Supercharger - Buena Park, CA (removed from car nav 31 Aug 2018 but still operational, 8 V2 stalls)

[4SUPER9]

There have been several mentions on a variety of threads about a Supercharger going into the Buena Park Service Center. I thought I would start a dedicated thread to this. What I have gathered from contributors here at TMC, is that to date, this has been word of mouth. A search of the internet did find an official publication from the City of Buena Park "confirming" that 8 Supercharging stalls will be built. I could not find a permit. Many months have passed since the Service Center opening. I hope that this is still in the works.

Here is a link to their Fall newsletter (yes, out of date, I know):
https://www.buenapark.com/modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=8270

And here is a copy/paste of the text in that newsletter (again, this is old. The service center has been open for awhile):

Tesla Development Nears Completion
Development of Buena Park’s newest auto dealership, Tesla Motors, is moving
along as planned and will open in early August for business. The dealership will be
located at 6692 Auto Center Dr.

According to Tesla representatives, this location will be the most robust dealership site in their entire portfolio, as well as their flagship location for Southern California.

For the first time in the company’s history, Tesla will be selling previously owned
models of its brand at this location. The company will also provide vehicle repair,
eight supercharging stations, and a specially designed vehicle presentation and
delivery area where buyers will be shown how to operate their new vehicles. The
facility will be a regional training facility for Tesla mechanics, as well.
The dealership will begin selling cars on an interim basis in August while fi
nal improvement plans are being completed.

 

[mshuang]

I was there at the BP Service Center this morning, and my SA mentioned they'd be putting in Superchargers soon. Not sure if he it's meant just for the SvC or for everyone. Currently the SvC seems to be charging customer vehicles using 40 amp WCs.

 

[4SUPER9]

Good news.

A SvC would not need superchargers. HPWC's would be more than sufficient for their needs. Actually, even regular 220/40 amp would be sufficient.

 

[ecarfan]

While it is true that a Service Center doesn't need Superchargers to do their work, that doesn't mean that Tesla won't install Supercharger stalls at a Tesla Service Center location if they decide they have the room and it's a good location.

At this point the OP appears to have found evidence that a Supercharger will be installed at the Buena Park Service Center, but so far there are no signs of construction.

 

[4SUPER9]

While it is true that a Service Center doesn't need Superchargers to do their work, that doesn't mean that Tesla won't install Supercharger stalls at a Tesla Service Center location if they decide they have the room and it's a good location.

That was what I meant. If they are going to install SC's, it would not be for their own use, but for the community's.

 

[TaoJones]

I was told late last year that *every* SvC will get at least a pair of SCs. Now, the intimation at the time was that these would be for SvC use first and foremost. The location of the SCs within the SvC had not yet been determined. Obviously if they're positioned inside the walls, as it were, then they won't generally be available for passersby.

However, this SvC (SoCal), as with a number of others, also was about to get a handful of HPWCs (see Palm Springs SvC as another example) and those HPWCs would be/are available after hours in the parking lot.

From 50,000 feet, it's a smart move to put SCs at SvCs that are also DCs (delivery centers). Especially when, in the case of, for example, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Van Nuys, and, further afield just to pick 3 other SvCs at random, Blue Ash, OH, Highland Park, IL, and West Palm Beach, FL, those locations also will sell or deliver or both a collection of new and CPO cars. That aside, almost every single SvC has the real estate for an SC, and given that SvCs tend to exist where the cars are, installing SCs at SvCs is in alignment with Tesla's now 2-year old policy to support DENSITY as well as DISTANCE.

Glad to hear Buena Park will be/is now a flagship facility - this will take pressure off Costa Mesa and Van Nuys, to name two very popular multi-purpose SvCs.

 

[Camera-Cruiser]

As much as I think it would be cool to have a Supercharger at the intersection of the 91 & 5 Freeways, it may prove to be an odd spot because there is nothing to do there except charge up, unless Tesla or the BMW dealership next door are open. Then again, that really should be the new model. Grab a short charge and keep going.

