Supercharger-Coral Gables, FL?

[jbcarioca]

This is already on supercharge.info and we have a reasonable idea that it will be at 3851 Bird Road, Miami colocated with the long-awaited Miami Service Center.

So it seemed to be a good idea to make a thread specific to this location so that @BlueShift can link it.

Maybe our esteemed mod and founder @Larry Chanin could move a few Supercharger specific posts from the Miami Service Center thread to this one if he's so inclined.

Just to be clear, as Larry has already said, we are not yet completely certain that this is actually a Supercharger location. Something is being built that looks like one, and there are businesses listings for teal at the address. It's also consistent with intimations fro man long as three years ago. Still, long delays and uncertainties here make this one possibly analogous to the infamous location in Stockton, TX that was permitted more than none months ago with exactly zero construction.
With luck this might be the last such cautious post. Somebody might see some Supercharger materials showing onsite.

 

[Larry Chanin]

This is already on supercharge.info and we have a reasonable idea that it will be at 3851 Bird Road, Miami colocated with the long-awaited Miami Service Center.

So it seemed to be a good idea to make a thread specific to this location so that @BlueShift can link it.

Maybe our esteemed mod and founder @Larry Chanin could move a few Supercharger specific posts from the Miami Service Center thread to this one if he's so inclined.

Just to be clear, as Larry has already said, we are not yet completely certain that this is actually a Supercharger location. Something is being built that looks like one, and there are businesses listings for teal at the address. It's also consistent with intimations fro man long as three years ago. Still, long delays and uncertainties here make this one possibly analogous to the infamous location in Stockton, TX that was permitted more than none months ago with exactly zero construction.
With luck this might be the last such cautious post. Somebody might see some Supercharger materials showing onsite.

Hi JC,

Thanks, if there is a public Supercharger collocated at the Miami Service center we will need a dedicated thread. In the meantime I've edited the title to add a question mark. I believe that Supercharge.info is merely acting on the tentative information provided here in the Florida sub-forum and in my opinion they have prematurely declared that a Supercharger is under construction.

After we have better confirming information, I'll remove the question mark and move references to the Supercharger to this thread.

Larry

 

[BlueShift]

.... prematurely declared that a Supercharger is under construction.

Wouldn't be the first time.

arazoza has posted some pictures here: Miami Service Center? Looks promising. Updated the Coral Gables "discuss" link on supercharge.info to point to this thread.

 

[arazoza]

I will repost the photos here so that you don't have to go to another thread. I will be passing by the construction site sometime this week to provide an update.

 

[jbcarioca]

Wouldn't be the first time.

arazoza has posted some pictures here: Miami Service Center? Looks promising. Updated the Coral Gables "discuss" link on supercharge.info to point to this thread.

I will repost the photos here so that you don't have to go to another thread. I will be passing by the construction site sometime this week to provide an update.

Thanks to you both. I wish I were there so I could walk by to check progress.

 

[Larry Chanin]

Wouldn't be the first time.

arazoza has posted some pictures here: Miami Service Center? Looks promising. Updated the Coral Gables "discuss" link on supercharge.info to point to this thread.

First, let me say how much I appreciate your efforts. Yes, it looks promising and in fact it is highly likely. However, I would prefer to see some Tesla equipment first before we definitively declare this a public access Supercharger Station. I also appreciate the leaks coming out of Dania Beach, but they are still off the record and not official.

Larry

 

[jbcarioca]

First, let me say how much I appreciate your efforts. Yes, it looks promising and in fact it is highly likely. However, I would prefer to see some Tesla equipment first before we definitively declare this a public access Supercharger Station. I also appreciate the leaks coming out of Dania Beach, but they are still off the record and not official.

Larry

We should also remember that Dania Beach leaks have been coming since at least late 2014. They're as anxious for it as we are!

 

[Buddyroe]

...but they are still off the record and not official.

Larry

As is supercharge.info.

 

[Larry Chanin]

As is supercharge.info.

