Supercharger - Barstow (EXPANDED, 5 stalls added, now 16 total)

[ZBB]

Wasn't Barstow vandalized a while back also? And I remember an owner being carjacked there a couple years ago. Hopefully Tesla is looking for an alternate site.

I've charged there once (just before the site was expanded/updated -- there were some Tesla crates on site, but expansion work had not yet started).

 

[Drone Flyer]

That's the problem with the Superchargers currently. They are spaced so you can make it fine, but if one is out, you are in trouble. I had this happen on a road trip recently when Green River was out with ways. I had to charge 100% and still had to go slow to make it in my 85. With a 75 or lower you'd be out of luck.

Actually, not quite correct.
The new 75D's have a slightly bigger range than the older 85's.
On my new 75D, I can get 373 km charging at 90% whereas my older 85 only got 364 km. Mind you, the 85 was a 2013.
Battery degradation comes into the fold. But the newer cars have a better battery so I wonder how degradation will manifest itself in these batteries after 3 years. My guess, not as much.

 

[abasile]

Wasn't Barstow vandalized a while back also? And I remember an owner being carjacked there a couple years ago. Hopefully Tesla is looking for an alternate site.

Tesla has a significant investment at that Barstow location, including PV panels overhead. While I'm not aware of anything inherently wrong with the location compared to anywhere else in the Barstow area, it would be nicer to have the Superchargers right at the outlet mall where there'd be better visibility and easier access to nice stores. But if I had to choose, I'd rather see Tesla invest in brand new sites in different towns as opposed to relocating existing sites.

 

[vandacca]

I'm not ready to do that yet. That kind of attribution seems like a jump, and tends to put people at odds with each other without good evidence. We don't know much about the story, but hopefully details will come out - specifically the arrest of the perps.

I'm hopeful it was just foolish kids out doing what foolish kids do.

Maybe Tesla needs to implement their Tesla Vision technology at the superchargers. Kind of a security camera/alert mechanism to prevent damage.

 

[brkaus]

Maybe Tesla needs to implement their Tesla Vision technology at the superchargers. Kind of a security camera/alert mechanism to prevent damage.

Perhaps Tesla Vision combined with the power snake.

 

[David99]

Actually, not quite correct.
The new 75D's have a slightly bigger range than the older 85's.
On my new 75D, I can get 373 km charging at 90% whereas my older 85 only got 364 km. Mind you, the 85 was a 2013.
Battery degradation comes into the fold. But the newer cars have a better battery so I wonder how degradation will manifest itself in these batteries after 3 years. My guess, not as much.

True a new 75 is about in the same range as the old 85 (which never has a true 85). But regardless of that, and here is my original point, there are many Superchargers routes where you can't make it if one is out, especially not when there is bad weather.

 

[neroden]

True a new 75 is about in the same range as the old 85 (which never has a true 85). But regardless of that, and here is my original point, there are many Superchargers routes where you can't make it if one is out, especially not when there is bad weather.

Tesla will have to infill the Supercharger network, basically halve the distance between them, to create redundancy

 

[David99]

Tesla will have to infill the Supercharger network, basically halve the distance between them, to create redundancy

If I remember correctly I think Tesla said they are aiming for that. Having a Supercharger roughly every 50 miles. I think that's smart and better than expanding the existing location with more stalls.

 

[RubberToe]

10-28 at Barstow...

IMG_20161028_072436810_HDR

• RubberToe
• Nov 20, 2016

Barstow Supercharger

 

[ecarfan]

Looks like all that gear needs to be locked inside a steel cage enclosure.

 

[4SUPER9]

This is huge. There is potential for many, many people to get stranded this incredibly busy upcoming weekend. I wonder how TM intends to handle this. I would hope they would send out a blast email.

 

[gaswalla]

I remember Tesla ran a generator (yes, the irony) and a portable set of superchargers back when Harris Ranch went down. I would hope for something similar. It goes a really long way with loyalty and reputation.

Based on the picture, what was the vandalism?

 

[Canuck]

The new 75D's have a slightly bigger range than the older 85's.

Not true. Old 2012 85 kWh battery was EPA 265 miles . New Tesla 75D is EPA 259 miles.

Looks like all that gear needs to be locked inside a steel cage enclosure.

