Supercharger - Hawthorne, CA - Tesla Design Center (CLOSED TO PUBLIC 19 Jul 2021, 8 V2 + 2 V3 stalls)

[vgrinshpun]

A typical supercharger station includes one 500kVA transformer per the supercharger station with 6 to 8 plugs. What would be really interesting to know is whether TM added another 500kVA transformer in order to double quantity of plugs at this supercharger location, or they just added battery packs to satisfy peaks in demand and are still relying on the original 500kVA transformer to provide for the "base" load.

If TM indeed added the battery packs instead of second transformer, it will indicate what I am thinking about for a while now: as TM is further ramping up production, there will be need for steady expansion of not only of SC locations, but for an increase of plugs at the existing locations. Adding batteries instead of additional utility drops/transformers might be a more sensible way to expand.

Could somebody local peek behind the fences to see if there was second 500kVA transformer installed at Hawthorne?

 

[AEdennis]

With the new hcsharp CANSR roadster owners can charge off the HPWCs and any employee or visitor with time to kill in the area can use them as well.

 

[Cottonwood]

A typical supercharger station includes one 500kVA transformer per the supercharger station with 6 to 8 plugs. What would be really interesting to know is whether TM added another 500kVA transformer in order to double quantity of plugs at this supercharger location, or they just added battery packs to satisfy peaks in demand and are still relying on the original 500kVA transformer to provide for the "base" load.

If TM indeed added the battery packs instead of second transformer, it will indicate what I am thinking about for a while now: as TM is further ramping up production, there will be need for steady expansion of not only of SC locations, but for an increase of plugs at the existing locations. Adding batteries instead of additional utility drops/transformers might be a more sensible way to expand.

Could somebody local peek behind the fences to see if there was second 500kVA transformer installed at Hawthorne?

My guess is that they upgraded the transformer to 1,000, 1,500, or 2,000 kVA. AC in to a 135 kW DC out Supercharger Cabinet is about 150 kW. If the HPWC's are 240V, then they are 19.2 kW AC each, for a total of 6*150+8*19.2 = 1,054 kW.

If they are adding energy storage for peak shaving, I am sure that this is an Alpha testing site, and they will be sizing the grid power to work with or without the peak-shaving.

At over a MegaWatt, this may be the highest total power automobile charging center on earth! For comparison, the original Tesla configured generating station, the Ames Hydroelectric Generating Plant, generated 75 kW or 0.075 MW.

 

[vgrinshpun]

My guess is that they upgraded the transformer to 1,000, 1,500, or 2,000 kVA. AC in to a 135 kW DC out Supercharger Cabinet is about 150 kW. If the HPWC's are 240V, then they are 19.2 kW AC each, for a total of 6*150+8*19.2 = 1,054 kW.

If they are adding energy storage for peak shaving, I am sure that this is an Alpha testing site, and they will be sizing the grid power to work with or without the peak-shaving.

At over a MegaWatt, this may be the highest total power automobile charging center on earth! For comparison, the original Tesla configured generating station, the Ames Hydroelectric Generating Plant, generated 75 kW or 0.075 MW.

The comparison to the Tesla original Ames Plant is fascinating, thank you for this!

Regarding the transformer KVAs, I am actually going by drawings for a Wisconsin supercharger that were produced by Black & Veatch (Black Veatch - Global EPC Leaders in Critical Human Infrastructure
), which I obtained a while back.

I was thinking about expansion of the plugs at the existing SC locations for a while. Based on the Q2 shareholder's letter about 8% of all miles driven by Tesla owners come from SC. Given that cumulative quantity of Teslas on the roads increases very rapidly, TM have to plan for the steep increase of the quantity of plugs at the existing SC sites. Increasing capacity of the incoming utility feed and transformer size might not be feasible due to various limitations, so it is very important for TM to conduct comprehensive real life testing for installing and using battery packs to support the expansion. Hawthorne site is an ideal location for such pilot project.

 

[Sgt Barone]

The page on Tesla has been updated with the new number of chargers.

Find Us | Tesla Motors

 

[flodrab]

I wonder who will be using the SC's and who will be using the HPWC's ... My guess is ... for "locals" ... who have the time to spare and can leave there car for several hours.

good guess ... I was talking to somebody who works at the Design Center, and who has an S, and he said that since he and others like him are there all day anyhow they aren't in any hurry to charge or really have to "wait", so they can plug in for hours at a time and leave the Superchargers open for travelers just passing through

I hope they get rid of those stupid pebbles that always litter the lot.

a couple of times I've been there I spent some of the waiting time by aimlessly wandering the parking lot kicking loose pebbles back into their troughs ... how am I gonna occupy my time now? :smile:

 

[NoCO]

a couple of times I've been there I spent some of the waiting time by aimlessly wandering the parking lot kicking loose pebbles back into their troughs ... how am I gonna occupy my time now? :smile:

You could try to remove your shoes and roll up you pants and enjoy a walk in the reflecting pool. I could give you a nice task, the complex is the old Northrop Aircraft plant. While the old plant Fire station has been retasked, there is still the emergency vehicle parking spaces still there (faded a bit). Snap a shot (post it here) and I'll tell you were I have left $.85 for the soda machine.

