Supercharger - Charleston, SC

[loganwatson]

Raleigh to Charleston shouldn't be a big deal if you have an LR 3. I recently went from D.C. to Folly Beach to visit friends and was fine. It's only 65mi from the Santee SC to Folly, so downtown Charleston is a chunk closer. I agree they're overdue for an SC somewhere in greater Charleston however.

Also, I think the parking garages in Charleston have standard non-Tesla HPWC that are free while paying to park. I hear they fill up quickly, but it is always an option. If you charge for two or so hours and walk around downtown, you surely have enough range to get back to Santee on the journey back. There are also EVGo and Electrify America stations close to charleston. If you have the Chademo adapter that is always an option.

But at the end of the day, there needs to be a supercharger in Charleston. They have been saying it's coming for far too long. I find it very hard to believe they wouldn't be able to find a host, so I am wondering if it has something to do with the local government and permits.

 

[BlueCarNut]

But at the end of the day, there needs to be a supercharger in Charleston. They have been saying it's coming for far too long. I find it very hard to believe they wouldn't be able to find a host, so I am wondering if it has something to do with the local government and permits.

You are probably correct. I'm going to remain hopeful they can get something moving, as I've seen several new SCs come online just in the past month in VA and MD. And it seems to me Tesla would want to keep the SC network expanding steadily as a means to drive new sales, especially with the rapid expansion of competing DCFC networks.

 

[EnrgyNDpndnce]

Ok folks, there may be a way to help get a SC in the Charleston area. The new V3 SC in Metter, GA is located on the site of a Parker’s Kitchen convenience store. I was reading an article someone posted on the Metter thread and learned a few things. First the CEO of Parker’s (Greg Parker) knows quite a bit about EVs (not just Tesla) and acknowledges that Parker should provide “fueling” options for all its customers. In fact he says they want to add more Tesla SC stations at other Parker’s locations. Second, they currently have 3 locations in the Charleston area with plans to build a half dozen more very soon! If we can get in touch with the right person at Parker’s and explain the very real need in Charleston, perhaps they will agree to add a SC to one of their Charleston area locations. I’m going to call their office next week and see what I can find out. All of you be ready to sign a letter pledging your eternal loyalty to Parker’s if they bring a SC to Charleston!

Parker's Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in Metter, GA - Parker's Kitchen

 

[loganwatson]

Ok folks, there may be a way to help get a SC in the Charleston area. The new V3 SC in Metter, GA is located on the site of a Parker’s Kitchen convenience store. I was reading an article someone posted on the Metter thread and learned a few things. First the CEO of Parker’s (Greg Parker) knows quite a bit about EVs (not just Tesla) and acknowledges that Parker should provide “fueling” options for all its customers. In fact he says they want to add more Tesla SC stations at other Parker’s locations. Second, they currently have 3 locations in the Charleston area with plans to build a half dozen more very soon! If we can get in touch with the right person at Parker’s and explain the very real need in Charleston, perhaps they will agree to add a SC to one of their Charleston area locations. I’m going to call their office next week and see what I can find out. All of you be ready to sign a letter pledging your eternal loyalty to Parker’s if they bring a SC to Charleston!

Parker's Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in Metter, GA - Parker's Kitchen

I am fairly confident that the issue isn’t finding a place but has to be something else. There’s so many locations in Charleston that would be more than happy to host a SC but yet it still never happens. I’m guessing some kind of local road block.

 

[windgrins]

Here's some good news.

Tesla just opened a V3 Supercharger in Metter, GA at a Parkers Fueling station.

All of the articles covering this mention that Parkers wants to work with Tesla to put more units in their stations (can't call them gas stations any longer but fuel stations or fueling stations will work!) Parkers is building a complex in Charleston as I write this according to the reports so maybe we will finally get the Charleston, SC Supercharger:

"Parker’s plans to add more Tesla Supercharger locations to its stores in the future.

“We recognize the shifting fuel demands of our customers and always strive to meet those demands,” said Jeff Bush, president of Parker’s. “As a larger percentage of our customers begin driving electric vehicles, we want to provide them with a state-of-the-art charging infrastructure at strategic Parker’s locations.”

Parker’s joins other c-store chains that have recently added EV charging stations, including 7-Eleven, Casey’s General Stores and Hy-Vee Inc.

Parker’s has 64 stores in coastal Georgia and South Carolina and is growing through a $50 million expansion in the Charleston, S.C., market. The company is No. 118 on CSP’s 2019 Top 202 ranking of c-store chains by number of retail outlets."

The stories all get the number of Supercharger heads wrong. There are actually 8 V3 heads at Metter instead of 6.

 

[Mysta]

As someone in Greenville it's a little surprising there isn't one in Charleston, I guess there's a lot less thru traffic but good to know for future.

 

[windgrins]

As someone in Greenville it's a little surprising there isn't one in Charleston, I guess there's a lot less thru traffic but good to know for future.

