It is called Thompson Pass and is closed in winter. There is an interesting free museum with cafe in Murray, 1st town westbound after crossing the pass. There is a campground there also but don't know if it has 50amp service. Beware of deer on the Montana side of the pass.
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Supercharger - Kalispell, MT (under construction Apr 2024, 12 V3 stalls)
- Thread starter RobertSeattle
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- montana supercharger
Don't remember any dirt roads on that part of the trip... Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, South Dakota - a few. Here's a screenshot from Google Maps. Don't have any pictures for that part of the trip. My son, who was with me from Colo to Kalispell flew home to N. Carolina from Kalispell. Thus no co-pilot to take frequent pix for the rest of my trip back to Calif.
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Xelloss99
Member
That is a Tritium charger.
That has been successful with the Setec adapter.
Setec CCS to Tesla Adapter
Until you’re sure you’re compatible with the station you need, don’t back yourself into a corner charge wise For me that would be taking a trip to take a trip
teslamotorsclub.com
benswing
Member
Well, this will be interesting. I’m going to glacier today and just saw the Kalispell might have a supercharger coming. Sad to see it isn’t true anymore, I loved Glacier National in Park and no it will be a challenge charging while I’m there.
I've been through Glacier several times in the past few days and I never saw the two L2 chargers at Lake McDonald Lodge both in use at the same time. I think you can rely on at least one being available if you really need it. Also, regenerative braking added 13 miles of range to my battery coming back down from Logan Pass, so keep in mind that the return trip to Kalispell will use less battery than the drive into the park. Traffic speeds are typically around 40 mph so your wh/m will be lower than usual, and the in car navigation estimated my arrival range perfectly even driving all the way to Many Glacier Hotel.
I was slightly nervous too, but I've ended up returning with much more battery remaining than I expected.
benswing
Member
Thanks, that’s comforting. I plan to charge near the airport before picking up my hiking partner. We are hiking in the far north west corner of the park near Bowman lake and Kintla lake. Just Gotta make it up there, then down to our campsite after five days in the wilderness.
My mid range model three has a maximum of 235 miles of range, this would be easy with a long range model three. Hopefully the slow speeds and downhill sections will stretch my range enough.
That is quite a few days of having the car sit. Make sure you account for vampire losses, particularly if the temperature drops. Sentry mode could kill your battery too, and will likely need to be turned off. Practice a little bit and see how many miles you lose each day with the car sitting still.
tharasix
Member
I'm in Whitefish right now. Can confirm this is a bad charging situation up here for this summer. I'm guessing it would probably be okay in other seasons with fewer EVs in the area. But man, they really better have a supercharger up and running before Memorial Day or it's going to get ugly!
I drove in from Seattle yesterday knowing that I'd have to find some L2 charging just to make it back to Superior or Missoula, but the situation became more urgent when I was informed that I'd be driving a group to a hike 50 miles away (100 miles round trip). This is a meetup of about 30 people, half of which are hiking. Most flew in and rental cars are a joke right now so I think we have 2 ICE rentals and 2 Teslas among the entire group (a friend drove his Model 3 up from Colorado). Kind of hilarious that half our cars are EVs in this area but it is what it is! No surprise that it was the Tesla guys that chose to road trip instead of flying in
Anyways, after looking at Plugshare, the main option appeared to be the public parking garage behind City Hall. There are 4 ~7kW Clipper Creeks total, 2 on the roof, and 2 on one of the middle levels. Unfortunately they are in a leased parking area so they are only open to the public from 6pm-6am. My Model 3 friend arrived during the day and was informed by a bystander that he would be ticketed $50 and/or towed if he left his car there. He was desperate for a few miles to pick up a friend at the airport so he plugged in for a few minutes and stayed with the car.
I arrived at 7pm and all 4 were occupied! Fortunately one was my friend who had come back and plugged in after 6pm. We coordinated and he let me know when he was going to unplug so I met him there. By the time I met him, one of the other cars had unplugged so he stayed plugged in and I plugged into the empty stall. We both charged all night and unplugged around 5am lol. Not an ideal first night of sleep, but we're up to 90% and ready to chauffer the hiking trip! In total I saw 6 EVs plugged into these 4 spots on this Monday night/Tuesday morning. 4 were Teslas (2 were my friend and I) and then there was a Bolt and a Leaf or something.
