Supercharger - Kalispell, MT (under construction Apr 2024, 12 V3 stalls)

[StealthP3D]

The reality is Blackstone has been and continues to be a key partner in the Supercharger network buildout.

Yes, and let's hope that continues to be the case going forward!

 

[Big Earl]

It's obvious we don't know what the issue(s) is(are), but I have to laugh at people that dismiss the possibility of "funny business", because it's not normal to take 6 years to get a single Supercharger Station installed in a single geographic area.

Several years were spent trying to find a site host. It's possible that we're waiting on the utility to upgrade service to the area. It's also possible that the host property had some reason why the project couldn't be started right away. Another possibility is Tesla wants this site to have V4 stalls, which weren't available at the start of last year's construction season.

I don't claim to know what is going on here, but I have zero evidence that monied interests didn't bribe them to not perform. I'm not saying that is the case, I'm saying that we have no evidence it is not.

We don't have evidence of a lot of things. I don't have evidence that Bellingham, WA is anti-Tesla, but I often wonder why a city of its size doesn't have a Supercharger.

 

[outdoors]

I would say this city's supercharger to be has had many stories. Some verified, some let's call urban legend. This specific charger is on the north end, and while some could argue a connecter is rapidly needed from Fernie, and Westbound to Northern, ID. I assure you if Blackstone was told to get going they would be. Weather yes has settled in here, but up in Fernie they poured with heater blankets on the concrete at night in Feb.

If we don't see work by spring, considered it was one of the ones selected via voting as winner. I would bring back the thought that a Yeti is harassing the local blackstone electrician before he comes to work each day. Tell then I think we can all relax.

 

[ImScotty]

Work on this supercharger will commence on the day they break ground. Fighting over the logistics of who, when, what, where for the reasons as to why this site is not in the ground yet does nothing of value. This site will go in when it's ready. One benefit of the previous site owner (Super1 Foods) pulling out of the agreement in 2019 is instead of getting a 8 stall V2. We will instead be getting a 12 stall V3/4. Sometimes being patient can be a virtue. While we wait, use the CCS adapter/retrofit and charge at the overpriced DCFC just 5 minutes north of this location. It works a lot better now than it used to when I frequented this area.

 

[ImScotty]

I would say this city's supercharger to be has had many stories. Some verified, some let's call urban legend. This specific charger is on the north end, and while some could argue a connecter is rapidly needed from Fernie, and Westbound to Northern, ID. I assure you if Blackstone was told to get going they would be. Weather yes has settled in here, but up in Fernie they poured with heater blankets on the concrete at night in Feb.

If we don't see work by spring, considered it was one of the ones selected via voting as winner. I would bring back the thought that a Yeti is harassing the local blackstone electrician before he comes to work each day. Tell then I think we can all relax.

I wish we could get a supercharger somewhere in Northern Idaho. Maybe Sandpoint or Bonners Ferry. I took this road from Cranbrook to Missoula and had to stop at Superior to make it. This area is certainly still a charging desert. But, that goes for most of the US near the Canadian border. I hope this improves sometime soon.

 

[outdoors]

I wish we could get a supercharger somewhere in Northern Idaho. Maybe Sandpoint or Bonners Ferry. I took this road from Cranbrook to Missoula and had to stop at Superior to make it. This area is certainly still a charging desert. But, that goes for most of the US near the Canadian border. I hope this improves sometime soon.

Yes. Picking up Cybertruck in Spokane is challenging living well north of Whitefish. Like where do you go, and what do you end up with? Going to Fernie....to Canada to come home with more than 10%. Still stopping at a few J1772's along the way.

 

[StealthP3D]

While we wait, use the CCS adapter/retrofit and charge at the overpriced DCFC just 5 minutes north of this location. It works a lot better now than it used to when I frequented this area.

The only reason I would buy a CCS adapter is not to charge at an overpriced DCFC 5 minutes north of Kalispell, it would be to keep it as a novel museum relic.

Not only are they soon going to be archaic, but I have no desire to create user accounts with all the clown companies that comprise the third-party charge networks. If they can't run a frickin' EV charging network properly, how can I trust them to keep my data safe? I don't have time for that kind of incompetence. And I'm not about to depend upon a charger that can't even reliably tell me if it's working or not before I get there.

