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

[AMPd]

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.

Then why would they have gone through the trouble and expense of expanding it?
Why not just install multiple HPWC? Those would be much more useful for an employee, that way they aren’t supercharging their car on a daily basis, nor having to move after an hour or so every time they charge

 

[ecarfan]

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.

I have often wondered the same thing. The Hawthorne Supercharger is one of the very first sites, it opened in 2013. I understand why it was placed there, as it’s a property that Tesla has control over and it’s right at the Tesla Design Center. It always struck me as surprising that I could drive there, a few feet from SpaceX buildings that are tightly controlled, then get out of my car and wander around the parking area. But photos are prohibited in the Supercharger waiting room, which apparently is also an entrance into the Tesla Design Center.

It would not surprise me if this Supercharger location is going to be permanently closed to the public, and that very soon another Supercharger location is going to open somewhere nearby, one we don’t know about yet.

Alternatively, this Supercharger may be undergoing some upgrades or an expansion and it is temporarily closed for a good reason.

 

[ecarfan]

Moderator note: I just realized that Tesla’s current official name for this Supercharger is not Hawthorne, but “Los Angeles”. So I have changed the thread title to reflect that. But I kept the word “Hawthorne” in the thread title so as not to confuse people, given that we are all used to using that name for many years now.

 

[ecarfan]

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

Oddly, the Tesla Find Us page map does not show this location as closed. See my screen capture just above.

 

[Tim-in-CA]

Has anyone been to this location this week? Odd that there is conflicting info reported by Tesla (or is it?). I plan on being in the area on Saturday and wanted to charge, otherwise I'd have to find a different location. Thanks!

 

[TaoJones]

Oddly, the Tesla Find Us page map does not show this location as closed. See my screen capture just above.

Hopefully it’s open now, perhaps. Prior to the notice, the last time I charged there, 4 stalls were cones off. Will check the Nav when I’m in the car and in LA next.

Have made a note to use the executive escalation link to endorse an enhancement request to clarify the nature of temporary closures (e.g., shorter term sitewide supply issues versus (much) longer term construction) versus, for example, just “Reduced Service”, which tends to be chronic (See SD-Qualcomm) but not site-closing.

The last word from Owner Support was that they’d sent a tech to the Hawthorne site and were awaiting more information.

In any case, this puts even more pressure upon the already clogged Redondo and Culver City SCs. Just as SD-Q now has Clemente (21 chargers) often full.

 

[David99]

I don't think they will permanently close it. They have been rebuilding things there many times. From the very first concept Superchargers with the automatic doors, adding the first experimental power packs, adding temporary stalls, then adding more, adding HPWCs, redoing the surface of the area (getting rid of the silly lose rocks) and probably a few other things I didn't see. I would think it's just another one of those things.

 

[DDotJ]

Wasn't Supercharger v3 supposed to be announced later this year? Maybe they're retrofitting this site with the newer hardware and will make an announcement soon? That would make sense to build the first one here, they could keep it under wraps out of public sight until they want to announce it. And historically this site was used to trial and roll out newer changes to Superchargers with the exception of the liquid cooled cables over at Mountain View (which ended up being scrapped).

 

[TaoJones]

We shouldn’t have to guess.

Anyway, the message in Nav remains the same, which is to say vague at best in one of the most densely-populated areas on the planet.

 

[Yombad]

Has anyone actually visited this site to see what is going on? This "reduced service" message ("Temporary closure" when you try to navigate to it) has been on many Tesla service centers all month - Dublin, Rocklin, Seaside, Salt Lake City, just to name a few. Not sure why they'd do this to Hawthorne, but those other sites are still fully functional.

 

[Lloyd]

Maybe the first next generation supercharger??

 

[Ulmo]

Then why would they have gone through the trouble and expense of expanding it?
Why not just install multiple HPWC? Those would be much more useful for an employee, that way they aren’t supercharging their car on a daily basis, nor having to move after an hour or so every time they charge

Great question, and I don't know. It makes my theory somewhat less sensible. But one answer is that they may have had business associates that needed to actually use it for meetings. Also, in a way, maybe it was considered, rightly or wrongly, some type of important showpiece, even in some sort of emotional historical way that doesn't make sense. Or, maybe they hadn't decided what to do yet. Or, maybe expanding it is relatively cheap considering the infrastructure and ownership model.

 

[PLUS EV]

Has anyone actually visited this site to see what is going on? This "reduced service" message ("Temporary closure" when you try to navigate to it) has been on many Tesla service centers all month - Dublin, Rocklin, Seaside, Salt Lake City, just to name a few. Not sure why they'd do this to Hawthorne, but those other sites are still fully functional.

I stopped by at Salt Lake City last night out of curiosity. It was 9pm and when I got there an X unplugged and sped off down the road. Couldn't be certain but it had the look of a Tesla employee moving a car after charging. Then I saw a couple other Xes get whisked away from the back and they were most certainly employees moving inventory at the end of a long day.

The supercharger itself worked fine. I only stayed for 10 minutes because I was planning on stopping in Tremonton anyway but it got up to >100kW right away so no reduced service there. There was one other X plugged in the whole time I was there with a couple sitting in front so they were obviously civilian Tesla owners.

This whole experience lends credibility to the idea that they are just putting the "Reduced Service" thing in the Nav to discourage people from using the service center locations, presumably because they are busy charging and preparing new Teslas for delivery.

