Supercharger - Giddings, TX

[mociaf9]

TDLR TABS - Project Details

What: Tesla Superchargers of unknown number or type to be installed at CEFCO gas station parking lot.
Address: 3025 E. Austin St.; Giddings, TX 78942
GPS (guess on location within lot): 30.178899, -96.906998

This location is about 2 miles east of the intersection of US-290 and US-77. So, useful for people traveling directly between Houston and Austin on US-290. And maybe for San Antonio or Austin folks (or really anyone from further south and west of Giddings) round-tripping to College Station to watch the games. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like there's really anything within walking distance besides the gas station minimart. But at least that's open 24/7. And according to the Google reviews, the gas station also has a fenced in dog park area. So anyone traveling with pets might have a good spot to let them get some exercise.


@BlueShift @Chuq

 

[brkaus]

A bit out of the way, but also useful for Austin->College Station-> Austin until there is a supercharger in College Station.

Not sure all the TDLR filings have turned into reality?

 

[LCR1]

Wish they did Brenham first. Gidding is kind of do legged from the route I'd take to get to my folks.

And walking distance is relative. it's a half mile to the strip center down the road.

 

[TexasEV]

I posted this location as having a utility site survey for Tesla a few months ago, but then we found that in Texas the company doing the utility surveys was listing Tesla as the client even when the survey was for Electrify America. So we probably should still be skeptical of this until construction starts.

 

[SammichLover]

Wish they did Brenham first. Gidding is kind of do legged from the route I'd take to get to my folks.

And walking distance is relative. it's a half mile to the strip center down the road.

So looking forward to Hempstead going in sometime this year. Either that or Brenham would allow me to reliably take the shortest route to/from West Texas without stopping in that clogged up clustergrab at Austin or one of the DC's in Brenham.

 

[mociaf9]

Not sure all the TDLR filings have turned into reality?

The only ones I've found which haven't eventuated were the original filings for Ft. Stockton and San Antonio, where Tesla had gotten quite far in the development process before those projects fell through. But the point is that we knew those were real locations even if they subsequently changed. And there were new filings for the updated locations once they had been chosen. Now that Austin-Stonelake and Webster are in construction, there aren't any other filings that I've been able to find which didn't become superchargers. There are, however, some already existing superchargers for which there aren't TDLR filings or I was unable to find them [Van Horn, Shamrock, Corsicana, Waco, Huntsville, Houston-NorthFwy, Columbus, San Marcos].

And walking distance is relative. it's a half mile to the strip center down the road.

Yeah, the distance to that isn't horrible, though certainly not close. But the distance combined with the lack of sidewalks and essentially no paved shoulder along a highway, mean that I wouldn't describe it as a "walkable" distance even though I'd personally have no trouble getting there.

 

[SammichLover]

Now that Austin-Stonelake and Webster are in construction, there aren't any other filings that I've been able to find which didn't become superchargers.

Aren't there more though that ended up Electrify America or haven't materialized yet? I think there was Madisonville (at a Walmart), one in Columbus IIRC (where there already was a SC, that ended up an EA), and at least one other but don't remember off the top of my head. I'd have to go hunting through the forum threads for that.

 

[mociaf9]

I posted this location as having a utility site survey for Tesla a few months ago, but then we found that in Texas the company doing the utility surveys was listing Tesla as the client even when the survey was for Electrify America. So we probably should still be skeptical of this until construction starts.

This one is definitely for Tesla. It could be that the site will eventually fall through for one reason or another, but you don't have to worry about skepticism over it actually being for Tesla. The information in filing make it quite clear. I've found and examined the available TDLR filings for all of the superchargers in Texas and this one fits the pattern for those perfectly. It's not just that Tesla is listed in the project name, description, and as tenant. Because that hasn't always happened, even though it does here. But the other information that's listed points to it being for Tesla as well. Jeffrey Gutknecht has been the RAS for all of them, GPD Group were the designers for almost all of them, and Zachary Whitney is a team member for the Supercharger build out who is often the contact for various permit/planning/zoning filings (not just for sites in Texas).

Aren't there more though that ended up Electrify America or haven't materialized yet? I think there was Madisonville (at a Walmart), one in Columbus IIRC (where there already was a SC, that ended up an EA), and at least one other but don't remember off the top of my head. I'd have to go hunting through the forum threads for that.

EA locations also have TDLR filings, yes. All construction projects in Texas of sufficient size/value require them. But the information listed in them is enough to make it clear that they aren't for Tesla. At least, it is if you've read dozens of them. In addition to the project names and descriptions which usually make the distinction clear, all the EA installation filings I've seen use a different design group--LDC Corp.--and Sasha Mote is usually their RAS. None of the Tesla locations used those two.

