Supercharger - Bethesda, MD (Permanently Closed, Oct 2016)

[paulkva]

+1 to a more practical replacement for (or addition to) the Bethesda supercharger. The catch of course is finding a suitable location and getting Tesla and the property owner to prioritize it. Ride Long suggested the nearby Wildwood shopping center (upthread, back in August) which seems logical to me, as you'd want to cover travelers on both 495 and 270. Barring that, it might be tough to find a nearby retail location where parking isn't already scarce or traffic doesn't make it tough to access. (In fact the latter concern was my initial reaction to Wildwood, but really it's no worse than the mall.)

Another alternative would be to replace/supplement Bethesda with other locations around the beltway. Some possibilities:

West side
* Near Founding Farmers in Potomac, although I think parking is tough there, and it's definitely less convenient to 495, though it covers 270 well
* At or near Montrose Crossing in Rockville - there's a ton of retail along Rockville Pike - though that's less convenient to 495 than most of the other places in these lists, and parking might be scarce
* Near the Lost Dog Cafe in McLean, which would serve travelers on 495, 66, and 267
* At or near one of the Tysons malls, which would serve travelers on 495, 66, and 267, though parking is scarce at most retail locations around there, and forget about going anywhere near there during the holidays
* The Pan Am Shopping Center in Vienna, which would serve travelers on 495 and 66
* Somewhere along Gallows Rd, e.g. Mosaic in Merrifield, though parking and access aren't ideal at most retail locations around there

East side (disclaimer: I don't know that part of Maryland well enough to say much about the parking situation at or suitability of any of these locations)
* Somewhere in National Harbor or the nearby Tanger Outlets
* One of the shopping centers near Largo Town Center Metro, e.g. Largo Town Center itself, Boulevard at the Capital Centre, Woodmore Towne Centre
* Vista Gardens Marketplace in Bowie, which would serve travelers on 495 and 50
* IKEA College Park, which is quite convenient to the northern 95/495 intersection

Any of these locations run the risk of ICEing or local owners taking undue advantage, and they all suffer to varying degrees from DC traffic issues. Unfortunately I don't know anyone affiliated with any of these locations; if anyone does it might be a good idea to put in a good word for Tesla and/or recommend the location(s) to Tesla. I suspect Tesla has at least considered some of them but I have no insight into that.

 

[scottreds2k]

The IKEA in College Park could be an ideal spot. The lower lot farthest away from Rt1 always has parking available, even in the busiest of times there. Considering the massive solar array they have covering the roof, power capacity from the grid would probably not be an issue.

 

[JohnQ]

I understand the frustration but Bethesda was originally billed as a temporary charger. It appears that a build out isn't realistic there and it is not a critical location for travel. Hagerstown to Woodbridge is 90 miles. I've used Bethesda while traveling when I didn't have destination charging available. First time I got a 14-50 (middle of the day). Returned at 10pm and used the SC. It's just not a good location.

But, what would you have Tesla do? It's not a needed location for travel so the realistic alternatives are to leave it there or to pull it out. I'd rather have it stay there with the understanding that you can't rely on a stall being immediately available.

 

[PatD]

I understand the frustration but Bethesda was originally billed as a temporary charger. It appears that a build out isn't realistic there and it is not a critical location for travel. Hagerstown to Woodbridge is 90 miles. I've used Bethesda while traveling when I didn't have destination charging available. First time I got a 14-50 (middle of the day). Returned at 10pm and used the SC. It's just not a good location.

But, what would you have Tesla do? It's not a needed location for travel so the realistic alternatives are to leave it there or to pull it out. I'd rather have it stay there with the understanding that you can't rely on a stall being immediately available.

Temporary is fine. But what's their plan? I think the area needs one, just like the NJ turnpike has PLENTY in the stretch of a few miles.

Having a location (even temporary) that can't be counted on is worthless, IMHO.

 

[mikeash]

I think Tesla ought to remove it from the navigation screen now. It's not necessary or even very useful, and having it there gives people the false idea that they can actually count on it. The hardware itself can stay, and heck, even keep it on their web site, just don't have the car show it. Or show it like a destination charger, with the gray icon instead of red, and don't count it as part of trip planning.

Even if they do nothing else, that would be an improvement. Expansion in the area can be a separate thing, since it's not strictly needed before de-listing Bethesda.

 

[ArcAngel]

Sorry I am late to this thread, but if I come to DC from Philadelphia and top off in Newark on my way down, I'd like to know that I can use Bethesda on my way back if I need to...are you guys saying it's difficult to use or not in use at all?