 

[Rocky_H]

The possible reasons why the site wasn't built in 2023 are endless, including the electrical utility taking an active role in making things difficult/impossible.

It's obvious we don't know what the issue(s) is(are), but I have to laugh at people that dismiss the possibility of "funny business",

Sheesh, we're not saying any of that. Of course it could be many reasons. We have seen plenty over the years. We are not dismissing that there might be funny business. There might be. We have seen obstructionism from several sides at Supercharger sites before.

What we are saying is to stop accusing Blackstone of being malicious or dishonest or deceptive or taking bribes and being the one causing it. They have proven themselves for a very long time. They do their work and do it well and have a proven track record. You had never heard of them before today and didn't know they had ever done any installs before, so you didn't know, but we're saying they are almost certainly not the ones obstructing this.

 

[StealthP3D]

Work on this supercharger will commence on the day they break ground. Fighting over the logistics of who, when, what, where for the reasons as to why this site is not in the ground yet does nothing of value. This site will go in when it's ready.

Oh, it's "been ready" for a long time, and it's long overdue.

Please note that I haven't fought over "the logistics of who, when, what, where for the reasons as to why this site is not in the ground yet", I've merely speculated on possible holdups. And laughed at those who think it's ridiculous to not exclude "funny business" from the list of possible reasons.

One benefit of the previous site owner (Super1 Foods) pulling out of the agreement in 2019 is instead of getting a 8 stall V2. We will instead be getting a 12 stall V3/4. Sometimes being patient can be a virtue. While we wait, use the CCS adapter/retrofit and charge at the overpriced DCFC just 5 minutes north of this location. It works a lot better now than it used to when I frequented this area.

I wholeheartedly agree that when life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade.

Still, I think I would have rather had 8 150 kW chargers 5 years ago than 12 250 kW chargers when it finally gets put in the ground. Because, in an alternate reality, I see the eight 2019 150 kW chargers getting supplemented with 8 or 10 more 250 kW chargers in a more northerly location in 2024.

 

[StealthP3D]

Sheesh, we're not saying any of that. Of course it could be many reasons. We have seen plenty over the years. We are not dismissing that there might be funny business. There might be. We have seen obstructionism from several sides at Supercharger sites before.

What we are saying is to stop accusing Blackstone of being malicious or dishonest or deceptive or taking bribes and being the one causing it. They have proven themselves for a very long time. They do their work and do it well and have a proven track record. You had never heard of them before today and didn't know they had ever done any installs before, so you didn't know, but we're saying they are almost certainly not the ones obstructing this.

You don't know what you are talking about, Blackstone installed many of the closest Superchargers to my residences here in Washington and I've been aware of them for years. I was confident they had not installed "hundreds" of Supercharger sites, that was an inaccurate claim and I called it out.

And I've not accused Blackstone of being malicious or dishonest. You obviously cannot tell the difference between a consideration and an accusation. I've been 100% clear on the fact that I don't know what the holdup has been.

 

[PLUS EV]

Thanks @Big Earl, that's good to know. And I appreciating your willingness to put accuracy above rhetoric, unlike some others here that seem intent on distorting reality.

You also have the option of retracting your previous post(s).

 

[PLUS EV]

That includes yourself, by the way, so maybe walk back the projection a bit. You started off with the wild fantasy accusations, and the response of Blackstone being solid did get exaggerated in the numbers. It's 1-1 on my scorecard.

Whether they've built 100 or 200 superchargers is fairly immaterial. Let's not act as if Big Earl got caught in some big lie lol.

 

[PLUS EV]

I don't claim to know what is going on here, but I have zero evidence that monied interests didn't bribe them to not perform.

I don't claim to know you, but I have zero evidence that you are not a pedophile rapist.

Do you see how silly these type of posts are?

 

[StealthP3D]

I don't claim to know you, but I have zero evidence that you are not a pedophile rapist.

Do you see how silly these type of posts are?

No, I don't see the parallel. It was only a few months ago that you wrote this:

You can keep talking in circles with various justifications, but the bottom line is, this series of events did not take place in many other similar towns and Tesla has been operating superchargers in those towns for years. Meanwhile, we don't even have construction in Kalispell. And it's almost 2024. It's more than reasonable for people to wonder what the hell is going on up there.

I think it's more likely than not that the long series of delays and false starts is not just incompetence or a confluence of coincidental events or just plain bad luck.