Or just a wooden enclosure would work. I'm surprised to see all the equipment out in the open like that. I searched the internet to find a picture of the Hope, BC one I regularly use on the way to and from my cabin:



All the equipment is inside that wooded enclosure behind the car. It should not be out in the open since there's no more of a curious and destructive creature on earth than young male humans.

 

[AEdennis]

I remember Tesla ran a generator (yes, the irony) and a portable set of superchargers back when Harris Ranch went down. I would hope for something similar. It goes a really long way with loyalty and reputation.

Based on the picture, what was the vandalism?

I think the picture was dated 10/28 from @RubberToe and didn't show any vandalism on that date.

 

[wdolson]

So when copper thieves pulled our wires from our dairy, do you think it was cows who did it? I think it was meth-heads, but anything's possible.

Rather than politics, I would say the reason is either this or some kids just doing damage for the heck of it.

People stealing things to sell to scrap metal dealers is a big problem. I saw a story a year or so back on metal thieves who are raiding the old abandoned factories in Detroit. Other thieves broke into abandoned houses at the height of the financial crisis to steal the wiring and metal plumbing out of the walls.

At a small port on the Columbia River downstream from here, metal thieves made off with a large ship's anchor that was in the parking lot of the marina. It was recovered when the thieves tried to sell it to a scrap dealer who had been alerted to the theft.

Copper is especially valuable and a supercharger has a lot of it. If word gets out among the addicts that superchargers have a lot of copper some of the more remote superchargers could become frequent targets.

 

[johnnyS]

Thieves usually do not make it to remote places. To state the obvious, messing with a 480V electrical service will shorten a meth addict's life. As an architect, I have seen a number of buildings where all the cooper wiring has been stolen.

 

[jrreno]

This is huge. There is potential for many, many people to get stranded this incredibly busy upcoming weekend. I wonder how TM intends to handle this. I would hope they would send out a blast email.

Don't get your hopes up. Newark , Delaware was down for four days and Tesla didn't do anything to mitigate the issue. In fact there was no communication as to why it was down. It was shown to be down on the NAV screens. And Newark is on a major route from D.C. To Philadelphia and New Jersey.

 

[captaintessie]

So I made it to Vegas today. Had some pucker factor when I reached the climb at Haloran pass and the next mountain.

Felt a little cocky so I drove at 70 most the way after a full charge at Cucamonga in my 75D. Maxed at 227 miles. It kept saying keep it at 60 to make the destination...but come on, we all know that's for the wimps. Well on the climb up I went from having 15 extra to 6 short. Had to slow in the truck lane to 55 for about 10 miles. Thank god for the downhill to Primm. Arrived with 5 miles. Damn!! Could have pushed it harder.

Does anyone know if the drive back to LA is harder? Can I go 75mph?!? I'm guessing no. Good luck to everyone else making the trip.

BTW. Had the suspension at very low, range mode on, A/c on low, 400 total weight and about 10 mph wind forecasted. Outside temp about 70 F. Hope this helps.

 

[ecarfan]

Felt a little cocky so I drove at 70 most the way after a full charge at Cucamonga in my 75D. Maxed at 227 miles. It kept saying keep it at 60 to make the destination...but come on, we all know that's for the wimps. Well on the climb up I went from having 15 extra to 6 short. Had to slow in the truck lane to 55 for about 10 miles

I hope now you realize that the Energy graph prediction can be pretty accurate and worth taking seriously.

As for the "10mph wind forecasted" I assume you meant it was more of a headwind than a tailwind?

 

[wdolson]

Thieves usually do not make it to remote places. To state the obvious, messing with a 480V electrical service will shorten a meth addict's life. As an architect, I have seen a number of buildings where all the cooper wiring has been stolen.

Rural America has an opium epidemic going on, the thieves would be in their backyard. And cutting live 480V cables would probably be a bad idea unless someone knew what they were doing, but the supercharger cabinets only have low voltage circuits live when no car is plugged in. The high voltage circuit only turns on when the car has negotiated with the supercharger and everything checked out.

According to wk057 one of the things a supercharger does is ask for the VIN number of the car, but he said the supercharger didn't do anything with it because he programmed a car to report an ICE VIN number and it still supercharged, but they will probably start confirming VINs after Jan 1 next year.