 

[CHRGIT]

Difficult & slow

 

[paulkva]

Depending on where in the DC area you're going and how long you'll be there, you might be better off finding some alternative charging near your destination. There are quite a few L2 public chargers and (if you have an adapter or borrow one) even some CHAdeMO stations that might be better options.

If you visit the Bethesda supercharger during off hours (i.e. when the mall is closed), you have a decent chance of being able to charge there. Otherwise it's risky.

 

[thetigerfans]

It's not a needed location for travel

Unfortunately, if your trip takes you to DC and back from north of DC, this location is vital.

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Sorry I am late to this thread, but if I come to DC from Philadelphia and top off in Newark on my way down, I'd like to know that I can use Bethesda on my way back if I need to...are you guys saying it's difficult to use or not in use at all?

It is steps away from the entrance to a very busy mall. And lots of Teslas in the area. When we tried to charge on Friday night, there were two at the SC, two dealer cars charging at 24mph, two more that weren't charging blocking spaces that only have wall outlets (you need your own cord and plug here). Two more parked in regular spaces, and at least another two circled around while we were there blocking traffic, charging at 24 mph. My suggestion - pick up a ChadeMo adapter and open a ChargePoint account.

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Having a location (even temporary) that can't be counted on is worthless, IMHO.

Amen!

 

[republic]

CHAdeMO is risky as well. Those chargers are single-unit and frequently occupied. They also take forever - at full power, they're often slower than a shared SC cabinet. There is no good solution other than building a full-sized SC in the vicinity. The DC region, with its unique highway layout, needs one in the northwest and another in the east/southeast.

 

[thetigerfans]

Thetigerfans,

A couple of quick thoughts:

Did you happen to talk to the owner who was parked so long? Did they see a reduced charge current, and if so how low was it? With the single, reduced rate (90 kW) charger there, under normal conditions, with two cars plugged in, charging from 10 to 140 miles will take just over one full hour. It is quite possible that someone would be parked there for an hour and not be "HOGGING" the spot.

Also, that charger has has had a number of issues, some that were causing it to put out less than 30kW, meaning with two cars charging, it would take almost 3 hours to charge from 10 to 140 miles. If this is happening again, it's important to understand so we can get Tesla to come look at it again.

And finally, I just noticed that the tag on the car says "Dealer". Was this an extended test drive for a customer that doesn't own the car? I know that Tesla will give a potential customer a car for a weekend to try a trip over if they are interested. If so, I feel bad for both them (for now thinking the Bethesda is how most Superchargers are) and for you having to wait, as I'm sure that no-one explained to them etiquette at a Supercharger with so few spaces.

Peter

Peter, I appreciate your interest, but this info might help. When we pulled up, we immediately called Tesla HQ, and were told that one car was done, the other was not. The owner of the "done" car, never showed during the 50 minutes we were there. The owner of the other car did appear after 40 minutes. He had taken his kids to the mall. AN SC IS NOT FOR SATURDAY AFTERNOONS WHEN YOUR WIFE IS FED UP AND NEEDS YOU TO GET THE KIDS OUT OF THE HOUSE FOR A FEW HOURS.

Pulling into this location with only 10 miles of range is suicide. Newark is 100 miles, so the chances of someone actually needing to park that long would be low, and as I said, I called Tesla HQ to find out the charging status of both cars as soon as we pulled up.

And lastly, if the driver of the white car is not yet a Tesla owner, I don't think I want them in the club if they can't figure SC etiquette out on their own. If it hadn't been for Leon and ChadeMo adapter, we would have been at that location for hours.

Sorry if I am testy, reading the comments got me all riled up again. My biggest beef - Tesla has to remove this location from the Trip Planner because it is not reliable.

 

[jdo]

+1 to a more practical replacement for (or addition to) the Bethesda supercharger. The catch of course is finding a suitable location and getting Tesla and the property owner to prioritize it. Ride Long suggested the nearby Wildwood shopping center (upthread, back in August) which seems logical to me, as you'd want to cover travelers on both 495 and 270. Barring that, it might be tough to find a nearby retail location where parking isn't already scarce or traffic doesn't make it tough to access. (In fact the latter concern was my initial reaction to Wildwood, but really it's no worse than the mall.)