 

[TaoJones]

Has anyone actually visited this site to see what is going on? This "reduced service" message ("Temporary closure" when you try to navigate to it) has been on many Tesla service centers all month - Dublin, Rocklin, Seaside, Salt Lake City, just to name a few. Not sure why they'd do this to Hawthorne, but those other sites are still fully functional.

To clarify, Reduced Service is not the same as Temporary Closure.

Reduced Service is what happened at Quartzsite a few months ago, or at Oxnads, Qualcomm currently, and until recently at Redondo with almost chronic regularity. Quartzsite was resolved in about a week, and Redondo took a few months due to a known Edison supply issue. I don't know what Oxnads' problem is, other than its occasional magnetic personality with regard to wayward trucks, and I've given up upon both Qualcomm and SJC in favor of Clemente in both directions. And when that corridor inevitably gets overrun (Tesla isn't the best at staying ahead of demand in a timely manner in either San Diego County or the OC, or now even in LA County), I'll find an excuse to use the 15 instead of the 5 *cough* Stone Brewery *cough*.

Temporary Closures are usually site-wide, as in completely down. Prior to that notice at Hawthorne, 4 of the pedestals were coned off with no Nav indication, so... who knows. It's certainly plausible that there would be pilot upgrades there rather than anywhere else. Also, they wouldn't need to close it to expand, given the configuration, unless *that's* what's getting changed. I could see them expanding to 40 canopied stalls and they do have the room, although it would mean moving the Clipper Creeks as well. Well, except for one significant problem - I highly doubt they want that kind of traffic on that campus from *either* direction. It's tight at times as it is. A shame since that Crenshaw/105 location serves both travelers, inevitable livery, and the growing number of Inland Empire to West Side commuters.

 

[NikeWings]

Unlikely they'd close this site. It's an advertising dream win Tesla, SpaceX, Boring. Hyperloop.....surprises me they don't sell merchandise. Maybe not zoned/licensed.

Not much room to expand without impacting employee lots. With the new SpaceX facility being leased further down the runway, maybe the clipper area becomes an eventual SC expansion target. The new facility is massive and could potentially repurpose many of these disparate buildings/locations.

I stopped by last Sunday and they were preparing to remove the grass/concrete areas. The construction guys said they were widening the entry point as well but they didn't know what was happening beyond that.

 

[SoCal Jimmy]

I stopped by yesterday and security said the location was closed for “an event”. I was in need of a charge so i went out and around through the other driveway and made it to the chargers. There were two other cars charging at the time. I got about 30 minutes of charge and left.

So it’s doubtful they’re closed permanently but because of a SpaceX event that appeared to be going on.

 

[Yombad]

To clarify, Reduced Service is not the same as Temporary Closure.

Reduced Service is what happened at Quartzsite a few months ago, or at Oxnads, Qualcomm currently, and until recently at Redondo with almost chronic regularity. Quartzsite was resolved in about a week, and Redondo took a few months due to a known Edison supply issue. I don't know what Oxnads' problem is, other than its occasional magnetic personality with regard to wayward trucks, and I've given up upon both Qualcomm and SJC in favor of Clemente in both directions. And when that corridor inevitably gets overrun (Tesla isn't the best at staying ahead of demand in a timely manner in either San Diego County or the OC, or now even in LA County), I'll find an excuse to use the 15 instead of the 5 *cough* Stone Brewery *cough*.

Temporary Closures are usually site-wide, as in completely down. Prior to that notice at Hawthorne, 4 of the pedestals were coned off with no Nav indication, so... who knows. It's certainly plausible that there would be pilot upgrades there rather than anywhere else. Also, they wouldn't need to close it to expand, given the configuration, unless *that's* what's getting changed. I could see them expanding to 40 canopied stalls and they do have the room, although it would mean moving the Clipper Creeks as well. Well, except for one significant problem - I highly doubt they want that kind of traffic on that campus from *either* direction. It's tight at times as it is. A shame since that Crenshaw/105 location serves both travelers, inevitable livery, and the growing number of Inland Empire to West Side commuters.

When you tap on the Hawthorne icon in the Nav, it will say "reduced service". Attempt to navigate to it and it will warn you that there is a "Temporary Closure". Doesn't matter what the difference is between the two terms, neither term is actually true for the "reduced service" sites that I've been to this. Rocklin is fully functional, despite having this status, just being used heavily by the delivery and service center to charge cars prior to delivery.

 

[NikeWings]

So it’s doubtful they’re closed permanently but because of a SpaceX event that appeared to be going on.

Despite construction guy's measuring off areas, they had a Model 3 test drive event while I was there last Sunday afternoon. Very well attended and it looked like fun....all drivers were wearing the grin!
It was staged in the HPWC area with potential drivers parked at clipper creek and walking over, or being shuttled on golf carts.

Did you notice if concrete and grass was still there yesterday?
Was the entry way the same?

 

[ecarfan]

stopped by yesterday and security said the location was closed for “an event”.

That event is almost certainly related to this announcement which will be made tomorrow:
Lunar BFR Mission - 1st Manned Lunar Mission since 1972

It can be discussed in that thread, of course.

 

[Jupiter2]

Just checked my Nav, it’s still listed as temporarily closed.