely were paired up and sharing power with another stall, but if it's mostly empty, you likely weren't.

Ya I was definitely sharing stalls with another Tesla as I grabbed the last space to charge. I always try not share a stall if possible so I can get faster charging.

But when I came back, half the Tesla were all gone and there was plenty of space for new arrivals to charge.