The only other options for Whitefish on Plugshare are a couple regular outlets (fairly worthless unless you are staying at those hotels), a B&B, the hospital, and the Lodge at Whitefish Lake. It was my friend's first Tesla road trip so he tried all the L2 options. He was rebuffed by the B&B who apparently have a strict policy of "guests only." He was able to charge at the hospital, which would probably work in a pinch, but seriously, who wants to hang out at a hospital L2 charging? Doesn't seem like there is much to do within walking distance of there. He was also able to charge at the Lodge at Whitefish Lake, which is probably the best option after City Hall. I believe valet controls the spots though and you are supposed to be a paying customer, so some people won't like that (they do have a bar/restaurant at least).
A cursory look at Kalispell on Plugshare is not good either. The Red Lion charging non-guests $40 for 4 hours is fairly outrageous and other than them, there are only 2 L2 plugs in town.
Bottom line is... pack your patience if you plan on coming to this area with an EV this summer!
I drove in from Seattle yesterday knowing that I'd have to find some L2 charging just to make it back to Superior or Missoula, but the situation became more urgent when I was informed that I'd be driving a group to a hike 50 miles away (100 miles round trip). This is a meetup of about 30 people, half of which are hiking. Most flew in and rental cars are a joke right now so I think we have 2 ICE rentals and 2 Teslas among the entire group (a friend drove his Model 3 up from Colorado). Kind of hilarious that half our cars are EVs in this area but it is what it is! No surprise that it was the Tesla guys that chose to road trip instead of flying in
Anyways, after looking at Plugshare, the main option appeared to be the public parking garage behind City Hall. There are 4 ~7kW Clipper Creeks total, 2 on the roof, and 2 on one of the middle levels. Unfortunately they are in a leased parking area so they are only open to the public from 6pm-6am. My Model 3 friend arrived during the day and was informed by a bystander that he would be ticketed $50 and/or towed if he left his car there. He was desperate for a few miles to pick up a friend at the airport so he plugged in for a few minutes and stayed with the car.
I arrived at 7pm and all 4 were occupied! Fortunately one was my friend who had come back and plugged in after 6pm. We coordinated and he let me know when he was going to unplug so I met him there. By the time I met him, one of the other cars had unplugged so he stayed plugged in and I plugged into the empty stall. We both charged all night and unplugged around 5am lol. Not an ideal first night of sleep, but we're up to 90% and ready to chauffer the hiking trip! In total I saw 6 EVs plugged into these 4 spots on this Monday night/Tuesday morning. 4 were Teslas (2 were my friend and I) and then there was a Bolt and a Leaf or something.
The only other options for Whitefish on Plugshare are a couple regular outlets (fairly worthless unless you are staying at those hotels), a B&B, the hospital, and the Lodge at Whitefish Lake. It was my friend's first Tesla road trip so he tried all the L2 options. He was rebuffed by the B&B who apparently have a strict policy of "guests only." He was able to charge at the hospital, which would probably work in a pinch, but seriously, who wants to hang out at a hospital L2 charging? Doesn't seem like there is much to do within walking distance of there. He was also able to charge at the Lodge at Whitefish Lake, which is probably the best option after City Hall. I believe valet controls the spots though and you are supposed to be a paying customer, so some people won't like that (they do have a bar/restaurant at least).
A cursory look at Kalispell on Plugshare is not good either. The Red Lion charging non-guests $40 for 4 hours is fairly outrageous and other than them, there are only 2 L2 plugs in town.
Bottom line is... pack your patience if you plan on coming to this area with an EV this summer!
Did you actually see a sign that said parking/charging in that garage was limited to 6pm-6am? We charged there last month - maybe I missed something, but the only "restricted" signs I saw were for the first-floor parking spaces. Maybe we got lucky, but we left the car overnight and picked up at ~8am, with no ill effects (garage was still pretty empty on the 2nd floor and above at 8am)...
Yes. As you ascend the parking structure, there is a point (before you get to the chargers!) that has a sign that says something to the effect of "leased parking spaces beyond this point." According to Plugshare, it's all free and open after hours (6pm-6am) and on weekends. Maybe you were there on a weekend or maybe they just didn't get there to enforce anything by 8am which seems plausible.
