Supercharger - Cupertino, CA (LIVE 28 Mar 2018, 10 V2 stalls)

[Bet TSLA]

I haven't been there lately. During early days I talked to one meter maid enforcement type who would say nothing other than "You can't wait here. Find a real parking place." which was obviously pointless. I also talked to a pair of mall cop types who claimed it was all under (their) control and would be fine. They obviously had no idea what they were talking about.

So if mall parking management has any idea how to make this better, they obviously aren't letting their front line people know anything about it.

 

[Ulmo]

Was just there this Saturday and it was a mess. It was empty when I came in and almost dinner time when I left (multiple cars just lining up blocking traffic) they either need to get Valet just like San Mateo or designate a proper waiting spots.

I just thought of something:

By reservation only.

This is how I see it implemented:

In software. Registered by the nav, and enforced by the pedestals. Big sign at SuperCharger: "BY RESERVATION ONLY VIA CAR NAV." Also on each pedestal where the cord hangs up. Would say it right in the SuperCharger information on the in-car map. You would have to either be autorouted through there which would cause a reservation (and calculated into the time of the route, so nav might route you some faster way), or same thing manually because you actually click (press) on the charger location and it says "Reserve Charging Spot" button right on the SuperCharger information window. (Since nav is extra on some Tesla cars, even on Teslas that don't have nav, the SuperCharger button would be available to reserve the spot.)

If you pull into a stall in some sort of mad beligerance and try to use it, the SuperCharger would refuse to start, and the car screen would give the error "By Reservation Only; please pull out of SuperCharger stall and make a reservation."

(The reservation system could even tell you a recommended charger to use as soon as you arrive, for any stalls that are slowed down due to pairing, wiring, or other issues. This would allow better time estimates in the reservation system and avoid late situations.)

Late fee for cutting into another persons's reservation would be double the current late fee.

Anyone who arrives late by 7.5 minutes, for whatever reason, would forfeit their reservation, and another person could move their reservation spot. The car nav would know this, and continually update the reservation to the expected time of arrival.

If any current owner who uses Cupertino SuperCharger thinks this is a good idea, tweet to @elonmusk about it; I sold my car last year.

 

[chillaban]

I think for now, attendant/valet managed charging is still the best option. I've worked at places that have a electronic queuing system. Due to all the logistics around it, what ends up happening is that the charger ends up unoccupied for long periods of time due to people with reservations not showing up and the system enforcing a timeout.

It would be great to get a robotic queuing system that works, but in the interim, it seems far simpler to manage fair queuing by an attendant.

 

[Ulmo]

I think for now, attendant/valet managed charging is still the best option. I've worked at places that have a electronic queuing system. Due to all the logistics around it, what ends up happening is that the charger ends up unoccupied for long periods of time due to people with reservations not showing up and the system enforcing a timeout.

It would be great to get a robotic queuing system that works, but in the interim, it seems far simpler to manage fair queuing by an attendant.

Do you think a valet-based fair queuing system would work at Cupertino? I see that there is a congestion problem for the actual ability to wait in line.

 

[Zeromus-X]

A valet queueing system could work using the spaces across from the chargers. Problem at Cupertino is that space is at a premium and I don't know if the garage would be willing to give up that much of it. San Mateo valet works because there's room on the roof to queue vehicles, and then the valet can move them when charging is complete. I don't even know where people would wait in Cupertino.

Only thing I can consider is that instead of owners waiting with their cars like San Mateo, owners would just park in a spot across from the chargers and the valet would be tasked with plugging/unplugging them.

A lot of this could also be mitigated by placing chargers in the center of two parking spaces so that one car pulls in and one car backs in, and the charging cable could reach both cars. But too late for that obviously.

 

[FlatSix911]

What is the right or wrong side?

It's a bad location to begin with no way to properly line up and wait. Either need valet or dedicate entire floor just for Urban chargers. Either way it's blocking traffic.