You will not find a Starbucks, anywhere nearby.

Then again, why not a 24-hour diner/carwash at Tesla?

 

[ecarfan]

If Tesla has the space and the available electrical power to install multiple Sulercharger stalls at that location they should do it. Who cares if there isn't a place to get coffee. With the Model 3 coming next year they need all the Superchargers they locations in California they can build.

 

[4SUPER9]

Speaking of nothing nearby, try Hawthorne. They have a small showroom there and offer coffee, but there is nothing that anyone can walk to from there. Speaking of Hawthorne, they did a massive expansion a ways back, and then basically no discussion about that site in about a year. 12 stalls and HPWC's to boot. I wonder what the usage is there since Culver City and Redondo went live.

Personally, the less there is to do for SC's located in density regions, the better. If locals want to charge, fine. They will not be encouraged to stick around, see a movie, etc. A simple fast food or starbucks is sufficient.

 

[johnnyS]

I noticed today that behind the service drive they have marked some parking spaces for what looks like supercharger pedestals. I asked one of the service employees and he said it was not for supercharger stalls, but he did not what it was for. At the moment this facility has lots of surplus parking but it is in an auto mall alongside the freeway.

 

[mshuang]

Speaking of nothing nearby, try Hawthorne. They have a small showroom there and offer coffee, but there is nothing that anyone can walk to from there. Speaking of Hawthorne, they did a massive expansion a ways back, and then basically no discussion about that site in about a year. 12 stalls and HPWC's to boot. I wonder what the usage is there since Culver City and Redondo went live.

Personally, the less there is to do for SC's located in density regions, the better. If locals want to charge, fine. They will not be encouraged to stick around, see a movie, etc. A simple fast food or starbucks is sufficient.

If I'm in that area, I prefer to charge at Redondo than Hawthorne. At least in Redondo I have food options (there's a Tomboy's across the street, and it's a 5 minute walk to In-N-Out, or if I'm particularly lazy, I can just eat in the Hotel. Hawthorne really isn't much of a showroom -- once in a while they'll have something on display, but the security guard will ask you to delete the photo as we're really not allowed to take photos inside that building. Also, during non Tesla business hours, they can't sell merch or do much else other than let you sit and use the restroom.

The BP SvC at least offers coffee via Keurig and has water/snacks available, so I think it'll be a bit better than Hawthorne.

 

[Camera-Cruiser]

Never had an issue with pictures with Hawthorne, other than when I tried to stand on the secretaries desk and hold my phone over the wall into the design studio..... I kid, mostly. Plus there are rockets next door at SpaceX!

Redondo is nice, but too far off the freeway for me. But food/snacks are better.

 

[4SUPER9]

Every time I tried to eat at the hotel in Redondo, I end up sitting there for 10-15 minutes before someone bothers to even say hello. That is fine if I need a long charge, but that is rarely the case as I am not that far from home. I usually only want 15 minutes of charge as a safety buffer (if I have been out all day and may need to make another trip before I can charge again). The Tomboys across the street is a lot faster.

 

[Camera-Cruiser]

Tomboys Malts are descent too!

 

[ecarfan]

Please confine your posts in this topic to the possible Buena Park Supercharger. If you wish to post about other Superchargers, there are specific threads for each one of them. Thank you.

 

[Mark Z]

I attended the Tesla Sunday Social at Tesla Buena Park. After seeing construction today, I questioned the personnel at the Buena Park Service Plus location. Several sales advisors verified that Superchargers were being installed. Access will be 24/7. No quantity or other information was provided.

This was also hinted by personnel at the store opening in August 2015. At the opening they mentioned that charge spots would be located on the west side.

Below are photos taken 5/8/16. IMHO, this is the very beginning of the construction, so don't assume the charge location is in the back.

The orange paint at the center of service only parking appears to be preliminary work for electric conduit. The digging position would NOT appear to be for charging in this non-customer area. Most likely this is for conduit for the south customer parking area where the Supercharger spots would be located. Two trees were removed in line with the orange paint lines where digging should occur soon.

