Supercharger - Kettleman City, CA (LIVE 15 Nov 2017, 24 V2 + 16 V3 stalls, lounge)

[EVie'sDad]

Sure thing escarfan.

We stopped by Kettleman City two weekends ago, and were amazed and impressed. This is the way of the future for long-distance EV charging. A bit sparse on the amenities in the off-hours, but much better than many other site.

Some day, instead of a gas station on every corner, we will have EV chargers on every corner. Very happy to see Tesla keeping it's ongoing commitment to advance the adoption of renewable energy.

 

[Fiver]

Some day, instead of a gas station on every corner, we will have EV chargers on every corner. Very happy to see Tesla keeping it's ongoing commitment to advance the adoption of renewable energy.

No need for EV chargers on every corner. Just need them on the highways.

 

[UberEV1]

A positive shout-out to Paige, Ashley and Paris - the three wonderful baristas taking care of all the Tesla owners passing through the Kettleman City supercharger "cafe". They are doing a great job, adding a lot of character and positive energy to what has to be a bellwether facility. Nice job ladies!

 

[PLUS EV]

No need for EV chargers on every corner. Just need them in the highways.

FYP

 

[e-FTW]

A positive shout-out to Paige, Ashley and Paris - the three wonderful baristas taking care of all the Tesla owners passing through the Kettleman City supercharger "cafe". They are doing a great job, adding a lot of character and positive energy to what has to be a bellwether facility. Nice job ladies!

Cool. Show them, the love peeps! Their service industry job should be made awesome, just like our EV-spaceship life is, in part thanks to them.

 

[ecarfan]

FYP

Which means...?

 

[therealmrmike]

Which means...?

Fixed your post

 

[ucmndd]

Fixed your post

I was close

 

[Fiver]

FYP

Actually 'along' the highways is probably correct.

 

[miimura]

Actually 'along' the highways is probably correct.

This is way off-topic, but I think he was referring to something like this:
Qualcomm unveils electric vehicle dynamic charging tech – built a 100m test track with 20kW charging

 

[Lakesbutta]

Took this on Monday.

 

[pkodali]

Took this on Monday.

It's the Doug demuro music!

 

[Big Earl]

Took this on Monday.

You didn't get enough elevation for me to count all of the solar panels.

The array closest to the building is 4x34 and the next one back is 6x30. At 300 watts per panel, that's 40.8 kW and 54 kW respectively.

 

[Electroman]

Which means on a 8 hour day I get to charge around 6 cars? With angle of sun and other efficiency losses, it is probably even less

 

[Big Earl]

That's only two out of the five arrays, but you're general observation is correct - the solar arrays are not capable of replacing the grid at Tesla's Supercharger stations even on the sunniest of days. This will be particularly interesting when it comes to the semi and Megachargers since Elon claims that they'll be sun-powered. I expect them to be grid-tied just like Supercharger stations. The solar panels will help reduce the peak, but they aren't enough to offset the entire operation unless you're attaching acres of panels to a charging location. Who knows - that might be exactly what they plan on doing.

I can't edit my post and I'm appalled that I used you're instead of your.

 

[ecarfan]

Moderator note: several posts about the potential utility and effectiveness of Tesla using local solar arrays to power its Supercharger and upcoming Megacharger (Tesla Semi) stations have been moved to their own thread here: Can Tesla power its charging stations with solar arrays?

It’s an interesting topic, to be sure, but the discussion was becoming more general and this thread is specifically for discussing the Kettleman City Supercharger. Thanks for your understanding.

 

[HighVolt@ge]

I'm a proud new member of the Tesla family, and this is my first post in the TMC forums. Last week I purchased a 2015 Model S 90D from a private party in the Bay Area. I live in Las Vegas and drove the Model S home. There's just no better way to get acquainted with a new car, especially one as revolutionary as the Model S, than a nice 550 mile road-trip. By nothing other than coincidence, my route included a stop at the Kettleman City supercharger. Well, that's not entirely true. My route told me to stop at Harris Ranch, but when I saw that Kettleman City had 40 stalls vs Harris Ranch @ 18 stalls, I defied my navigation recommendation and plowed forward the extra 20-25 miles to Kettleman City. Boy am I glad I did! Talk about an incredible 'Welcome to Tesla' moment! Pulling into the massive, Tesla pole-signed station (imagine a typical gas-station pole sign with a giant Tesla logo), 40-bays of supercharger magnificence, and only one other car supercharging! It felt like a private, exclusive enclave. As we pulled into the station we noticed in the notes on the navigation screen an 'owners only' access code for the front door of the lounge. Queue second WOW moment - we walked into the lounge. The lounge is incredibly well-appointed, obviously brand new, and the staff were so eager to impress and provide an experience (and they pulled a great espresso!). They had no idea I was a 1 day-old Tesla owner. They were very much bought into the Tesla brand and lifestyle, and the time flew by while we charged up. The fellowship of the other Tesla owner there at the time was memorable. He was so excited to teach us all the lessons he's learned since buying his Model S. So I took some pics I thought everyone might enjoy. Unfortunately I took panoramic shots of the 40-stalls and the interior of the lounge, and the TMC site won't allow me to upload those. I'd be happy to share via DM with anyone that's interested. For now, I've included all the it will allow me to upload. This lounge, being the only of its kind in the U.S. right now, is a must-visit if you're in the area (or even close and feel like defying your Tesla Nav recommended stops).

 

[Chuq]

Very jealous of course!

You didn't stop at the Baker supercharger as well? That's also a "big one"!

Unfortunately I took panoramic shots of the 40-stalls and the interior of the lounge, and the TMC site won't allow me to upload those.

Tip - for images too large to upload here, try an external image host such as imgur.com - you can upload there and then post the link in the thread!

 

[thecloud]

All those exposed countersunk Allen bolts in the counter top, though.

 

[GoTslaGo]

All those exposed countersunk Allen bolts in the counter top, though.

Glad I don’t have to clean that...