I can back up PLUS EV on the Whitefish Parking Garage chargers. All 4 Clipper Creek chargers are in the leased parking area (2nd floor x2 and roof x2), which is only open to the general public Monday - Friday from 6pm - 6am and anytime on Saturdays and Sundays. If your vehicle is in the leased area outside of these times, an automatic ticket is issued by mail based on the license plate. If that doesn't happen to you, you got quite lucky. I have learned this the hard way.
It is vital a SC is built in Flathead County. Perhaps Tesla is thinking better of downtown Kalispell, which can be difficult to get in and out of at times. They may choose a location in north Kalispell near the big box stores, or around the new gas station under construction in south Whitefish at Highways 93 & 40. This may just be wishful thinking on my part.
It is vital a SC is built in Flathead County. Perhaps Tesla is thinking better of downtown Kalispell, which can be difficult to get in and out of at times. They may choose a location in north Kalispell near the big box stores, or around the new gas station under construction in south Whitefish at Highways 93 & 40. This may just be wishful thinking on my part.
Missoula based MYLR owner here... I just bought the CHAdeMO adapter and going to test it tomorrow. With the CHAdeMO station in Polson now and rumors that one of the Taco Bells in Kalispell having a CHAdeMO station, this could be a big game changer for my ability to visit family in the Flathead!
Just wanted to follow up on this with more info...I'm in Whitefish right now. Can confirm this is a bad charging situation up here for this summer. I'm guessing it would probably be okay in other seasons with fewer EVs in the area. But man, they really better have a supercharger up and running before Memorial Day or it's going to get ugly!
I drove in from Seattle yesterday knowing that I'd have to find some L2 charging just to make it back to Superior or Missoula, but the situation became more urgent when I was informed that I'd be driving a group to a hike 50 miles away (100 miles round trip). This is a meetup of about 30 people, half of which are hiking. Most flew in and rental cars are a joke right now so I think we have 2 ICE rentals and 2 Teslas among the entire group (a friend drove his Model 3 up from Colorado). Kind of hilarious that half our cars are EVs in this area but it is what it is! No surprise that it was the Tesla guys that chose to road trip instead of flying in
Anyways, after looking at Plugshare, the main option appeared to be the public parking garage behind City Hall. There are 4 ~7kW Clipper Creeks total, 2 on the roof, and 2 on one of the middle levels. Unfortunately they are in a leased parking area so they are only open to the public from 6pm-6am. My Model 3 friend arrived during the day and was informed by a bystander that he would be ticketed $50 and/or towed if he left his car there. He was desperate for a few miles to pick up a friend at the airport so he plugged in for a few minutes and stayed with the car.
I arrived at 7pm and all 4 were occupied! Fortunately one was my friend who had come back and plugged in after 6pm. We coordinated and he let me know when he was going to unplug so I met him there. By the time I met him, one of the other cars had unplugged so he stayed plugged in and I plugged into the empty stall. We both charged all night and unplugged around 5am lol. Not an ideal first night of sleep, but we're up to 90% and ready to chauffer the hiking trip! In total I saw 6 EVs plugged into these 4 spots on this Monday night/Tuesday morning. 4 were Teslas (2 were my friend and I) and then there was a Bolt and a Leaf or something.
The only other options for Whitefish on Plugshare are a couple regular outlets (fairly worthless unless you are staying at those hotels), a B&B, the hospital, and the Lodge at Whitefish Lake. It was my friend's first Tesla road trip so he tried all the L2 options. He was rebuffed by the B&B who apparently have a strict policy of "guests only." He was able to charge at the hospital, which would probably work in a pinch, but seriously, who wants to hang out at a hospital L2 charging? Doesn't seem like there is much to do within walking distance of there. He was also able to charge at the Lodge at Whitefish Lake, which is probably the best option after City Hall. I believe valet controls the spots though and you are supposed to be a paying customer, so some people won't like that (they do have a bar/restaurant at least).
A cursory look at Kalispell on Plugshare is not good either. The Red Lion charging non-guests $40 for 4 hours is fairly outrageous and other than them, there are only 2 L2 plugs in town.
Bottom line is... pack your patience if you plan on coming to this area with an EV this summer!
