SuperCharger in Liberal, KS?

[RockinWithKids]

While I haven't driven the leg... It seems like the leg from Wichita, KS SC to the Tucumcari, NM SC via Highway 54 is ripe for 1 and ideally 2 SuperChargers (for winter and the S60s). Liberal, KS is 215 miles from the Wichita SC and 208 miles from the Tucumcari SC. 60s would likely be excluded with this route but the 70s and above should be safe. Assuming the base capacity of the M3 is a 70 kWh batter they'd be safe also.


Wichita, KS SC -> Tucumcari, NM SC via Highway 54 ~ 422 miles and 6 hours 23 minutes of drive time
Wichita, KS SC -> Tucumcari, NM SC via Oklahoma City SC ~ 522 miles and 6 hours 40 minutes of drive time

Going this route is a savings of 100 miles and 17 minutes of drive time at posted speeds plus 60+(?) minutes of charge time.


Think Tesla would consider adding in 1 - 2 SuperChargers along the Highway 54 route?

 

[cpa]

While I haven't driven the leg... It seems like the leg from Wichita, KS SC to the Tucumcari, NM SC via Highway 54 is ripe for 1 and ideally 2 SuperChargers (for winter and the S60s). Liberal, KS is 215 miles from the Wichita SC and 208 miles from the Tucumcari SC. 60s would likely be excluded with this route but the 70s and above should be safe. Assuming the base capacity of the M3 is a 70 kWh batter they'd be safe also.


Wichita, KS SC -> Tucumcari, NM SC via Highway 54 ~ 422 miles and 6 hours 23 minutes of drive time
Wichita, KS SC -> Tucumcari, NM SC via Oklahoma City SC ~ 522 miles and 6 hours 40 minutes of drive time

Going this route is a savings of 100 miles and 17 minutes of drive time at posted speeds plus 60+(?) minutes of charge time.


Think Tesla would consider adding in 1 - 2 SuperChargers along the Highway 54 route?

No one really knows Tesla's ultimate selections of Supercharger placements. It is clear from the current and projected maps that major interstate highways are the highest priority. There are a few outlying locations today, like the desert area of California around Mojave (helps connect Interstate 5 and the Central Valley with Barstow) and Inyokern and Lone Pine (to allow access to the Eastern Sierra for outdoor activities. Bishop and one or two north will connect Reno eventually.)

You are correct that placement along a diagonal route to connect east-west interstates makes a lot of sense, and US54 fits the bill.

This is pure speculation on my part. As the Supercharge build out along the interstate highways gets closer to completion, Tesla will be doing the following:

--adding capacity to locations that have become stressed. They have done this already, and continue to do so. Many sites have extra connections buried adjacent to the existing charging pedestals for just that purpose.

--figuring out selected secondary roads that could benefit from Supercharger installations, like your US54. There will be dozens of others. Placement along these highways may not be as closely spaced as much of the interstate highway system is (or will be.) But from your example above, the 215 and 208 mile legs are doable for the 70s, 85s, and 90s with prudent driving throughout most of the year. (The only wild card on this highway is elevation gain which could eat into range.)

--adding solar canopies and battery storage to reduce the usage charges and to balance out the demand charges during peak periods.

 

[RockinWithKids]

Sounds logical. I believe that that for many folks driving to/from the southwest to the midwest (NE, KS, IA, MN, etc) they'd take this option if it existed.

 

[GRA]

<snip>
You are correct that placement along a diagonal route to connect east-west interstates makes a lot of sense, and US54 fits the bill.

Price, UT on U.S. 6/191 being an example, cutting the dogleg from SLC at I-15/I-80 to I-70 at Green River. I suspect Stratford and Liberal or something east of that will be needed. Dalhart, while at an obvious crossroads, is a bit too far from Trinidad (151 miles + a pass); the SC will probably need to go in NW of there at Clayton (104 miles from Trinidad), which makes Dalhart redundant (If they'd put the SC at Raton instead like I wanted, this wouldn't be a problem, but noooo!:biggrin. Stratford is 126 miles from Tucumcari. Minneola would seem to be close to the halfway point between Stratford and Wichita, a bit far but relatively flat.

 

[dbacks2k4]

I'm surprised this still isn't even on Tesla's roadmap (pardon the pun) for SC placement. US54 from Wichita to Tucumcari is a common route for people in the midwest to get to Arizona and Southern California (and vice-versa).

 

[PLUS EV]

I'm surprised this still isn't even on Tesla's roadmap (pardon the pun) for SC placement. US54 from Wichita to Tucumcari is a common route for people in the midwest to get to Arizona and Southern California (and vice-versa).

How common is it really though? I just tried mapping from several Midwestern cities to PHX and the only ones that go near Liberal for the optimal route are from the Minneapolis area, KC area, and Iowa. And all of those routes can be done on the current supercharger highway adding less than 1 hour of driving by going through either OKC or Colby>Limon>Trinidad.

Also, they wouldn't just need to add Liberal, they'd need to add 3 superchargers. 2 would be in Liberal and Dalhart (unlikely since they are currently building nearby Clayton, NM) and another one in some place like Greensburg, KS which I've never even heard of (and I've driven around the West a lot).

I'd like to see more superchargers as much as the next guy, but I don't see this one happening any time soon, at least not for the explicit reasons listed. I do hope they add something in the area because it is a pretty large hole on the supercharger map. Dodge City would probably be the most appropriate all-purpose location, but knowing how Tesla thinks, they won't add just one supercharger there without adding at least one more somewhere to make drive through travel more foolproof.

 

[sdoorex]

I agree @PLUS EV. I think this route could be better served by having a Supercharger or even a CCS/CHAdeMO charger built in Dodge City, KS. From there, it's 204 miles to Clayton, NM but there is a Francis Energy CCS/CHAdeMO in Hooker that is nearly in the middle and only adds 15 minutes and 20 miles.

There's a faster charger in Guymon but who can resist the opportunity to use Hooker in conversation.

 

[MorrisonHiker]

I've thought Dodge City would be a good location too. Then if Tesla also added one on US50 in the La Junta/Las Animas/Lamar area, drivers would be able to connect to Colorado Springs, Alamosa or Trinidad. It wouldn't be the busiest route but would be an alternative to taking I-70 or I-40.