 

[StealthP3D]

You also have the option of retracting your previous post(s).

My previous post was accurate. I said I doubted that Blackstone site installs had reached "the hundreds".

There is nothing to retract.

 

[PLUS EV]

My previous post was accurate. I said I doubted that Blackstone site installs had reached "the hundreds".

There is nothing to retract.

I'm obviously talking about the post where you suggest that Blackstone is the hold up. There's no reason to believe that.

The "hundred" or "hundreds" debate you created with yourself is practically a semantical argument. The fact that they've built a hundred superchargers and have a good track record is plenty evidence that the hold up is unlikely to be caused by Blackstone.

 

[PLUS EV]

No, I don't see the parallel. It was only a few months ago that you wrote this:



I think it's more likely than not that the long series of delays and false starts is not just incompetence or a confluence of coincidental events or just plain bad luck.

I think it's fine to wonder what the hold up is. But Blackstone is the last party I would cast aspersions upon.

 

[alpinehijinx]

The only reason I would buy a CCS adapter is not to charge at an overpriced DCFC 5 minutes north of Kalispell, it would be to keep it as a novel museum relic.

Not only are they soon going to be archaic, but I have no desire to create user accounts with all the clown companies that comprise the third-party charge networks. If they can't run a frickin' EV charging network properly, how can I trust them to keep my data safe? I don't have time for that kind of incompetence. And I'm not about to depend upon a charger that can't even reliably tell me if it's working or not before I get there.

CCS adapters are like Naloxone in Alaska. Take 'em or die. Likely to be the case for a while to come.

 

[Mrbrock]

My previous post was accurate. I said I doubted that Blackstone site installs had reached "the hundreds".

There is nothing to retract.

the hundreds

1. numbers between 100 and 1,000: 2. numbers between 100 and 1,000:

dictionary.cambridge.org

I believe most people would agree with Cambridge and consider anything over 100 to be “in the hundreds”. not so far away from over 80.

With the permits in place, and no construction last fall, I wonder how competent the contractor is, or whether they are being incentivized to not perform.

Anyone want to guess what happens next with regard to the Kalispell Supercharger? If there is no funny business going on with the contractor, I would expect groundwork to begin in earnest in March or early April, as soon as the ground is fully thawed.

It has been proven how competent Blackstone is by the fact that Tesla continues to pay them lots of money to install sites when they could easily find another contractor if they were incompetent.

I've seen no evidence of that with regard to their contract to install the Kalispell station. How many Supercharger sites have they installed previously? Do you have hard data?

Contractors are like restaurants. They may have great service and delicious food, until, suddenly, they don't. It sounds like that is the case here.

You don't know what you are talking about, Blackstone installed many of the closest Superchargers to my residences here in Washington and I've been aware of them for years. I was confident they had not installed "hundreds" of Supercharger sites, that was an inaccurate claim and I called it out.

And I've not accused Blackstone of being malicious or dishonest. You obviously cannot tell the difference between a consideration and an accusation. I've been 100% clear on the fact that I don't know what the holdup has been.

You asked for hard data and you got it and still dismissed it because it didn’t meet your definition of 100s. You then later say you already knew about them and had the data on hand so why ask for it? It seems like you just want to start an argument for arguments sake. That is not helpful here.

Don't try to twist the truth by suggesting there are over 100 Blackstone Supercharger sites built that are not showing up due to misspellings, that's just crazy talk. I wasn't born yesterday.

Further, I didn't dismiss ANYTHING out of hand, I said I doubted Blackstone had built 100's of Supercharger sites. Turns out my hunch was almost certainly correct. You need to chill out. Do you even know what "doubt" means?

If you had provided your data that you had already researched, this statement means a lot more. Otherwise you are just claiming someone’s statement is false without any data to back it up. Your whole string of comments sounded like you had no idea who the contractor was and that they must be incompetent because the site has been built. Pretty harsh accusations.

 

[ImScotty]

CCS adapters are like Naloxone in Alaska. Take 'em or die. Likely to be the case for a while to come.

I have owned one since before they were for sale in the US. It’s gotten me places where the Supercharger network has yet to reach. Going without it in current day if your doing anything besides driving interstates is a fools choice. I recommend owning one to anyone who wants the ability to charge in areas not on the main interstate roads.