Supercharger - Indianapolis, IN

[GSP]

October 8th update: no sign of the utility transformer yet, or the pad for it.

I took pictures but they are almost the same as these October 4th photos:

Anyone have info on Indy or Lafayette, IN SuperCharger? - Page 10

GSP

 

[RobertMeyer]

Looks like the Indianapolis SuperCharger at La Quina Inns & Suites (5120 Victory Dr, 46203. - Emerson & I-465 on the south side) is getting close to completed. These photos were taken 10/4/14.

 

[patrick42h]

I stopped by on the evening of October 13. The orange cones and yellow tape is still up and the cabinets are still waiting for fencing.

 

[GSP]

The two grey pipes in the foreground are new. They probably are for the utility transformer connection. Steady progress so far.

GSP

 

[Sgt Barone]

Anyone been by here lately?

 

[Sgt Barone]

Anyone been around here lately?

 

[GSP]

October 22nd update:

I got excited when I saw the "Solar Engineering and Installation" truck, but the workers were installing the fence around the Supercharger cabinets, not solar panels.

More progress on the utility transformer connections in the above pic, but no sign of the transformer on site yet.

GSP

- - - Updated - - -

I also noticed a new utility pole with brand new shiny insulators and connections for the transformer:

GSP

 

[GSP]

Today's update in the charging infrastructure forum:

Supercharger - Indianapolis, IN

GSP

 

[N4HHE]

Looks as if it will probably be open by Christmas, maybe even Thanksgiving. But with no sites yet selected (much less start of construction) for Nashville or Louisville that I can get to Indianapolis I'll be burning diesel again this year.

 

[wycolo]

I'm guessing that if an existing pole is near enough they will put the transformer up there rather than bother with a big one on a new slab. Albert Lea MN comes to mind.
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[Cottonwood]

I'm guessing that if an existing pole is near enough they will put the transformer up there rather than bother with a big one on a new slab. Albert Lea MN comes to mind.
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In every Supercharger install that I have seen, and some pump stations in Colorado that use 500 kVA transformers, because of the difference in wire size and the sheer size of a 500 kVA unit, every installation has had the transformer next to the Tesla Equipment Enclosure with Medium Voltage (MV) wires coming down the pole and underground to the ground mounted transformer.

Go through some numbers. 500kW at 480V 3-phase needs 600 Amps per phase. The same power at 14.4 kV distribution Voltage needs 20 Amps per phase; 30x Voltage needs 30x less current. That is a HUGE difference in wire sizes. I don't know what the utility uses for MV, distribution wire, but Tesla typically uses 4, 500 mcm wires in parallel for each phase and neutral on the 480 Volt side for an 8 Stall Supercharger. For some perspective, each 500 mcm wire has the equivalent copper of a solid bar 0.71 inches in diameter. 16 of those is a lot of copper!

 

[wycolo]

Ok, my bad. Albert Lea has the pole pig right above the SpC, but the 480v *must* go from there to a ground mount transformer which drops the 480 to 208v for the charger cabinets, as you say. If I check my photos no doubt I'll see the ground xfmr.

At home the pole pig does 14kv>240v using just the single transformer. So commercial would always use two.

What about the Temp SpCs? They must be tied into the host's existing (or upgraded) ground xfmr which we should find somewhere nearby.
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[Cottonwood]

Ok, my bad. Albert Lea has the pole pig right above the SpC, but the 480v *must* go from there to a ground mount transformer which drops the 480 to 208v for the charger cabinets, as you say. If I check my photos I'll see the ground xfmr.

At home the pole pig does 14kv>240v using just the single transformer. Commercial would always use two.

So what about the Temp SpCs? They must be tied into the host's existing (or upgraded) ground xfmr which we should find somewhere nearby.
--

The Superchargers run directly off of the 277/480 Volt 3-phase. The individual charging modules are connected to the 277 Volts available from each line to neutral connection.

The only "Mobile" Supercharger that I have seen in person was in Lone Tree, and it was connected to 480 Volt, 3-phase through a 200 Amp breaker/shutoff-switch, and that was for each of the two "Mobile" Superchargers there. 200 Amps off of an existing transformer/panel is a big load, but I guess some can take it...

 

[rabar10]

(per the above link and pics) Just waiting for the utility step-down transformer at this point -- everything else looks like it's ready to go.

 

[Pasinger]

Seems to be open. Tesla status page is online:
http://www.teslamotors.com/supercharger/indianapolis

 

[GRA]

Indianapolis is now listed and mapped on Tesla's SC site..

 

[GRA]

(per the above link and pics) Just waiting for the utility step-down transformer at this point -- everything else looks like it's ready to go.

It's now listed and mapped on Tesla' SC site.

 

[rabar10]

It's now listed and mapped on Tesla' SC site.

Thanks, GRA!

OK, who's gonna be able to post the first pics of supercharging here?

 

[cfOH]

I just got an email from Tesla saying this SC is officially open. Anyone try it yet?

 

[VIO]

I just got an email from Tesla saying this SC is officially open. Anyone try it yet?

Charging at it right now. And having breakfast at the Steak n Shake across the street. Life is good. Will post a pic when we head back to the car.