There is a parking valet on site during the weekends when I visit the outdoor mall. Nonetheless, this location is a complete $hit$how due to the high-density parking and poor location on an upper floor. Given the bad design and the growing Model 3 tsunami, I avoid it like the plague...

 

[chibi_kurochan]

I just thought of something:

By reservation only.

This is how I see it implemented:

In software. Registered by the nav, and enforced by the pedestals. Big sign at SuperCharger: "BY RESERVATION ONLY VIA CAR NAV." Also on each pedestal where the cord hangs up. Would say it right in the SuperCharger information on the in-car map. You would have to either be autorouted through there which would cause a reservation (and calculated into the time of the route, so nav might route you some faster way), or same thing manually because you actually click (press) on the charger location and it says "Reserve Charging Spot" button right on the SuperCharger information window. (Since nav is extra on some Tesla cars, even on Teslas that don't have nav, the SuperCharger button would be available to reserve the spot.)

If you pull into a stall in some sort of mad beligerance and try to use it, the SuperCharger would refuse to start, and the car screen would give the error "By Reservation Only; please pull out of SuperCharger stall and make a reservation."

(The reservation system could even tell you a recommended charger to use as soon as you arrive, for any stalls that are slowed down due to pairing, wiring, or other issues. This would allow better time estimates in the reservation system and avoid late situations.)

Late fee for cutting into another persons's reservation would be double the current late fee.

Anyone who arrives late by 7.5 minutes, for whatever reason, would forfeit their reservation, and another person could move their reservation spot. The car nav would know this, and continually update the reservation to the expected time of arrival.

If any current owner who uses Cupertino SuperCharger thinks this is a good idea, tweet to @elonmusk about it; I sold my car last year.

This is pretty neat idea, can be based on proximity to the station + charge level. because I bet a lot of people probably don't really need the charge, they just do it just because they can and it's free (for most)

There is a parking valet on site during the weekends when I visit the outdoor mall. Nonetheless, this location is a complete $hit$how due to the high-density parking and poor location on an upper floor. Given the bad design and the growing Model 3 tsunami, I avoid it like the plague...

The best short term solution is exactly this! AVOID THIS SUPERCHARGER AT ALL COST!

I can't wait for the one by Target on Coleman avenue to open~ even Los Gatos will probably help reduce load. Right now the worst design/planning (Cupertino) covers the highest density of Teslas in South Bay (Campbell, Saratoga, Los Gatos, San Jose, Santa Clara, Cupertino).

 

[ExecCat1]

This is pretty neat idea, can be based on proximity to the station + charge level. because I bet a lot of people probably don't really need the charge, they just do it just because they can and it's free (for most)



The best short term solution is exactly this! AVOID THIS SUPERCHARGER AT ALL COST!

I can't wait for the one by Target on Coleman avenue to open~ even Los Gatos will probably help reduce load. Right now the worst design/planning (Cupertino) covers the highest density of Teslas in South Bay (Campbell, Saratoga, Los Gatos, San Jose, Santa Clara, Cupertino).

Yep! 3 in SJ plus Los Gatos are all targeted for "Summer 2018" so that should take a lot of congestion off of Cupertino's Disaster Supercharger!!

 

[HandleX]

Thursday 10:45pm all stalls are full. One waiting.

 

[SMAlset]

12:25pm on Tuesday and 3rd in line with Valet waiting for a charging spot. Must be a lot of people off work this week for the holiday and shopping in the area.

 

[ecarfan]

Moderator note: Four posts that were not about the Cupertino Supercharger were moved to their own thread in the Charging Standards and Infrastructure forum.

Before posting, please take a moment to consider if your post is on topic for the thread you are posting in. Hint: check the thread title.

Thank you.

 

[sxnahm]

I visited the Cupertino Supercharger last month, and you get a review! Aren't you lucky?

Tesla Cupertino Supercharger review