Supercharger - Burlington VT

[elivermont]

Hi everyone I'm Eli from Healthy Living Market and Cafe in So. Burlington. We are the hosts of this amazing charger, and I wanted to introduce myself, give contact information, and explain what's happening.

First, thank you to everyone who has been part of this project. Getting this charger built was no easy task. The team at Tesla was amazing, and the guys building it should be commended.

Second, we realize there has been some confusion with the parking, and we are really sorry about it. As with any new intiative or project a business takes on, there is a learning curve and growing pains. We acknowledge we're experiencing those right now, and trust me when I say 'we're on it'. The 'you can park here' signs were put for the holiday rush, because our store is extremely busy. Those signs will come down soon. We are putting up some additional 'EV Parking Only ' signs on 4 of the stalls. Plus, we will instruct our Staff to coach and educate people who park in the spots by accident.

I don't believe anyone maliciously parks in the Supercharger spots. Most people just have no idea what they are, don't care to read signs, or are super busy and not really paying attention.

I understand the need to charge, and the whole reason we installed the chargers was to make you (the Owners) happy, and that's exactly what we intend to do. In no way do we want to turn people off, or turn Tesla's away. That would be counterproductive to the entire mission.

So let's work together on this. If you experience a problem, talk to me or my Staff first, because we are most directly connected to the situation and can make quick change in the moment. We can page owners of cars that are parked in the supercharger spots and ask them to move. We can work with you and for you to make sure you can charge, when you need to charge. Again, we are WITH YOU on this because we believe in the mission of Tesla.

Now, some contact info:
Eli's Direct Phone: 802-863-9111
Eli's Email: [email protected]
Healthy Living Main Number: 802-863-2569 x0

Again, we are WITH YOU. Let's work together on this. We'll get there!

 

[ToddRLockwood]

Healthy Living Update

The original Tesla signs are back, and the snow tractor has been moved.

 

[jaguar36]

And it looks like people are actually obeying the signs too!

 

[PeterK]

The original Tesla signs are back, and the snow tractor has been moved.

Great - thanks for following up with Healthy Living, Todd!

 

[HankLloydRight]

I fell this situation is just a battle of wills -- Tesla (and we) want one thing -- no ICEing! But the owners want to have some/most of those spaces still available for their patrons, and both parties are exerting some control over those spots. So maybe Healthy Living capitulated for now to stop getting complaints... (and their rush season is over), but I suspect this isn't the end of it, and those "you can park here" signs are just on a short hiatus.

 

[ToddRLockwood]

I fell this situation is just a battle of wills -- Tesla (and we) want one thing -- no ICEing! But the owners want to have some/most of those spaces still available for their patrons, and both parties are exerting some control over those spots. So maybe Healthy Living capitulated for now to stop getting complaints... (and their rush season is over), but I suspect this isn't the end of it, and those "you can park here" signs are just on a short hiatus.

Healthy Living is actually a big proponent of electric cars. They were one of the first Burlington businesses to install level 2 chargers and even put in solar to power them. They are also one of the first businesses in the U.S. to pay for the energy used by a Supercharger station.

The situation that developed over the holidays was a case of a perfect storm: the parking lot became very busy, and Teslas began showing up in numbers for the first time since the station went online in early November.

 

[Montrealer]

I am leaving next Thursday from Montreal to Boston (my first "long" trip), and I am delighted to see that the access problem to the SC seems to have been settled.
I wrote an email this morning to Eli, and received a nice reply, with his phone number in case there was a problem.
Healthy Living seems very cooperative, and I believe that the recent ICEing problem was only related to the unusually busy Holiday period.
Can't wait to get there!

 

[TexasEV]

They are also one of the first businesses in the U.S. to pay for the energy used by a Supercharger station.

Why would they do that, it Tesla routinely pays for the electricity?

 

[Nikxice]

I'll bet most folks were unaware that Healthy Living was paying for the cost of energy at this Supercharger station. If this sort of sponsorship catches on, perhaps we'll see a denser network of Superchargers available. Tesla is certainly going to need them for the growth years ahead.

Apparently earlier today Healthy Living registered to join TMC. Seems like a good way for them to evaluate feedback coming from owners. I'm not sure if they need to consult first with Tesla Motors before posting, but they are welcome here anytime!

 

[RiverBrick]

Why would they do that, it Tesla routinely pays for the electricity?

Times and TM's business model are changing.

 

[ToddRLockwood]

Why would they do that, it Tesla routinely pays for the electricity?

There are some perks for the business, such as having their name displayed in the Supercharger listings, not just the address. And it also sends a great message. Healthy Living is hoping to grow its appeal with Canadian customers—the primary users of this Supercharger. They have a second store in Saratoga Springs, NY, along Interstate 87. Their selection of specialty foods and craft beers is impressive enough to draw people from Montreal, which is about 95 miles north of Burlington.

 

[jdw]

I think it is smart business for Healthy Living to sponsor a SuperCharger - I know I made the stop to shop and check out their store, which I otherwise would not have done. I was slightly annoyed to encounter all the stalls ICE'd over, but suffered no delays as a result and their responsiveness to the situation has been great - and thank you Todd!

 

[elivermont]

Test?

 

[jaguar36]

Test?

Hello!

 

[shelbri]

Welcome to the TMC forum HealthyLivingVT. Your account is indeed active. Thank you for hosting the Supercharger in Burlington. I just completed a roundtrip roadtrip between CT and FL and the Supercharger network is an essential component to mking electric driving a reality. Those hosting these locations are very much appreciated.

 

[elivermont]

I can not post. Moderator please help.

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I can not post. Moderator please help

 

[llavalle]

I can not post. Moderator please help.

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I can not post. Moderator please help

You can post. All seems OK

 

[Cottonwood]

I can not post. Moderator please help.

Your first few posts have to be approved by a moderator. Be patient...

 

[elivermont]

I wanted to introduce myself to this group. I'm Eli Lesser-Goldsmith from Healthy Living Market and Cafe. We are the proud hosts of the new Tesla Supercharger at this location.

To the team of amazing people at Tesla who put this together and built it: thank you. You were amazing!


To the owners and enthusiasts who are now coming to our site to charge: welcome. We are honored to have you.


Healthy Living has been a leader in the EV movement for many years. We have one of the first Level 2 chargers to be installed at a retail location, and our 'solar tree' is a beautiful piece of art.


We want everyone to know: we believe in your cause and we are here to support you. While there have been some struggles with parking and charging, we are taking steps to make it better. We have found that a lot of our customers simply park in the spaces because they are interested in the chargers and want to check them out. We have asked a few people to move, and they happily do so. People not just in VT but all over are still learning about EV's, and it's up to all of us to help educate them about the cars and the chargers. Together, we can do it!


If you see a non-EV in one of the spots, contact Healthy Living's Staff first. We can help! We can page the non-EV owners, and ask them to move their cars.


Again, we are on your team, believe in your mission, support Tesla 100%.

We'll get there!


Eli / Owner / Healthy Living Market & Cafe

 

[Poison Dart Brew]

My wife and I shot up to Burlington early December, and never would of known about Healthy Living unless the super charger was there. We arrived at the super charger and went into Healthy Living for the first time. We found it very inviting, with all kinds of food and beer selections, and picked up several items. We also got a couple café mocha's for the road, which were as good as starbucks if not better. We then toured the Burlington area for the day, and went back to the supercharger before out trip home. We did some more shopping, a couple more café mocha's and some yummy pastries, then shot back home. This is a trip we will be doing several times a year and look forward to returning to Healthy Living as part of this trip.