Supercharger - Hilton Head Island, SC

[Big Earl]

Hence why I said to plaster the area with destination chargers. I just think that is a far more appropriate solution for a destination area like HHI than a Supercharger. Even destination chargers in store and restaurant parking lots are probably going to add 30-60 miles of range per visit, and during a typical week stay, how many times are tourists parked at a shopping center area for an hour or two?

That, for now, requires businesses to be willing to give away free power. The Supercharger allows people to pay for what they use and is conveniently located at the grocery store, which is a location most visitors are going to hit at least once while on vacation.

 

[RTPEV]

That, for now, requires businesses to be willing to give away free power. The Supercharger allows people to pay for what they use and is conveniently located at the grocery store, which is a location most visitors are going to hit at least once while on vacation.

Free power? Are you saying that the pennies they spend on providing power to EV owners is not going to produce dividends in the form of attracting customers to their businesses in the first place? That's the real task here: educating business owners that providing charging stations (or conversely not providing them) can have a tangible effect on either drawing in (or discouraging) customers.

And fine, if they are not willing to part with $1-2 in electricity for tourists that come in and drop $150-200 on a dinner in their restaurant, then go ahead and install a ChargePoint and pass the cost along to the EV owner. I still think that's a more appropriate solution for a tourist area, and would be useable by non-Tesla EV owners as well (remember folks, there are other EVs in the world!)

 

[theothertom]

Plus, HHI is a bit of a dead end. Nobody passes through HHI on their way anywhere. It's a destination, not an exit on a highway. Wouldn't plastering the area with destination chargers and J1772 L2s be more effective than dropping in a second (or honestly, even a first) Supercharger?

I dunno. There are a LOT of people on HHI in the summer. Another supercharger toward the north end of the island would be good. That way you wouldn't have to fight traffic as much if you were staying on the north end.
I know there is a destination charger at Palmetto Dunes, but I don't want to spend 3-4 hours there charging. IMO, they need another supercharger that's more centrally located.
And yes, Columbia needs one on I-26, as does Spartanburg. And the Greenville one needs to be enlarged or another one added.
Note that the current SC (I-26) in Asheville is being enlarged AND they're adding another one along I-40.

 

[Rocketeer]

I've returned to the HHI Tesla supercharger just to see if there's anything happening and not really much new, ended up chatting up a bit with some Tesla drivers trying to charge. Their license plates were places really out of town, up north like NY, Massachusetts really far away and one only had the car for a couple of months dealing with the grim reality on how to charge to drive back home— you could tell this spoiled their dinner plans a little bit. Planning is important, do have a backup.

There's no denying we're all early adopters. Imagine having only one gas station, closest one is almost an hour away, the place you're staying doesn't have outdoor or easily convent 110v so you start scrambling for destination chargers nearby, but you then find out most are chargers are for paying guests at other hotels, and the only one available for free is hogged up. Hilton Head is a destination and a departure point, I've spoken to some home owner renters that could easily add destination chargers on their properties but unless they are Tesla/EV owners themselves will never in their mind see a real reason themselves to put one up for their guests. Another supercharger on the North end and one in Bluffton will future proof for the next several years, having good charging experiences in big roadtrips definitely boost the credibility and transition to EV.

 

[theothertom]

Well said, @Rocketeer

 

[Rocketeer]

HHI Supercharger is back up! That was fast, did a charge test & no problems to report, looks from the map like 7 of the 8 stalls are operational. I did see brand new markings indicating a pavement job where the trunk lines go underground from the utility box to the stalls, most likely replaced/serviced.

 

[darhall993]

HHI Supercharger is back up! That was fast, did a charge test & no problems to report, looks from the map like 7 of the 8 stalls are operational. I did see brand new markings indicating a pavement job where the trunk lines go underground from the utility box to the stalls, most likely replaced/serviced.

@Rocketeer, Thanks for the update, I’m sure that’s a relief for Island visitors this summer. Agree it would be nice to have another supercharger on the north end but think of where the surrounding area network was just 18 months ago, there was no Hardeville, no Metter, no Charleston and no HHI locations, and those are all V3 chargers, pretty good progress.

Agree on the rental property v2 comment about rental property owners. I have a rental property (considering adding a L2)and a family home (with HPWC). My HOA at the rental property makes it difficult to provide. The L2 options on HHI are scarce for sure so this is not an easy decision. If I stayed at my property regularly it would be a no brainer but my pace rented about 50 weeks last year

 

[darhall993]

HHI Supercharger is back up! That was fast, did a charge test & no problems to report, looks from the map like 7 of the 8 stalls are operational. I did see brand new markings indicating a pavement job where the trunk lines go underground from the utility box to the stalls, most likely replaced/serviced.

@ChrisC, can you update supercharge.info?

 

[RTPEV]

I've spoken to some home owner renters that could easily add destination chargers on their properties but unless they are Tesla/EV owners themselves will never in their mind see a real reason themselves to put one up for their guests.

I don't agree with this. I think you would be amazed at how persuasive an economic argument can be here. Show them the trend (past and future) in EV ownership coupled with plugshare maps showing their competition with charging stations (or the general lack thereof, indicating a market opportunity) and how EV owners specifically search out properties (on plugshare or similar) that offer charging.

Yes, that might not make a difference right now with relatively low EV adoption and a popular destination spot like HHI where it may be easy to fully book out for a season, but they do risk getting left behind if they don't at least start thinking about offering something in the near future.

Convincing business owners is probably even easier as they are competing on a daily basis with other businesses to draw in customers for a meal or drinks.

I always make it a point to thank businesses and lodging owners for providing charging, as well as asking those that don't offer it if they do (even if I already know the answer), just to get it into their heads. What will happen is that as soon as a critical mass of them start offering it, then overnight the rest will follow suit.

 

[jsight]

I dunno. There are a LOT of people on HHI in the summer. Another supercharger toward the north end of the island would be good. That way you wouldn't have to fight traffic as much if you were staying on the north end.
I know there is a destination charger at Palmetto Dunes, but I don't want to spend 3-4 hours there charging. IMO, they need another supercharger that's more centrally located.
And yes, Columbia needs one on I-26, as does Spartanburg. And the Greenville one needs to be enlarged or another one added.
Note that the current SC (I-26) in Asheville is being enlarged AND they're adding another one along I-40.

I think the new location southwest of Greenville on I85 may help with some of the Greenville load.

I really wish there was one near Clinton on I26 though.

 

[ChrisC]

@ChrisC, can you update supercharge.info?

No but @Chuq or someone else can (they may have already).

I made a checkin on Plugshare for you though.