The coastal Hwy 17 is pretty busy between Myrtle Beach and Charleston which then goes on down by Hilton Head. Quite of bit of tourist through traffic transiting the area through there so Charleston would be a welcome location.

 

[Dolemite]

Anyone got any more info? Doubt this is the exact location... no clue how they'd fit one here:

 

[Vux007]

I think that is just a placeholder. That would be a terrible spot to put a Supercharger, given how much traffic and flooding occurs in that area.

 

[Reef Club]

Frustrating waiting on this Supercharger in Charleston. Coming from the south, you have to use the Savannah SC then look for free Level 2 chargers which means leaving overnight. Need one off 17 before you cross over into city.

 

[tybeetony]

Wow. Disappointed to learn this. I'm an new M3 owner and we are heading from Savannah to Charleston soon and I just "assumed" because Charleston has a pretty big metro area, that they would have a Tesla SC station. May have to take my ICE car because I am not familiar with all the gotchas that I could encounter using destination chargers.

 

[GOOCHY]

We really need a Supercharger in Charleston proper and it would be very nice to have a few out on Kiawah Island. Freshfields parking lot would be a perfect place for it.

 

[PJP1532]

I have been lobbying for destination chargers on Kiawah for over a year. You may be aware that the Sanctuary Resort has a destination charger but they charge a $25 valet fee and priority goes to resort guests. I have paid the valet fee on occasion but last year the car came back with curb rash and I have not used their charger since. I was in contact with the company that owns and operates Freshfields Village and I presented my argument for EV Chargers at the shopping center. Initially they were on board and the business coordinator for this development was instructed to make arrangements for EV Chargers to be installed. The job was bid out to Berkeley Electric and for the next couple of months I was "bird dogging" the project only to discover that upper management had suddenly tabled the job without explanation.

The closest supercharger to Kiawah Island is Santee (about 90 miles), then also subtract mileage lost to vampire drain and it does not leave much left for shopping or dinner off island.

 

[CHGolferJim]

I have been lobbying for destination chargers on Kiawah for over a year. You may be aware that the Sanctuary Resort has a destination charger but they charge a $25 valet fee and priority goes to resort guests. I have paid the valet fee on occasion but last year the car came back with curb rash and I have not used their charger since. I was in contact with the company that owns and operates Freshfields Village and I presented my argument for EV Chargers at the shopping center. Initially they were on board and the business coordinator for this development was instructed to make arrangements for EV Chargers to be installed. The job was bid out to Berkeley Electric and for the next couple of months I was "bird dogging" the project only to discover that upper management had suddenly tabled the job without explanation.

The closest supercharger to Kiawah Island is Santee (about 90 miles), then also subtract mileage lost to vampire drain and it does not leave much left for shopping or dinner off island.

Very good! It’s cases like this where plugging into 110V for 36 hours comes into play!

 

[PJP1532]

We never go to the SC coast without a long extension cord.

 

[DriveMe]

I don't understand why it's taking Tesla such a long time to install a Supercharger in Charleston. Such an obvious choice!

 

[turnem]

We never go to the SC coast without a long extension cord.

Same here. That whole corridor from Charleston down through HHI is tough without a good extension chord. Myrtle Beach is fine but we typically avoid that area like that plague!

HHI itself is REALLY difficult. They only have a few chargers on the island and they are almost always full.

 

[PJP1532]

The irony here is that I-26 from I-95 to Charleston is designated and posted as an alternate fuel corridor and along that route there is only one Tesla charging source (semi-public destination charger at Springhill Suites in N. Charleston).I assume there is some federal funding that goes with the designation of an alternate fuel corridor, but there has been no effort to earn this designation. Tesla has listed Charleston as a future Supercharger site and each year they move up the target date, so this entire area has only a handful of public access charging sites.

 

[Vux007]

The owner of the Daniel Island Refuel was contacted about putting a Supercharger there. He couldn't afford to have so many parking spaces taken away so he said no. I'm guessing after being rejected, Tesla just said oh well, put Charleston at the bottom of the list.

I also signed up my company's large parking lot to have a Supercharger. I've never gotten a response. Here is the link if you want to sign up your company, or want to suggest another large parking lot area: Charging Partners | Tesla

If anyone knows how to contact someone on the Supercharger team, let me know. Someone posted an email address on here a while back. I emailed them but it was a bogus email and bounced back.

 

[ZoomsansVroom]

As it stands, Charleston is one of the most popular destinations in the country, and you should not drive a Tesla here.

There are 4 working public chargers downtown, and a couple more at some a restaurant uptown, and some very slow ones in Mt. Pleasant.

The last time I was here, there were not as many Teslas, andthere were some, now broken, chargers near work. I have had considerable difficulty finding an open, and working charger. Now having to either drive 60 miles out of the way to supercharge, or drive at 44 mph to get to one/see if I can get a working charger somewhere this morning.

I have to be in Charleston for work, and I might drive my old beater truck from now on.

I will contact the city and see what would be required to get the chargers repaired/if I can just have the electrician at work replace them with some Tesla chargers... Though I suppose it would be better if Tesla did that...