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Supercharger - Butte, MT

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Cottonwood

Roadster#433, Model S#S37
Feb 27, 2009
5,089
184
Colorado
DrGuest made a great find to help finish the I-90 connection in Butte, MT. See Bozeman, MT Supercharger - Butte Find. Here are some of his pictures:

View attachment 62864 - View attachment 62866 - View attachment 62865

This just leaves Coeur d'Alene, ID; Superior, MT; Sheridan, WY; and Gillette, WY to go! We are going to start talking about the Montana Island. :eek:

DrGuest confirmed in his original post, this location is at Best Western Plus Butte Plaza Inn, 2900 Harrison Ave, Butte, Mt 59701; Google Maps.

Thank You, DrGuest!!!
 
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Good find DrGuest.

Someone should add this to supercharge info Superchargers
Thanks everyone for the reputation points. I looked at Google Earth and saw the 2 areas with the largest parking available. I then checked out old HWY 2 out of Whitehall and took that beautiful secondary road instead of I-90 and Homestake Pass. HWY 2 is my new preferred route.

I then always look for orange safety fencing, which they always use once a hole or trench has been dug. If no orange Fencing, then I look for a pile of crates or pallets with the Tesla Name on them. This time it was 5 crates in the far reaches of the huge parking lot. If they build the Supercharger where I think they will, it will be a very nice spot with some green Lawn and a nice old Tree on the North side of the Hotel. Nice safe spot with good lighting and some esthetics. We will see. I logged my Trip to Butte and back home to Bozeman with 34-36 degree F, making it home with just 37 RM miles left. I was conservative on the way there and anything but conservative on the way back! I really love that beautiful Hwy 2 South of Interstate 90. I am really enjoying these "Blue Highways". The speed limit is still 70 mph, which is plenty fast, but the lack of traffic, all the wonderful curves and the rolling landscapes are really a Beautiful way to go! I think I may put a Wiki map together showing all the alternate routes to I-90 and Frontage roads on and off exits. I have it down really good between Bozeman and Billings now and will check out what is between Butte and Missoula and Missoula and Superior eventually once Butte Supercharger opens! I-90 is one of the Prettiest Interstates but I just love cruising the State Highways in my Tesla Model S85!

@Cottonwood, Thanks so much for starting the new Thread, for Butte, I do not know how to do that yet. :)
 
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Fabulous, just fabulous. Really clever sleuthing work, Dr Guest! I had spied that site from I-90 while driving by the last couple times, craning my neck and slowing down a little, and figuring that was the right neighbourhood, strategically. But you literally went the extra mile and gave us certainty! Thanks so much!

Now, Wyoming and Idaho, get your acts together!
 
image.jpg
 
I just called the Best Western in Butte where the Butte SC will be and they said that the SC is all done and is just "waiting for electricity." The Receptionist said that all the stations are all set up but they are still waiting on a transformer and for the official word that the final stage has been completed. I will give a call in a few days and report back then. We have been having major cold weather and sub-zero temps. Must be miserable working outside in those conditions.
 
"We have been having major cold weather and sub-zero temps. Must be miserable working outside in those conditions."

DrGuest and BigHorn (and others in the MT, WY & Dakota states),

Hope you all are tolerating the cold snaps. I am curious about supercharging in those temperatures. How much does the subzero weather slow the charge rate? Even if the batteries were "warm" from driving I would expect that they would cool quickly while charging. Can you give us any personal observations on subzero supercharging? Thanks, JohnMc
 
"We have been having major cold weather and sub-zero temps. Must be miserable working outside in those conditions."

DrGuest and BigHorn (and others in the MT, WY & Dakota states),

Hope you all are tolerating the cold snaps. I am curious about supercharging in those temperatures. How much does the subzero weather slow the charge rate? Even if the batteries were "warm" from driving I would expect that they would cool quickly while charging. Can you give us any personal observations on subzero supercharging? Thanks, JohnMc

i didn't notice any obvious slowing of the charge in colder weather last year. Charging generates quite a bit of excess heat.
 
(LMB spouse)

We supercharged at about 18 F last winter, starting with a cold battery, nearly empty (not a good idea). Charging current was extremely limited. I don't recall the exact numbers, but it took about a half an hour longer than usual, most of which was spent gradually ramping up until it intersected the point at which it normally ramps down. (85 kwh 'B' battery)

As Bighorn noted, supercharging generates quite a bit of heat. Even a few percent inefficiency in the process dumps kilowatts of waste heat. This can be an issue in the summer, with the fans screaming on the car and in the charging cabinet.
 
All six are up and running. It's located behind the casino, not so much at the Best Western proper.

I Charged up in Butte 12/6. It may be difficult for those trying to find them the first time coming from the West on I-90. The Model S Navigation directs you off the South Harrison exit however it tells you to take a U turn instead of a Left turn into the Hotel Roadway that takes you to the Hotel entrance set back from the road behind a gas station. If you take the U turn a the GPS suggests You might just end up back on the freeway! You could pull it off by going into the gas station and cutting through to the Hotel. As Bighorn said the Butte SC site is south of the Hotel behind some casino's that all share a common, Huge parking lot. I would call ahead to the Butte Plaza Best Western front Desk and get directions your first time. Do check out my previous post with the Google Earth image where I draw in the SC site. Post #7

BTW, Please do not hit the hole or depression in the parking lot just northeast of 3B on the End of the Row of Parking that faces the Supercharger. It will swallow a wheel and high center I would suspect and could do some damage. I saw it a few weeks a go when I first found the site.
Butte SC First Charge-7836.jpg


The site is still a little Rough, just like Butte. No painted lines yet, construction mud and a big construction dumpster kind of block 1 A & B. If you use 3 B like I did, expect to have some locals in Big Pickups driving real close, blocking you in as they give you a "Look Over". Ain't Never Seen Anything Like This Before! Do the "Under Ground Tour" if you ever get a chance, Butte has a rich History, It was the Biggest and Richest City West of the Mississippi River for a long time. Lots of Corruption and Speakeasy History! Even Al Capone got out of Butte as Fast As He could! Butte is a Rough Town, You can feel it when you are there. :)

Butte SC First Charge-7829.jpg
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