Question about SuperCharger etiquette

[nexxai]

I have a couple of hopefully simple questions about SuperCharger etiquette that I hope you can help me with.

I know that SuperChargers are primarily meant for long distance travel and not for locals. The idea is that by a local taking up SC time, you're potentially blocking a stall for someone who is in the middle of a long road trip who should get priority access so they can continue on their journey in as short a time as possible.

I own a condo in Calgary and the condo board has told me that I am simply not allowed to have a charging station installed in my spot, even if I pay the entirety of the installation costs (the reasoning they provided me is a story for another day, but I digress). Now it's possible that a future board may have differing views, but as it stands today, a private station is out of the question.

Finally, There are a few regular receptacle (3-prong, NEMA 5-15) plug-in spots at my office which I can use throughout the week but if I understand it correctly, 8 hours a day, 5 days a week will hardly keep me topped up, even with only a 20km daily round-trip.

My questions:

1. There is a level 2 charger at the Tesla store at Chinook Centre (6 stalls) - am I allowed to use them?
2. If the answer to #1 is "No", would your answer change if I said that I'd go and charge late at night (e.g. 10PM) rather than what I would consider peak times?
3. If Tesla ever actually installs a real SuperCharger (vs. the level 2 charger), the same questions in 1 and 2 for it

I want to be polite but I also want to know what my options are here.

Thank you very much!

 

[mrElbe]

Plugging in at your office into a 120V outlet would yield you about 45 to 50 km of range in the summer but winter is another story.

 

[KJD]

I have a couple of hopefully simple questions about SuperCharger etiquette that I hope you can help me with.

I know that SuperChargers are primarily meant for long distance travel and not for locals. The idea is that by a local taking up SC time, you're potentially blocking a stall for someone who is in the middle of a long road trip who should get priority access so they can continue on their journey in as short a time as possible.

I own a condo in Calgary and the condo board has told me that I am simply not allowed to have a charging station installed in my spot, even if I pay the entirety of the installation costs (the reasoning they provided me is a story for another day, but I digress). Now it's possible that a future board may have differing views, but as it stands today, a private station is out of the question.

Not trying to be rude, but have you thought about running for a seat on the condo board ?

Here is a thread that you might find interesting.
Charger for condo. Need lots of guidance

 

[aesculus]

1. There is a level 2 charger at the Tesla store at Chinook Centre (6 stalls) - am I allowed to use them?
2. If the answer to #1 is "No", would your answer change if I said that I'd go and charge late at night (e.g. 10PM) rather than what I would consider peak times?
3. If Tesla ever actually installs a real SuperCharger (vs. the level 2 charger), the same questions in 1 and 2 for it

Many of us used local superchargers for a few weeks/months while our home charging systems were set up. In your case it does not sound like you have a firm commitment or estimate for that to happen.

I would bring it up with your local SC and seek their advice. By default charging is for long distance travel only but the local centers have some autonomy.

 

[SabrToothSqrl]

Tell the local news your condo board is pro-oil.

 

[bwestlak]

I, like many new Tesla owners, prepared for charging a much larger battery than I was used to by installing a Tesla home charger with a 60 amp service. Then it occurred to me that I am still driving the same distance that I used to so adding charge to my vehicle is essentially the same as it is for my Focus EV or Volt. It wasn't until I started charging directly off a 1 KW solar array on 120V that I realized the fact that the larger Tesla battery is even easier to keep charged up because you essentially have a large buffer that can smooth over days you may drive further with days you may just travel short distances so the best way to look at it is determine how far you drive (actual real life experience) per week, divide by 7 and if you are 40 miles or less, you can easily charge on level one 12 amps overnight (3 miles per hour charge rate.) This same theory will work if you are travelling somewhere where there are no SC's like an up north cottage. As long as you have some time with a 120V power source, you can keep up and be fully charged to return home.

 

[Porfiry]

Tell the local news your condo board is pro-oil.

Good luck. This is Calgary, where the price of oil is the first (and sometimes only) thing talked about on the local news.

It's been reported that Chinook is fine with owners charging up there, but you're not guaranteed a spot since they park their demo cars there. Another option is the EV charger at Ikea in Deerfoot Meadows. Definitely check out Plugshare if you haven't yet.

 

[doubeld]

Ditto for PlugShare and Ikea.
The chargers at Chinook are where they hold their test drive vehicles, so doubtful you will be allowed to use them.

Do you have 120V at home as well as at work? If you can charge for 120V at home as well, you may not even need a L2 charger if you can still charge at work. In the winter, you will not gain much charge (unless it's indoors) as the battery heater will take most of the power a single 120V outlet can provide.

 

[TexasEV]

If you can't charge at more than 120V at home or work, you're really not going to enjoy a Tesla. Having to go somewhere for hours at a time to charge will get old quickly.

 

[cmt489]

If you can't charge at more than 120V at home or work, you're really not going to enjoy a Tesla. Having to go somewhere for hours at a time to charge will get old quickly.

I disagree. It took us almost two months to get our 50 amp service in place and I enjoyed my Tesla immensely even with only having access to 120V charging. Like the OP, my daily commute was short so my charge was exceeding my daily usage and if traveling we would go to other chargers when out and about. It all depends on how much you drive day to day.