Here's my posts identifying what I thought were the EA installations from searching TDLR filings. I believe I'm 100% so far:

1. Texas Electrify America fast charging locations
2. Texas Electrify America fast charging locations

 

[SammichLover]

This one is definitely for Tesla. It could be that the site will eventually fall through for one reason or another, but you don't have to worry about skepticism over it actually being for Tesla. The information in filing make it quite clear. I've found and examined the available TDLR filings for all of the superchargers in Texas and this one fits the pattern for those perfectly. It's not just that Tesla is listed in the project name, description, and as tenant. But the other information that's listed as well. Jeffrey Gutknecht has been the RAS for all of them, GPD Group were the designers for almost all of them, and Zachary Whitney is a team member for the Supercharger build out who is often the contact for various permit/planning/zoning filings (not just for sites in Texas).


EA locations also have TDLR filings, yes. All construction projects of sufficient size/value require them. But the information listed in them is usually enough to make it clear that they aren't for Tesla. At least it is if you've read dozens of them. In addition to the project names and descriptions which usually make the distinction clear, all the EA installation filings I've seen use a different design group--LDC Corp.--and Sasha Mote is usually their RAS. None of the Tesla locations used those two.

Here's my posts identifying what I though were the EA installations from searching TDLR filings. I believe I'm 100% so far:

1. Texas Electrify America fast charging locations
2. Texas Electrify America fast charging locations

Ah, so you're looking past just the project name (which has been a poor indicator, since EA's have oddly said "Tesla" in them). Well at least Giddings will also satisfy my East-West to Junction quandary. It is less than 200 miles to Junction in low traffic, via Fredericksburg, or just over 200 miles via Llano if traffic points that way. Both LR reachable jumps w/o resorting to sub-speed limit driving in decent weather.

Giddings was chosen to allow a Waco - Victoria route down 77?

 

[PLUS EV]

Wish they did Brenham first. Gidding is kind of do legged from the route I'd take to get to my folks.

And walking distance is relative. it's a half mile to the strip center down the road.

If it's anything like other Texas towns of similar size, there will be no sidewalk and semis barreling down that road at 70mph, therefore not walkable.

 

[SammichLover]

If it's anything like other Texas towns of similar size, there will be no sidewalk and semis barreling down that road at 70mph, therefore not walkable.

Ding!

From the address, its also on the wrong side of the road from the restaurants. You'd be crossing 5 lanes of 290 (2 each way and an shared, uncontrolled turning lane) to get to them. The only thing on that side within a 1/2 mile is a Bucees.

 

[PLUS EV]

Giddings was chosen to allow a Waco - Victoria route down 77?

Probably more for Houston to Austin, but of course it serves other routes as well.

 

[SammichLover]

Probably more for Houston to Austin, but of course it serves other routes as well.

Breham is more mid-way between Houston Rudy's SC on 290 and the [Original] Austin SC. I guess if they are going put in Hempstead this year that'd cut it into 1/3's putting it Giddings, so okay maybe that's it.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Giddings, TX

Along Primary Interstates: None
Along US Numbered Highways (<=5mi): US-77, US-290
Along Auxiliary Interstates: None

US-77:
From: Victoria, TX - 107.2 miles
To: Waco, TX - 105.6 miles
Diversion: 3.6 miles
From: Kingsville, TX - 218.6 miles
To: Italy, TX - 154.8 miles

US-290:
From: Austin, TX - 53.3 miles
To: Houston - Northwest Freeway, TX - 90.5 miles
Diversion: 0 miles

On US-290 between Houston, TX to Austin, TX
Also close to US-77 for some North-South driving.

 

[SammichLover]

US-290:
From: Austin, TX - 53.3 miles

That's just a bit further from Austin SC than San Marcos SC. Frankly given the state of Austin SC, having an alternate SC within 20-50 miles in all four directions wouldn't be a bad thing. Next up after the one in progress in Round Rock or whatever area is Fredericksburg!

 

[hamtonp]

OMG. Buc-ee's is only 0.4 miles away. I sure wish Tesla and Buc-ee's would team up. It's a win-win situation.

 

[PLUS EV]

OMG. Buc-ee's is only 0.4 miles away. I sure wish Tesla and Buc-ee's would team up. It's a win-win situation.

I noticed that as well. Buc-ee's is clearly anti-EV or anti-Tesla. This is Texas after all.

 

[kavyboy]

OMG. Buc-ee's is only 0.4 miles away. I sure wish Tesla and Buc-ee's would team up. It's a win-win situation.

If Buc-ee's had charging, I'd end up spending a fortune in their stores. Like I need more jerky and fudge.

 

[SammichLover]

I noticed that as well. Buc-ee's is clearly anti-EV or anti-Tesla. This is Texas after all.

Others that seem to know the man better have hinted it has to do with not wanting to be vendor tied. So anti-Tesla in a sense.

I think it also may be linked to EV charging still being a bit slower than their business model assumes. They aren't looking for sit-down customers. With V3 though that's getting very close to moot, especially if they swung a "80% SOC limit" deal with Tesla.

Their Madisonville store, for example, is currently mid-way between two SC, Huntsville and Corsicana. The store up by Texas Motor Speedway in DFW would also be a decent pass-thru location given current SC placements.

 

[Twiglett]

Buc-ees apparently has no interest in attracting EV drivers - we might hang around too long or start asking for seats.
I still go there, but just to use the rest rooms without buying anything just as a mini protest