Supercharger - Etobicoke ON

[mknox]

This is where the mixed supercharger option comes in handy. With 20 stalls, they could have made 12 regular SCs and 8 urban.

Took a swing by there over the lunch hour. They are definitely all the smaller "urban-style" pedestals, and some are in a back-to-back configuration. They even have the red Tesla Parking signs up already.

I am still puzzled by the fact that the Supercharger equipment cabinets appear to be the same as at other "full" Supercharger stations. I can't be 100% sure because it was too damn cold to get out of my car and walk around!

Then a though occurred to me: I am wondering if the appearance of the stall and the power it can deliver are not necessarily linked. In other words, could these more compact pedestals still be delivering the full 135 kW? Maybe Tesla is just standardizing on this new pedestal design, but that is not linked to how much power it can deliver. In many ways, that would make a lot of sense.

 

[RiverBrick]

The cables are reportedly thinner into and out of the urban pedestals. Not sure that they would meet standards for the higher current necessary for 120 kW.

 

[mknox]

The cables are reportedly thinner into and out of the urban pedestals. Not sure that they would meet standards for the higher current necessary for 120 kW.

By that I assume you mean the cabling from the pedestal back to the supply equipment. If so, they could just install heavier cabling when wired in. If you mean the cable that connects to the car... that could be an issue unless it is also made heavier.

Perhaps just wishful thinking on my part...

 

[ytwytw]

im fine with urban supercharger for the following reasons

its faster than chademo anyways
its part of supercharger network (free for most of the people here)
its extra 86s (calculation from last page), you can easily kill 86 seconds in sheway
its sheway, you are wasting no time except spend money in the mall or window shopping there
its at intersection of QEW & Gardiner & 427, much more convenience than Lawrence (DVP sucks) and Vaughan Mills (far from downtown)

 

[Doug_G]

This is where the mixed supercharger option comes in handy. With 20 stalls, they could have made 12 regular SCs and 8 urban. This way those who are needing range charge can be in and out and those who are opportunity or local charging can have more time in the mall before coming out and needing to move.

Yeah, but aside from enthusiasts like the people on this forum, how likely are the average Tesla users to appreciate the difference between the two types of stalls? Most likely they'll just pull up to the first free stall that they see. You'll end up with the wrong people on the wrong stalls - in both directions.

 

[Sisko - DS9]

Yeah, but aside from enthusiasts like the people on this forum, how likely are the average Tesla users to appreciate the difference between the two types of stalls? Most likely they'll just pull up to the first free stall that they see. You'll end up with the wrong people on the wrong stalls - in both directions.

I think you are correct about that, but this is where the Tesla sales people would come in. They need to give customers purposeful information when they are buying and picking up a car. They have to educate people on the superchargers in the first place, so if there are two forms of superchargers; how hard is it to add the more efficient purpose of each. I realize not everyone will remember what was said and over time you hope people change/adapt to a more efficient practice. It is at the end of the day learned behaviour. The two look very different from each other... and I suspect that when you pull up to a supercharge station and see the two different types, most people would remember the difference between the two and hopefully contemplate what their usage is needed at that time.

Granted, if one type are all in use, someone will simply just occupy whatever type is free. I get that. I was just suggesting I hope that if the two types are used together, some of the time people will think before they charge - when practicable.

 

[Doug_G]

It’s the people thinking part that will fail. Attention span these days is remarkably lacking.

 

[wallstguy]

Yeah, but aside from enthusiasts like the people on this forum, how likely are the average Tesla users to appreciate the difference between the two types of stalls? Most likely they'll just pull up to the first free stall that they see. You'll end up with the wrong people on the wrong stalls - in both directions.

Its funny you say that, its quite often that I end up at the Grimsby Supercharger with about 4 cars lined up on stalls 4a,4b,3a,3b rather than people using their own, and I always end up explaining to them how superchargers work

 

[TrevTremaine]

Yeah, but aside from enthusiasts like the people on this forum, how likely are the average Tesla users to appreciate the difference between the two types of stalls? Most likely they'll just pull up to the first free stall that they see. You'll end up with the wrong people on the wrong stalls - in both directions.

I agree that owners will not look twice when choosing a stall to charge, but in the same instance, when there's significantly more cars using this infrastructure, you'll probably end up with a long queue during rush hour traffic - at least in the short term until more SCs are built. I would think it's prudent to have put some urban chargers in place regardless and hope for courtesy amongst owners (wishful thinking looking at what has happened out in California with line ups).

There are other chargers I believe up and running at the other end of Sherway in one of the parking garages, but I've not really looked at them in detail.

 

[pompey]

Dropped by today, here are some photos and the exact location of the urban SC

 

[sakimano]

Honestly it's a wash for 75kWh packs, which taper below 72kW charging rate around 60% state of charge.

If my math is correct, Urban vs standard Supercharging for 75kWh packs translates to 6kWh less in the first 20 minutes, starting from 10% SoC. So from 10% to 50% it adds 5 minutes. Above 60% it no longer matters.

This could be almost completely offset by the fact that stalls don't share stacks.

Bigger packs will have more to say about the difference.

Yes and frankly when I'm charging at 400 kmh or 550 kmh...it really doesn't matter.

If I were limited to say 90 kmh or 120 kmh that would be annoying but at this point I'm fine with anything in the few hundred or more range.

 

[sakimano]

That's still 84 seconds that I will never get back

The key is that you'll always get all of that. Sometime not far in the future that site will be rammed full so you'd always be sharing a/b with someone else if it were a proper supercharger, and you'll likely always be second to get on when you first arrive so it's even less of a concern.

 

[rypalmer]

Though as I roll through New Brunswick and Quebec at -20ºC (W/O WINDCHILL) I am really going to enjoy hitting 96kW for as long as I do.

 

[sakimano]

Yeah, but aside from enthusiasts like the people on this forum, how likely are the average Tesla users to appreciate the difference between the two types of stalls? Most likely they'll just pull up to the first free stall that they see. You'll end up with the wrong people on the wrong stalls - in both directions.

This is true, most people I see at superchargers give no thought to the A/B ramifications and just plug in. They don't seem to be hip to the complexities of it. My wife is a good example. I don't think I've seen her look more bored than when I tried to teach this to her...

 

[Struja]

Its funny you say that, its quite often that I end up at the Grimsby Supercharger with about 4 cars lined up on stalls 4a,4b,3a,3b rather than people using their own, and I always end up explaining to them how superchargers work

Can you explain this to me? I am not getting it.

Never mind...

Came back and read it all again. I get it.

 

[MarcoRP]

Though as I roll through New Brunswick and Quebec at -20ºC (W/O WINDCHILL) I am really going to enjoy hitting 96kW for as long as I do.

Are you located in NB right now?

 

[rypalmer]

Are you located in NB right now?

Overnighted in Fredericton (-20°), now charging in Edmundston (-20°)

 

[MarcoRP]

Have you seen anything like a Supercharger yet in Edmundston?

 

[rypalmer]

Have you seen anything like a Supercharger yet in Edmundston?

Nope and I'm not expecting to in 2018.

 

[mhp_]

I am still puzzled by the fact that the Supercharger equipment cabinets appear to be the same as at other "full" Supercharger stations. I can't be 100% sure because it was too damn cold to get out of my car and walk around!

The Urban SC cabinets in Chicago look the same