 

[callmesam]

If they are adding energy storage for peak shaving, I am sure that this is an Alpha testing site, and they will be sizing the grid power to work with or without the peak-shaving.

There appear to be 2 400kWh skid secured packs.

 

[Maaz]

WOW, i just there last during the Tesla D event, and i can't believe how amazing this expansion looks, even better with the addition of the culver city supercharger addition. If Tesla keeps these superchargers coming at this rate, i really believe in their "Coming Soon" map, and when that map is fully in place i can't imagine ever owning another car without the magical T on it.

 

[Tyl]

840kW of bi-directional battery storage. I'm sure we will see more of this at future sites. Awesome!

 

[Tyl]

A few new photos!

Even I was't charging!

 

[FredTMC]

Yeah, with new SpC locations nearby now including culver city and redondo beach, I think Hawthorne is getting less traffic now

 

[4SUPER9]

Hawthorne used to be number 1 or 2. Now, not even the top 10. SJC kicked Hawthorne down within a matter of days. I still do not understand why the enormous expansion while at the very same time they had Redondo and Culver City in the works. Perhaps this is for future use for employees, special events, Model X, III, etc.
For me, I travel the 405 and 110 regularly. I will never have a need to charge at Hawthorne again. If I go, it will be just for a fun visit.

 

[spentan]

Hawthorne used to be number 1 or 2. Now, not even the top 10. SJC kicked Hawthorne down within a matter of days. I still do not understand why the enormous expansion while at the very same time they had Redondo and Culver City in the works. Perhaps this is for future use for employees, special events, Model X, III, etc.
For me, I travel the 405 and 110 regularly. I will never have a need to charge at Hawthorne again. If I go, it will be just for a fun visit.

I've used Hawthorne a couple of times in the last few weeks as I've needed to charge at around 2am.

I consider Hawthorne the safest location to charge, especially because they make you go in through the SpaceX gate on weekends,

Not sure if Westfield culver city or redondo would be as safe at the dead of the night.

 

[4SUPER9]

I've used Hawthorne a couple of times in the last few weeks as I've needed to charge at around 2am.

I consider Hawthorne the safest location to charge, especially because they make you go in through the SpaceX gate on weekends,

Not sure if Westfield culver city or redondo would be as safe at the dead of the night.

I actually met you at Hawthorne when you first picked up your P85 :smile:
As far as safety goes, there are some unmentionables near Redondo, but not really at that hotel. It seems pretty safe to me. Of the 3 locations, I would agree with you in that Hawthorne is the safest. Nothing there except for Tesla and SpaceX.

 

[apacheguy]

Got an email that Hawthorne would be closed this weekend. I checked the Nav in car and there was no mention of the closure. I even set it as my destination and there was no message warning of the closure. What's the deal?

 

[gaswalla]

Anyone know why Hawthorn is closed today?

 

[TaoJones]

Hawthorne (SC @ the Tesla Design Center within the SpaceX campus) is listed as "Temporarily Closed".

Support does not know (presumably yet) what that means in terms of relative duration (days or weeks or months), which is to say whether the cause is, for example, planned construction or merely a sitewide supply issue.

They're working to get a better status and, ideally, will update the associated window in Nav when they have more information.

This of course overloads the already overloaded Redondo, Culver City, Fountain Valley and SJC SCs. Even Clemente is getting saturated. Gonna get ugly if Tesla doesn't step up soon. There's nobody else to manage demand if they drop the ball.

 

[spentan]

Still closed? Thoughts?

 

[Ulmo]

Still closed? Thoughts?

That SuperCharger always granted access to any Tesla owner to internal business sites run by SpaceX and the Tesla design center, and frequently right into the middle of controlled access events such as HyperLoop competition; security has always had to poke a hole for access to that lot. My assumption is that Elon would eventually close off that SuperCharger for public use after "enough" local options exist. Now that some of us Hoi Polloi have been known to have access to Teslas, those who are priviledged to work at such places probably scoff at having to make such security provisions on a continual basis to let in "commoners", as expense and management concern to them. I wouldn't be at all surprised if some of the Board Members security teams told them to get rid of that SuperCharger's public access allowance.