Supercharger — Montrose, CO

[dgpcolorado]

Lots of new "coming soon" pins on the Supercharger map, including ones slated for Montrose and Telluride by the end of 2018. Montrose, along with Poncha Springs, opens up US 50 over Monarch Pass.

Telluride is kind of an obvious place, given the number of Tesla owners who visit already. It also opens up SH 145 over Lizard Head Pass to Cortez and the Four Corners area.

 

[MorrisonHiker]

Besides locations in Montrose and Telluride, it looks like they are adding a couple of other locations on the Front Range as well, including the DTC which is just a few miles from the upcoming and expanded Lone Tree location.

 

[dsm363]

Moved discussion for Telluride here.
Supercharger - Telluride, CO

 

[dsm363]

Will leave this one for Montrose, CO.

 

[ToasterStrudel]

Any updates on Montrose?

 

[ThisIsTrue]

I searched Montrose city's site a few weeks ago looking for a permit. Didn't find any, but I'm not sure whether they actually post permits there or not. At least there was nothing in council minutes.... :-(

 

[tmoz]

Only 5 "adds" in the last 7 weeks in the US. Did they lay off a boatload of the SC staff?

 

[vespax]

What's the movement on this (if any)?

 

[dgpcolorado]

So far as I can tell, the focus has been on infill in areas with crowded Supercharger Stations. Filling in the map in remote areas has pretty much halted in recent months, unless the site was already under construction (for example: Payson AZ). Whether that will change remains to be seen. I'd be surprised if Montrose or Telluride get built this year (and I'd rather have Alamosa, Kayenta AZ and Globe AZ).

 

[sdoorex]

I found a mention of the proposed supercharger in a newsletter put out by the city of Montrose in a message from the mayor from this April.

Efforts are also underway to bring fast electric vehicle charging infrastructure to town. The city is working with Tesla on a new Supercharger facility and with ChargePoint on a new DC fast-charge facility that will provide more convenience for visitors and Montrose residents who own electric vehicles.

 

[dgpcolorado]

The Town of Ridgway, 25 miles south of Montrose, was also contacted by Tesla about a Supercharger Station a couple of months ago. The Town Council approved one of the suggested locations (I was at the meeting) but I have no idea if Tesla will actually pursue that location. Montrose, at the intersection of US 50 and US 550, seems like a better site.

My guess at the time was that Ridgway was a backup for Telluride in case there were difficulties with finding a location there (parking is limited and land values are very high).

 

[ThisIsTrue]

Yeah, I was really surprised about the Ridgway action. Montrose makes a lot more sense. I had assumed "Telluride" really meant Mountain Village.

 

[vespax]

The Town of Ridgway, 25 miles south of Montrose, was also contacted by Tesla about a Supercharger Station a couple of months ago. The Town Council approved one of the suggested locations (I was at the meeting) but I have no idea if Tesla will actually pursue that location. Montrose, at the intersection of US 50 and US 550, seems like a better site.

My guess at the time was that Ridgway was a backup for Telluride in case there were difficulties with finding a location there (parking is limited and land values are very high).

I emailed Tesla about 6 months ago suggesting Ridgeway over Montrose and Telluride (consolidation in the area). Ridgeway would give greater access into the San Juans and easy access to Durango and Farmington. As well as over the Blanding and Poncha Springs. You can get to Grand Junction SC too. Seems like a more cost effective rural location.

Do you have a link to the meeting minutes by chance?

 

[dgpcolorado]

I emailed Tesla about 6 months ago suggesting Ridgeway over Montrose and Telluride (consolidation in the area). Ridgeway would give greater access into the San Juans and easy access to Durango and Farmington. As well as over the Blanding and Poncha Springs. You can get to Grand Junction SC too. Seems like a more cost effective rural location.

Do you have a link to the meeting minutes by chance?

https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/ridgway/atom/184761
(I attended the meeting as something of an expert on the subject.)

Montrose would be useful since it would help with:
1) US 50 from Poncha Springs Supercharger Station, over Monarch Pass, to Grand Junction Supercharger Station.
2) Grand Junction Supercharger Station to Farmington NM Supercharger Station, via US 50, US 550 and the "Million Dollar Highway" over Red Mountain Pass.
3) Montrose is the gateway city to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.
4) It would enable a scenic route to Moab, via Ridgway, the San Miguel River, Paradox Valley, and La Sal, from either Grand Junction or Poncha Springs.