Another alternative would be to replace/supplement Bethesda with other locations around the beltway. Some possibilities:

Two more suggestions:

* I-95 North Welcome Center (rest stop) Savage, MD between exits 35 and 38: minimal amenities (especially after hours) but perfect location/accessibility for travelers. Should also take some of the load off of Newark. Ideally you'd have stations on both northbound and southbound stops.
* The Tesla Service Center in Rockville: off the beaten path a little and again no amenities, but they could have a Tesla Lounge like in Cincinnati and Houston. covers 270 and you can take the Intercounty Connector to get back to I-95 N.

There will likely never been an ideal location near the Beltway proper, but if they put more options along 95, 66, and 270 I doubt there would be a need.

 

[JohnQ]

Depending on where in the DC area you're going and how long you'll be there, you might be better off finding some alternative charging near your destination. There are quite a few L2 public chargers and (if you have an adapter or borrow one) even some CHAdeMO stations that might be better options.

If you visit the Bethesda supercharger during off hours (i.e. when the mall is closed), you have a decent chance of being able to charge there. Otherwise it's risky.

Exactly this. Destination charging isn't always realistic, depending on where you're staying, but there are quite a few L2 stations scattered downtown and in the suburbs.

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Unfortunately, if your trip takes you to DC and back from north of DC, this location is vital.

Well, if you're on a road trip from south of DC then driving Rte 15 to Harrisburg or through BAL to York, sure. But that's a function of no superchargers yet on the PA Turnpike or I-80. But if DC is your destination for a day or two then connecting to an L2 overnight gives you the same benefit. i understand that this isn't always possible, or convenient, but it's the approach I have always taken.

There are better places for a SC. Frederick, Gettysburg or Harrisburg up the 15 corridor. If I were in Tesla's shoes I wouldn't put any resources into the Bethesda area.

NOTE: I lived in Cabin John, Potomac and Ashburn for 15 years so know the area quite well.

 

[PatD]

Here's my quandary. We live outside of Philly and the mother-in-law is in Kensington, MD.

If I stop in Newark, DE and hit the SC there, I have to fill to 100% (And potentially sit for a good while.) Why? Because round-trip from Newark to Kensington and back to Newark is 223 range miles as per EVTripPlanner. That's assuming 50 degrees out (Which it won't be) and no speeding (Good luck on some of those roads and not getting killed at 55/65) and having four people in the car.

For me, Bethesda (Or there about) is a requirement to make this trip and not be worried. Now of course, I hope to be able to plug in at the MIL's, but at best it's a 110v outlet.

 

[CHRGIT]

A couple of miles from Kensington there is a J1772 charger in Wheaton in a parking garage. Also charging on 110 will get you about 80 miles range per day. Any hope at MIL for a dryer or stove plug?

 

[PatD]

A couple of miles from Kensington there is a J1772 charger in Wheaton in a parking garage. Also charging on 110 will get you about 80 miles range per day. Any hope at MIL for a dryer or stove plug?

Yes, there are other options, but for a quick day trip, it makes things difficult. Having someone drive me back and forth to a parking garage is a little counterintuitive in my head, but certainly an option. I found someone on Plugshare that's nearby and I can probably hoof it back to the MIL house from there.

Dryer and stove are too far; at some point, I may need to invest in a heavy duty extension cord for that kind of plug. But if the MIL's house is difficult, maybe I won't have to visit as often!

 

[scottreds2k]

Assuming you're coming down 95 from Philly to 495 towards Silver Spring to get to Kensington, you've got several convenient options for J1772 charging. Depending on the time you would arrive in the area, check out the chargers in Maple Lawn/Fulton. There are several of them in the parking lot and there are a few places to eat there (Looneys, Ranazul, The Grill and more). They always seem to be open spaces, and you can easily continue down 29 back to 495 or get to Kensington off highway.

 

[PatD]

Thanks for all the help guys. I have plenty of alternatives and will make it work. I was just pointing out that while Bethesda may be worthless for some people, some of us could really use an SC in that area.

 

[NOLA_Mike]

I disagree. Newark gets packed very fast, 4 cars charging at once happens often enough, and thankfully I've never seen a line form, I have read about it here.

In addition it's only 90kw, if you're the 2nd car in the pair, expect longer than average charge times

FYI, Newark, DE is not 90 kW any more - I charged there back in May of this year and charged at near 120 kW. This is documented in the Newark, DE Supercharger Thread.

Mike

 

[scaesare]

FYI, Newark, DE is not 90 kW any more - I charged there back in May of this year and charged at near 120 kW. This is documented in the Newark, DE Supercharger Thread.

Mike

Agreed... I forgot to mention this as well. I've been there several times and charged at >90KW rates...