Hi Buddy,

Very true. Judging from the wink, I realize that your remark is probably tongue-in-cheek. Nevertheless, let me attempt to put my conservative approach into context. As I have repeatedly stated, Supercharge.info provides a truly helpful service in intelligently collecting and reporting Supercharger information. However, some people believe them to be a first-hand, authoritative source. On some occasions they do provide first-hand information, for which we are very grateful, but in the vast majority of cases they must rely on others to provide first-hand confirmations of Supercharger sites. Here in Florida, this sub-forum is their main source of authoritative first-hand information. As such it is important to us and Supercharge.info that we don't jump the gun in confirming Supercharger locations if we don't have good sources such as photos of Tesla equipment, official Tesla statements, permits, authoritative news articles, etc. It is better to error on the side of being safe even for likely candidate locations such as this one.

Larry

 

[Buddyroe]

Hi Buddy,

Very true. Judging from the wink, I realize that your remark is probably tongue-in-cheek. Nevertheless, let me attempt to put my conservative approach into context. As I have repeatedly stated, Supercharge.info provides a truly helpful service in intelligently collecting and reporting Supercharger information. However, some people believe them to be a first-hand, authoritative source. On some occasions they do provide first-hand information, for which we are very grateful, but in the vast majority of cases they must rely on others to provide first-hand confirmations of Supercharger sites. Here in Florida, this sub-forum is their main source of authoritative first-hand information. As such it is important to us and Supercharge.info that we don't jump the gun in confirming Supercharger locations if we don't have good sources such as photos of Tesla equipment, official Tesla statements, permits, authoritative news articles, etc. It is better to error on the side of being safe even for likely candidate locations such as this one.

Larry

Meh - you're overthinking it. It's a site designed to accumulate fact based, and rumor-based info into one place. Essentially, instead of me and others having to look at 50 different places to get supercharger updates (new construction, openings, etc), we can just go to supercharge.info. I really like having it that way. And, ignorance on some people's part doesn't mean Blueshift has to change how he's doing things. Besides, I think I have seen once, or maybe twice where @BlueShift changed the status of a supercharger and had to change it back.. Most of the time, he's dead on.

Oh, and I'm surprised you don't know this, but there is no "they" at supercharge.info - it's just Blueshift. It's a money losing hobby for him. There's no way anyone could ask him to spend any more time than he already does to verify each nugget of information he sees or receives. I am thankful for what he does (and that it is free!).

 

[Larry Chanin]

Meh - you're overthinking it. It's a site designed to accumulate fact based, and rumor-based info into one place. Essentially, instead of me and others having to look at 50 different places to get supercharger updates (new construction, openings, etc), we can just go to supercharge.info. I really like having it that way. And, ignorance on some people's part doesn't mean Blueshift has to change how he's doing things. Besides, I think I have seen once, or maybe twice where @BlueShift changed the status of a supercharger and had to change it back.. Most of the time, he's dead on.

Oh, and I'm surprised you don't know this, but there is no "they" at supercharge.info - it's just Blueshift. It's a money losing hobby for him. There's no way anyone could ask him to spend any more time than he already does to verify each nugget of information he sees or receives. I am thankful for what he does (and that it is free!).

As I have repeatedly stated I value Keith's contributions and effort. I doubt he shares your opinion that his intent is to accumulate both fact-based and rumor-based info. I am not asking him to spend more time verifying information. I am merely saying that we in this sub-forum should avoid declaring a Supercharger location is confirmed if we haven't validated the information. I agree that most of the time Keith's information is accurate and that's probably because most of the time he waits for validation.

Larry

 

[arazoza]

August 29th Photo Update:

Lots of construction activity when I passed by today. They were doing some landscaping in the parking lot area and I saw a large GE branded box in the parking lot. It mentioned "spectro series" on it. Looks like a large switchboard according to GE's website. No new activity with the possible supercharger spaces.

 

[Larry Chanin]

August 29th Photo Update:

Lots of construction activity when I passed by today. They were doing some landscaping in the parking lot area and I saw a large GE branded box in the parking lot. It mentioned "spectro series" on it. Looks like a large switchboard according to GE's website. No new activity with the possible supercharger spaces.

