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Supercharger - Firebaugh, CA (I-5 / West Panoche Rd, LIVE 13 Nov 2020, 56 V3 stalls)

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Hi @eladts, why is there a limit on how many V3 cabinets can be linked? Each has a DC input/output; why can't they just chain up as many as they want. Don't tell me the control software has a 3-bit variable :) Thanks

We don't really know how linking V3 cabinets works, it is probably a little more complicated than daisy chaining Christmas lights. The 7 cabinet limit was in the leaks just before V3 was announced and there is no site with more than 28 V3 stalls.
 
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While it's great to see more superchargers being built, I have to wonder who is going to use these? For LA <--> SF trips Kettleman City or Harris Ranch is usually all you need to make it through the Central Valley, assuming you depart with 100% charge. Maybe for people starting further out like in Sac or San Diego?
It just seems odd since I've never seen Kettleman City come even close to full, even on summer holiday weekends. Still though, more superchargers is always better.
This is Tesla planning for the future, but not a very distant future, when there will be tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of new Teslas on the road in California. It’s a smart move.

It’s in a very good location.

F9118CCD-4928-47DC-91DA-5ACE37F747F1.png
 
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While it's great to see more superchargers being built, I have to wonder who is going to use these? For LA <--> SF trips Kettleman City or Harris Ranch is usually all you need to make it through the Central Valley, assuming you depart with 100% charge. Maybe for people starting further out like in Sac or San Diego?

It just seems odd since I've never seen Kettleman City come even close to full, even on summer holiday weekends. Still though, more superchargers is always better.

I think it was last Thanksgiving when all those chargers had lines for hours. So it definitely can and does happen. Will be even worse now that they're putting out MY at breakneck pace.

This 50+ location is very welcome!
 
I think it was last Thanksgiving when all those chargers had lines for hours. So it definitely can and does happen. Will be even worse now that they're putting out MY at breakneck pace.

This 50+ location is very welcome!
Last Thanksgiving, it was the Superchargers along ECR that were flooded, and that’s kind of expecting this type of Supercharger to go.

Paso did just get 28 stalls but I still don’t think that’s enough if another shitshow like last year happens again
 
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Last Thanksgiving, it was the Superchargers along ECR that were flooded, and that’s kind of expecting this type of Supercharger to go.

Paso did just get 28 stalls but I still don’t think that’s enough if another shitshow like last year happens again

It was everywhere including Kettleman City. There is a pic of the line here, and it says it was about 50 cars long More Teslas on the Road Meant Hours-Long Supercharger Lines Over Thanksgiving

And yeah it was even worse along 101, I remember reading about 4+ hour waits at the Madonna Inn charger.
 
While it's great to see more superchargers being built, I have to wonder who is going to use these? For LA <--> SF trips Kettleman City or Harris Ranch is usually all you need to make it through the Central Valley, assuming you depart with 100% charge. Maybe for people starting further out like in Sac or San Diego?

It just seems odd since I've never seen Kettleman City come even close to full, even on summer holiday weekends. Still though, more superchargers is always better.

Trying to figure out what routes a charging station fits into is sort of missing the point.

More cars need more chargers at more locations.

On heavily used corridors like this, pretty soon they're going to need more stations around this size, or smaller stations at basically every exit to keep with demand on busy days.
 
I think one idea that I would use is being able to leave home without a full charge and being able to stop here and getting a full charge quickly would be great. I know I would totally use this for a spur of the moment trip to LA
Exactly. Choice is king. Don't want to have to pre-plan every trip. I don't live in that particular area, but I'd love a stop 30 miles into my typical 4 hour drive. I usually stop once anyway. I can leave on a moments notice. I don't have to charge to 90% before I leave. Also do not have to charge too high into the taper at the Supercharger to make it the rest of the way with only one stop. And it's V3.
 
FYI, Kettleman is dual v3 and v2. So, this might be the same. If I had my choice, I'd also thrown in some slower chargers as well (urban?) that would allow for not being rushed through lunch/dinner.

Kettelman was built as a V2 and only some of the stalls were converted to V3. Probably the limiting factor was the capacity of the transformer. Tesla rerely builds new V2 or Urban installations in North America these days, as V3 are more efficient. If you don't want to rush dinner there would be 9 non-Telsa charging stall, likely J1722.
 
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The reality is that Tesla ownership is increasing so much that any superchargers help tremendously, even if they're sited close to each other. There are several rural cities and towns where the placement of superchargers seems questionable based on the logic that supercharger sites need to be evenly spaced apart or holes need to be filled in (such as Mt. Shasta or Placerville with its upcoming 2nd supercharger). While filling in holes helps I think capacity is just as important and that's what sites that are not "optimally" placed do: they add much needed capacity which eventually offload the nearest supercharger sites.

Additionally, the new Superchargers are v3, which allows for faster charging than v2 for the large majority of new Teslas sold. Faster charging increases capacity.

Expansions, either at the same location, or very close by add capacity, but others, even if only 10 miles away add _density_ as well as capacity.

Density increases capacity by optimizing charging in two ways. First, it means that cars are more likely to be able to stop at an optimally low state of charge, instead of having to stop early to top off and reach the next Supercharger. Second, it allows cars to stop charging before there's excessive taper.

Density is also important for fault tolerance. If a Supercharger goes down or is charging very slowly, higher density allows people to skip that Supercharger. We've seen the impact of low density with the Quartzsite problems.