Reston, VA Fast Charging Options

[XHokie]

I will soon be moving to Reston into an apartment building and was wondering if anyone knew of any reliable fast charging options in the area? I'm looking for a good alternative to overnight charging that I have in my current home, where I can easily get to 90% overnight. It's not super fast, but I have time because it's in my garage and I can charge overnight for 8 hours if I have to. Since I have sold the home and will be moving into an apartment, I need to charge faster so that I can get to 90% within a few hours when I do charge, probably 2 or 3 times a week. Based on my current commute and/or weekend driving, I usually charge between 80-160 miles to get up to 90% in my Model X.

I've used the RTC SemaConnect chargers in the parking garages, but they are slow (~15 mi/hr charging). It's fine to top off 15-30 miles while you're hanging out in the town center for a couple of hours. However, it's not really a great solution if you want to charge up to 90% in an hour or two max. There is also a 4 hour limit to these chargers, and then it's $5 per hour for parking plus 0.15/kWh for charging.

There are no destination charging options in Reston, which is very surprising that Tesla didn't decide to put any in the area. It would be a perfect location for some high power destination chargers, maybe even a Supercharger in the future.

Any thoughts or useful recommendations would be appreciated!

 

[SamT]

Whole Food market in Reston has two chargers there, you can get about 25 miles per hour if you are shopping near that area.

 

[Big Earl]

If you have a CHAdeMO adapter, you could fast charge at the Electrify America headquarters. Otherwise, the closest superchargers are 30 minutes away. Unfortunately, Electrify America is very expensive and there is nothing to do while you wait except walk around and get some exercise.

Electrify America HQ
PlugShare - Find Electric Vehicle Charging Locations Near You

 

[theflyer]

How many miles do you need per day? Depending on your daily routes, you could also consider using EVgo's network with a CHAdeMO adapter if you pass one of their locations.

Here are your CHAdeMO options in the area. I used some of these frequently when I had a much longer commute and didn't (and still don't) have good home charging (110 only). Also, Tesla has a bunch of L2 chargers at Tyson's Mall.

 

[Big Earl]

Unfortunately, many of those CHAdeMO chargers are at Nissan dealerships, some of which are not very receptive of non-Nissan vehicles.

The Tesla destination chargers at Tyson's are almost always full these days, so they aren't a very reliable option. There are 8 wall connectors sharing two 100 amp circuits, so with 8 vehicles plugged in, each only gets 20 amps, or about 15 miles of range per hour.

 

[XHokie]

If you have a CHAdeMO adapter, you could fast charge at the Electrify America headquarters. Otherwise, the closest superchargers are 30 minutes away. Unfortunately, Electrify America is very expensive and there is nothing to do while you wait except walk around and get some exercise.

Electrify America HQ
PlugShare - Find Electric Vehicle Charging Locations Near You

Thank you @Big Earl this is a good recommendation. While not ideal in terms of cost, maybe I can charge for 15-30 minutes with the CHAdeMO (I do have an adapter) and then just use the RTC SemaConnect for a couple of hours to reach my 90%. This will definitely take some getting used to and probably not be the most convenient solution, but it is what it is.

I'm going to also see if I can submit a request/petition for Tesla Destination Charging in or near my apartment building in Reston. I know there are already a couple of Model 3 owners in this building and I'm sure more will eventually come, especially if it's an option. It probably also helps the building and gives them an "amenity" they can offer with the Tesla chargers. We'll see...

 

[Big Earl]

Good plan. I'd recommend requesting 4 destination chargers sharing a 100 amp 240 volt circuit, similar to how it's set up in Tysons Garage C. That will give your complex the best bang for their buck.

 

[lensovet]

Do you not have access to a 110 volt outlet at the new place?

 

[YYZ-IAD]

A bit longer term, the Tysons supercharger should provide a reasonable option. But 200 days into permitting with no construction that I am aware of. Arlington supercharger in construction - but I realize that's a long way from Reston. I hope you have success with destination charger.

 

[bhzmark]

Another thread mentioned superchargers at reston town center. But it wasn't clear. @Reddy Kilowatt ?

 

[theflyer]

Another thread mentioned superchargers at reston town center. But it wasn't clear. @Reddy Kilowatt ?

That was a mistake. They were referring to Leasburg.

 

[davidplatt]

There are evidently negotiations going on to have Tesla, Electrify America and possibly other charging options go into Reston Town Center. I'm sure it won't be done in the short term.

The Leesburg SC is now open and only about 4 miles past Dulles Town Center just off Route 7. I got a boatload of charge there Sunday late afternoon in less than an hour.

Another option are the 7 Volta chargers at One Loudon - they are free to use and some of them charge at 25 miles per hour (for an M3) and a couple hit 36 miles per hour (if they kick in at 40A instead of 30A).

I really don't see Chademo as a viable option since the adapter for a Model 3 is $450. That's a ton of money in my opinion.

 

[Reddy Kilowatt]

Look for Tysons Construction to start soon.

Reston is trying to get both Tesla and Electrify America in the garage across the street from Jacksons, but there is no power close by. This one could die simply base on the service costs. There is no power where they want to be.