A Ridgway Supercharger Station location would help with most of those routes, but not all. My hypothesis was that Tesla was looking for an alternative to Telluride/Mountain Village, a difficult and expensive location for a Supercharger Station. I have no idea which locations, if any, Tesla will eventually choose. We know for certain that Tesla has contacted the City of Montrose and the Town of Ridgway.

 

[vespax]

https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/ridgway/atom/184761
(I attended the meeting as something of an expert on the subject.)

Montrose would be useful since it would help with:
1) US 50 from Poncha Springs Supercharger Station, over Monarch Pass, to Grand Junction Supercharger Station.
2) Grand Junction Supercharger Station to Farmington NM Supercharger Station, via US 50, US 550 and the "Million Dollar Highway" over Red Mountain Pass.
3) Montrose is the gateway city to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.
4) It would enable a scenic route to Moab, via Ridgway, the San Miguel River, Paradox Valley, and La Sal, from either Grand Junction or Poncha Springs.

A Ridgway Supercharger Station location would help with most of those routes, but not all. My hypothesis was that Tesla was looking for an alternative to Telluride/Mountain Village, a difficult and expensive location for a Supercharger Station. I have no idea which locations, if any, Tesla will eventually choose. We know for certain that Tesla has contacted the City of Montrose and the Town of Ridgway.

I don't disagree. My point was instead of 2 chargers they could get most of the benefits for the region with one in Ridgway. I keep a sailboat in Ridgway and drive to/from Grand Junction on a single charge. The only hard part would be GJ to Poncha with the uphill grade but I doubt the route is used too often.

 

[dgpcolorado]

I don't disagree. My point was instead of 2 chargers they could get most of the benefits for the region with one in Ridgway. I keep a sailboat in Ridgway and drive to/from Grand Junction on a single charge. The only hard part would be GJ to Poncha with the uphill grade but I doubt the route is used too often.

I don't think that Montrose or Ridgway are really necessary for the network. They are fill-in to help with weather difficulties for Monarch and Red Mountain passes and to ease exploration of the scenic routes through the San Juan Mountains.

I'd much rather see Supercharger Stations in Cortez (opens up Lizard Head Pass and Mesa Verde National Park), Kayenta (has been on the "coming soon" list for years) and Alamosa (opens up Great Sand Dunes National Park and the San Luis Valley).

We already have the big one: Poncha Springs, the ideal route from SW Colorado to the Front Range, as well as a backup to I-70 when rock slides close Glenwood Canyon.

 

[vespax]

I don't think that Montrose or Ridgway are really necessary for the network. They are fill-in to help with weather difficulties for Monarch and Red Mountain passes and to ease exploration of the scenic routes through the San Juan Mountains.

I'd much rather see Supercharger Stations in Cortez (opens up Lizard Head Pass and Mesa Verde National Park), Kayenta (has been on the "coming soon" list for years) and Alamosa (opens up Great Sand Dunes National Park and the San Luis Valley).

We already have the big one: Poncha Springs, the ideal route from SW Colorado to the Front Range, as well as a backup to I-70 when rock slides close Glenwood Canyon.

I think we are in agreement. I'd still like to see Ridgway though for personal reasons living in GJ. In fact I'm driving to Telluride on Friday and wouldn't mind a boast before arrival to avoid L2 chargers there.

 

[dgpcolorado]

I think we are in agreement. I'd still like to see Ridgway though for personal reasons living in GJ. In fact I'm driving to Telluride on Friday and wouldn't mind a boast before arrival to avoid L2 chargers there.

If you can nab the Tesla destination charger at Clark's Market in Telluride you can get a decent charge in just an hour or two. It is a short walk to the Gondola or almost anything else in Telluride.

Ridgway also has one of the best L2 charge stations in the area and it usually runs at ~7.7 kW, with a splendid location next to a park, restaurants, and a lovely walking/bike path to Weaver Park (recommended) and the state park (if one wants to go that far).

 

[Dot-11]

Saw this today: Tesla looking at Montrose for supercharging station

 

[dgpcolorado]

Saw this today: Tesla looking at Montrose for supercharging station

I had no idea that Tesla was trying to get host sites to help pay for the installations. Supercharging is usually so rapid that the cars visiting the stations don't stay long enough to be of much economic benefit to the host community. I can see a host community providing a location free of charge but paying for it seems a stretch. I wonder how many other host sites have actually paid to have a Supercharger Station installed?

If they tried to get tiny Ridgway, population about 1100, to pay that sort of money the Town Council would just laugh (Tesla has contacted Ridgway about possible Supercharger sites.)

Perhaps this explains why Kayenta, Alamosa, and so many other sites have been on the "coming soon" list for years with no stations actually being built.