The present tree removal may be to make space for charging equipment or additional conduit. Only when more digging is accomplished can we be sure of the exact Supercharger locations.

I searched for TESLA and found no building permits in the public Buena Park database. Other Tesla references can be found. Their web location seems to provide incomplete permit information:

Search - Laserfiche WebLink

Thats all for now. I’ll keep looking at the construction as my Tesla EV needs more repair.

Customer parking on the southwest side. Note the construction at the far northwest side behind the service sign:

Two trees cut down next to the covered SERVICE entry:

Start of construction at the northwest restricted service parking location:

 

[Camera-Cruiser]

I know that SC well, and that seems like an odd public spot, since you would have to drive straight through service check-in to get there. They cue up loaners under the service roof there too, thus blocking one lane.

From memory, and all car lots typically do this, they have gates across the driveways that they close and lock every night to prevent easy theft and vandalism.

So it would be interesting to see the plans they have laid out. Based from the picts, it looks very convenient for the service bay, but not much else.

 

[ecarfan]

Mark, thanks for your report and photos! Based on what the Tesla personnel told you, I think that confirms the Tesla Buena Park location as being a "Coming soon" Supercharger site that will be open 24/7 who operational. I have changed the title of this thread to reflect Mark's information.

@Camera-Cruiser, I read Marks post to say that the photos showing the coned-off spaces and the orange parallel lines is not necessarily where the SC stalls will be, it is more likely to be where a trench is being dug for electrical conduits that will run to the SC stalls somewhere else.

My guess is the trenching will run along the northwest property line and the SC stalls will be located immediately to your left when you enter the property through the driveway at the west corner. Tesla may remove the gate at that entrance and add new gates to cordon off that area so that there is 24/7 access but the rest of the parking and outdoor car storage areas are secured.

 

[Camera-Cruiser]

Mark, thanks for your report and photos! Based on what the Tesla personnel told you, I think that confirms the Tesla Buena Park location as being a "Coming soon" Supercharger site that will be open 24/7 who operational. I have changed the title of this thread to reflect Mark's information.

@Camera-Cruiser, I read Marks post to say that the photos showing the coned-off spaces and the orange parallel lines is not necessarily where the SC stalls will be, it is more likely to be where a trench is being dug for electrical conduits that will run to the SC stalls somewhere else.

My guess is the trenching will run along the northwest property line and the SC stalls will be located immediately to your left when you enter the property through the driveway at the west corner. Tesla may remove the gate at that entrance and add new gates to cordon off that area so that there is 24/7 access but the rest of the parking and outdoor car storage areas are secured.

Yes, that all makes better sense and I can see how that would work in that lot. I hope they can also lessen the dip from the drive to the street, it's really bad going from street to drive and they warn not to enter that side. So if that is access to the SC, it will generate service workers!

Visually it would be cool to run it directly in front of and parallel to the showroom window, closest to the freeway. From a sales perspective it doesn't get any better to talk about free charging and be able to point straight out the window. Well at least if there is not a line or fights breaking out over who cut in line.

If you are going north on the 5 or west on the 91 it will be one of the fastest SCs to access that I am aware of. You can go from doing 75mph to parked in a stall in under a minute. Getting back on the 5 is 3 to 4 minutes max, and 10 at the most to get to the 91 again.

Of course the funny thing for me is that I am so close to it that I'll probably never use it. Only scenario I can see is if I forgot to charge the car (which has happened twice), or if I need a bump coming back from LA so I can go out right away. And I see both of these scenarios being perfectly acceptable and happening only a handful times a year.

 

[4SUPER9]

Supercharge.info now shows Buena Park as being under construction. If anyone can stop by and see if there is any actual progress, that would be great.

With this, and Santa Ana (under permit), the I-5 will have some decent coverage. Well, at least until Burbank, which is proving to be fairly useless due to its small size and long waits.