I burned through about half my battery driving out to our hike and shuttling friends around town over the course of my 3 days in Whitefish. I decided to try an ambitious Whitefish to Great Falls leg via Going to the Sun Road through the national park on my way out of town. This is something like 238 miles and I only get ~305 rated miles so I basically needed a full battery for this one.
So.... I drove back to the City Hall parking garage after dinner on my last night in town and again all 4 charging spots were occupied at 10:30pm on a Wednesday night. This time by a Model X, a Bolt, a Leaf, and fortunately my friend's Model 3. He had just plugged in and wasn't as desperate for a charge as I was so he unplugged for me, which was nice. As it turned out, I hit ~99% right at 6am. I was sleeping 3am-11am on my last night in town so this was another inconvenient 5:50am wake up call to walk over and unplug. Amazingly, 2 of the other 3 EV drivers apparently did the same thing I did as they were still there at 1am (I checked to see if there was an empty spot for my friend), but they were gone when I got back there at 6am. So either they are very early risers or they got up in the middle of the night to unplug like I did twice in 3 days.
I did learn one other thing on my last day in town. The Lodge at Whitefish Lake (which has an HPWC) is a sister property of the Firebrand Hotel back in town. So if you are staying at Firebrand, you can plug in there and take the shuttle back to Firebrand which leaves at least once an hour, and you aren't subject to any charge or expectation of spending money at the lodge. My friend and I were both staying at Firebrand, so this could have potentially been more convenient had I been aware from the outset. Fortunately he figured this out and was able to charge there when he wasn't able to get a charge at the garage. Also, Firebrand appeared to have regular L1 outlets in their parking lot, so that could be useful for a top off. I did not try using them, but I did see some Sprinter vans plugged into them so presumably they do work.
I passed thorough Polson Enel back on June 27th. Could not activate. I tried again on my way back out. Pretty proficient on CHAdeMO adapter. Both times could not activate. Nothing beats holding an adapter like that thing while people are staring at your from the drunk drive thru at Taco Bell.
I spend about 3 to 4 months in Eureka/Polebridge. Taking Kalispell out of the picture has me really chapped. Now un mothballing the 2500 Suburban until the Cybertruck comes out. I am working with a couple business/motel owners along 93 up to the border for destination charging.
If I recall Super 1 Foods are the partners in Helena and were going to be in Kalispell. I spoke to the manager pre covid. It seemed all on track. I even thanked them each time, and went out of my way to shop there.
I spend about 3 to 4 months in Eureka/Polebridge. Taking Kalispell out of the picture has me really chapped. Now un mothballing the 2500 Suburban until the Cybertruck comes out. I am working with a couple business/motel owners along 93 up to the border for destination charging.
If I recall Super 1 Foods are the partners in Helena and were going to be in Kalispell. I spoke to the manager pre covid. It seemed all on track. I even thanked them each time, and went out of my way to shop there.
FWIW I did drive through the Kalispell Super 1 Foods parking lot and saw no signs of construction (not that I was really expecting any).
Also, to follow up on my previous posts, I ran into a guy driving a distinctive Model X at the Missoula supercharger. I had seen him charging in the Whitefish garage in the previous days, so I started up a conversation. He said he rented the X (presumably on Turo) because his kid loved Teslas and wanted to try it out. But after the charging experience he had in Whitefish, he said there is no way he'd buy a Tesla. Just an interesting real world example of how these charging deserts hurt sales and hurt the brand. In the early days, I was more sympathetic with the company, realizing it had limited funds. With a market cap of >$600 billion, I'm less sympathetic. I actually think it would be long term profitable for them to build out the network dramatically immediately, but it seems like they are always stuck in the short term trying to prove a profit every quarter.
It's unfortunate that maybe Tesla doesn't realize that every supercharger is also an advertisement. Especially in those necks of the woods with all the people that are coming to visit. People still stop and stare in Miles City. Always wanting to strike up a conversation like the good old days.
With the market cap they could bury everyone with chargers, and I would be able to throw away my Chademo adapter.
With the market cap they could bury everyone with chargers, and I would be able to throw away my Chademo adapter.
Marketing, not advertising ("advertising" is strictly about buying ad space in public media, everything else done to sell cars is marketing). And Tesla absolutely realizes this fact. It's why they book the costs of building and running isolated supercharger locations as part of their Marketing budget.
Judging by the listings on their careers website, Tesla is very serious about rapidly expanding the Supercharger network.
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