Thanks. The photo with the utility transformers shows a pad in the foreground with conduits that are likely to be where probably three Supercharger cabinets would go. The switchgear would be mounted between the utility transformers and the Supercharger cabinets.

Larry

 

[Knightowl]

Looking at the photos this looks more like a GE fast charger station may be going in rather than a supercharger. I am interested so will be following this threads future photos and info gathered. Thanks for posting, looking forward to seeing more progress.

 

[Larry Chanin]

Looking at the photos this looks more like a GE fast charger station may be going in rather than a supercharger. I am interested so will be following this threads future photos and info gathered. Thanks for posting, looking forward to seeing more progress.

Does GE make a DC fast charger? Here's their catalog: Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

It has been confirmed that this is the location of a new Tesla Service Center. Even if GE made a DC Fast charger, it is extremely unlikely that Tesla would install another manufacturer's brand of DC Fast charging instead of a Tesla Supercharger.

As arazoza pointed out the GE equipment in the photo is a switchboard which could be used to distribute the power from the utility power transformer to the Supercharger cabinets.

Larry

 

[jbcarioca]

Does GE make a DC fast charger? Here's their catalog: Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

It has been confirmed that this is the location of a new Tesla Service Center. Even if GE made a DC Fast charger, it is extremely unlikely that Tesla would install another manufacturer's brand of DC Fast charging instead of a Tesla Supercharger.

As arazoza pointed out the GE equipment in the photo is a switchboard which could be used to distribute the power from the utility power transformer to the Supercharger cabinets.

Larry

A trifle OT, but GE sold their EV charging network to ChargePoint:
ChargePoint Takes Over Management of GE’s Electric Vehicle Charging Network
GE still makes the equipment, but thus far has not made DC charging equipment for EV's. If they intend to stay in the business we might expect those soon, but maybe they'll stay in their sweet spot, providing equipment for the charging system backbones. GE is pretty strong in the utility equipment field, including various categories of load distribution equipment, including the purported switchboard on Bird Road.

 

[Larry Chanin]

A trifle OT, but GE sold their EV charging network to ChargePoint:
ChargePoint Takes Over Management of GE’s Electric Vehicle Charging Network
GE still makes the equipment, but thus far has not made DC charging equipment for EV's. If they intend to stay in the business we might expect those soon, but maybe they'll stay in their sweet spot, providing equipment for the charging system backbones. GE is pretty strong in the utility equipment field, including various categories of load distribution equipment, including the purported switchboard on Bird Road.

Hi JC,

Thanks for the background. As you point out to date GE hasn't made any DC Fast Charging equipment and ChargePoint has merely taken over GE's level 2 charging network.

I think it is fair to say that the probability of Tesla installing a GE DC Fast Charger, which GE has yet to have manufactured, in the parking lot of a Tesla Service Center has been reduced to zero.

Larry

 

[Racerx22b]

I think it is fair to say that the probability of Tesla installing a GE DC Fast Charger, which GE has yet to have manufactured, in the parking lot of a Tesla Service Center has been reduced to zero.

Larry

So you're saying there's still a chance... LOL

 

[arazoza]

September 1st Photo Update:

More electrical equipment is in place. I did not see any of the supercharger containers in the parking lot. Probably have not arrived yet. The rest of the store/service center is coming along nicely.

 

[Larry Chanin]

September 1st Photo Update:

More electrical equipment is in place. I did not see any of the supercharger containers in the parking lot. Probably have not arrived yet. The rest of the store/service center is coming along nicely.

Thanks.
It appears that they have set the GE switchboard on the concrete pad. The grey box on the unistrut to the right of the switchboard is probably the utility meter box. A glass meter socket is installed in the meter box prior to energizing the service. To the left of the switchboard might to be two locations for the mounting of Supercharger cabinets. If this is a typical location with 8 charging stalls we will need space on a concrete pad for two more Supercharger cabinets.

On your next update, please see if you can get a photo of the concrete pad to the left of the switchboard. Thanks again.

Larry