That said, I am hopeful that the OP's condo board will get with the times despite being in an oil town.

 

[doubeld]

Just tell the condo board that you need a 2 phase 50A block heater put in

 

[nexxai]

Not trying to be rude, but have you thought about running for a seat on the condo board ?

It's on my to-do list however I have a full time job, plus I also run a company full-time leaving very little time to be on the board. Our last AGM was a few months ago, but hopefully I'll be a little less tied up next year and if I am, I plan to run.

Tell the local news your condo board is pro-oil.

I'm in Calgary. The condo board, along with the entire city, is pro-oil.

It's been reported that Chinook is fine with owners charging up there, but you're not guaranteed a spot since they park their demo cars there. Another option is the EV charger at Ikea in Deerfoot Meadows. Definitely check out Plugshare if you haven't yet.

Thanks, I've installed PlugShare and will check it out when I take delivery.

Just tell the condo board that you need a 2 phase 50A block heater put in

It's a heated, underground parking lot, so I don't think they'd see the need for a block heater hook up.

 

[S'toon]

Tell the local news your condo board is pro-oil.

In Alberta that's not considered a bad thing.

 

[S'toon]

Can you make do with the 120V at work, with an occasional top-up at the Sun Country chargers, like the one at IKEA?
http://suncountryhighway.com/en/Listings/1?Latitude=51.0530588&Longitude=-114.0625613&PageSize=50

 

[nexxai]

Can you make do with the 120V at work, with an occasional top-up at the Sun Country chargers, like the one at IKEA?

I'm sure I can make do, especially since my office is about 5 mins from IKEA. I'm thinking that combined with the daily charging at the office, I may only have to make 1 trip a week to IKEA to top up which isn't the worst thing in the world.

 

[roblab]

What I'm reading is that you want to use a Tesla L2 charger. An L2 charger is not a long distance trip charger, but a destination charger. People going on trips don't want to bother using an L2 charger, even one with 80 amps.

If you can find a spot to plug in for a few hours a week, and not consider yourself hogging other people's rights (and I feel you are introspective and kind), I think you should be able to use these chargers.

Superchargers are a cat with another tail entirely.

 

[TLej]

Well, if the rumors are true and the service centre goes in along with a Supercharger this year, then 15 minutes on the Supercharger at 11 p.m. on a Tuesday night probably isn't going to make you many enemies. The ethical question of abusing Tesla's gift of free energy (or at least, pre-paid) exists, so maybe buy a Tesla shirt or other swag every few weeks to give a little back to them. 20 km/day with a heated underground spot, you're only going to need to charge 3-4 hrs/day on a 110, or every couple weeks for a few hours on something juicier. Based on 160Whr/km, which I am seeing this summer, you're talking 3 or 4 kWh per day, or about $0.30 of electricity. $10/month or so. In the winter maybe double that, so buy two shirts a month.

Of course, if enough people do it then you ruin it for everyone, but if the biggest problem we have in Alberta is too many Teslas clogging the Superchargers then I'd say we're on the right path. Not like we're California.

Now, hogging the charger on a weekend or during peak travel times, I might not be so open-minded about. And your Uncle Musk might send you a note expressing a different opinion. Don't know till you try.

 

[Blu Zap]

I got my MS two years ago. I also got a HPWC for $1200 and had it installed on a 80 amp circuit. Life was great. Then my landlord sold the house and I moved to an apartment. The $1200 (now $350) HPWC sits in a box in storage. The apt. complex has no charging capability, even though we are in California and I continue with my steady feedback to management. There are 120V outlets in the parking areas. But they are connected to the lighting system. I suspect my plugging in to that circuit would bring it to it's knees when the lights come on at night.

So I do use SCs in the area. I drive 65 miles to Silicon Valley 2 or 3 times a week. 130 mile roundtrip, I need to charge up. So I do at an SC while hitting a Starbucks or other business with WiFi. I have no guilt about using these SCs. I do appreciate what Tesla is doing in pushing destination chargers. That is a very positive alternative. But the SCs are needed. I would love to charge overnight at home, but that option is no longer a possibility until the apartment management company, (Essex) wakes up and sees the importance of on-site charging.

Oh yeah, I do use the Tesla Store HPWC. Its 240v, 15 amp. They are very nice about it. Technically it is by "appointment only". But they are pretty cool about moving one of their demo cars out for owners to charge. it creates a pretty cool Tesla social environment. They charge up their demo vehicles overnight anyway.

It will work out. Enjoy your Tesla!

 

[Footbag]

It's been reported that Chinook is fine with owners charging up there, but you're not guaranteed a spot since they park their demo cars there. Another option is the EV charger at Ikea in Deerfoot Meadows. Definitely check out Plugshare if you haven't yet.

At one of the periodic 'owners social' events, Calgary staff stated quite firmly that they did not want owners charging there. In a pinch, if you had to, they would permit it, but they wanted you to drop off your key so they could shuffle cars around if needed (assuming you weren't staying with the car, checking out the mall or whatnot).
Now them not wanting you to charge, and them actively preventing/taking action if you do charge are entirely different things...

 

[Porfiry]

At one of the periodic 'owners social' events, Calgary staff stated quite firmly that they did not want owners charging there.

Fair enough, I was just repeating what someone else said here on TMC. I have no direct knowledge either way.