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Supercharger - King of Prussia, PA
- Thread starter Mirlen
- Start date
plusplusjames
Member
juliusa
Active Member
When I traveled from Connecticut to Plymouth Meeting before there were any superchargers on my route, I would stay in a hotel by the KOP mall (there are a couple), and charge on the Tesla 14-50 outlet at the mall overnight. Couldn't do day trips until they opened Hamilton Township in 2014, and then Burlington in 2017 really made it doable.
I guess it is all a matter of perspective. I used to travel Connecticut to Maine, and hang around while I charged at the 16kW Tesla L2 at Natick mall each way. They did open a supercharger in Auburn MA a year after it was written up in the newspaper as being imminent. And 16kW was considered luxurious compared to others whose only option was charging at campgrounds with a NEMA 14-50 at 8kW. Now I'm bummed that my car won't supercharger at over 60kW for very long anymore.
I could always have taken an ICE - but preferred my MS and just got up a little early to make it work.
The only place I have been to and still cannot get to with superchargers is Granada, CO. Had to charge at a 14-50 at a campground overnight, and that is still the only option for my 2013 MS. The newer LR cars could do it.
I guess it is all a matter of perspective. I used to travel Connecticut to Maine, and hang around while I charged at the 16kW Tesla L2 at Natick mall each way. They did open a supercharger in Auburn MA a year after it was written up in the newspaper as being imminent. And 16kW was considered luxurious compared to others whose only option was charging at campgrounds with a NEMA 14-50 at 8kW. Now I'm bummed that my car won't supercharger at over 60kW for very long anymore.
I could always have taken an ICE - but preferred my MS and just got up a little early to make it work.
The only place I have been to and still cannot get to with superchargers is Granada, CO. Had to charge at a 14-50 at a campground overnight, and that is still the only option for my 2013 MS. The newer LR cars could do it.
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plusplusjames
Member
Once, about 29 years ago, I was in a supermarket in New York City and the checkout lines were worse than horrific. Everyone was stressed at how slow the lines were moving.
An old woman was directly behind me and was becoming increasingly agitated. Finally, she reached her limit and started yelling at me, saying, “you, why don’t you complain?!?!?!”
I was just there to buy groceries.
On this topic, I feel like I am that old lady. And you are just the poor shlemp there by happenstance trying to buy eggs. Ahead of the agitated person.
There. I’ve said my piece about the lack of superchargers along the PA Turnpike corridor north of Philly. Thank you for reading.
An old woman was directly behind me and was becoming increasingly agitated. Finally, she reached her limit and started yelling at me, saying, “you, why don’t you complain?!?!?!”
I was just there to buy groceries.
On this topic, I feel like I am that old lady. And you are just the poor shlemp there by happenstance trying to buy eggs. Ahead of the agitated person.
There. I’ve said my piece about the lack of superchargers along the PA Turnpike corridor north of Philly. Thank you for reading.
juliusa
Active Member
They're opening about 20 new supercharger locations a month in North America. You're just in a slow line. Soon. 
plusplusjames
Member
Our friend from NY drove his new Model 3 to see a friend near KoP right before the pandemic. He was staying at a hotel near downtown but it was not very convenient to drive downtown to charge and visit his friend out in the burbs. Just told him about these going in so thanks! As I recall at the time I directed him to a HPWC in one of the Mall parking garages to use. It was already late and think the mall had already closed so while he waited in the cold for some range he was kind of stuck in his car during that time.
plusplusjames
Member
Like I’ve been saying for years, this part of PA is a well known supercharger desert. Sometimes the HPWC just don’t cut it.
My friend from NY being a new EV owner and with snow on the ground and temps below freezing some nights, I really tried to stress charging his car after he drove down from NY to there and warned him about no SCs except for downtown or near border state highways. Also mentioned how slow L2s or a 14-50 would be. He was doing a lot of sight seeing and visiting friends in the burbs and with cold temps cut it closer than he thought a few days while there. His hotel had no chargers and had outdoor parking only, which also helped drain his battery overnight.
Glad to see the East Coast is building out. Buy Them (Teslas), and They (SCs) Will Come!
Glad to see the East Coast is building out. Buy Them (Teslas), and They (SCs) Will Come!
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juliusa
Active Member
With Burlington only 40 miles away on his way there, surprised he would have a problem - especially if he was driving around doing sightseeing and all the other superchargers around - in the city, for example. A hotel with a L2, or a hotel near the mall that has L2, would have been a good plan. Or include the city of Philadelphia (and a supercharge) in the sightseeing plan.
As a new EV owner, I can understand why he miscalculated. Yes, it does take some planning with an EV until all places where you park overnight have L2. There are many parts of the country where the closest supercharger is 20 miles from where you are staying.
As a new EV owner, I can understand why he miscalculated. Yes, it does take some planning with an EV until all places where you park overnight have L2. There are many parts of the country where the closest supercharger is 20 miles from where you are staying.
BrianBigNFun
Giver of snark
Montco is the largest of the collar counties and third most populous county in PA
I was shocked that there were no Superchargers when I looked at the map when researching the MY back in December
Tesla is ramping up production and they do have the best charging network in the US but in time I fear that the amount of Tesla’s sold will surpass the supply/demand of available superchargers as the price drops (aka model 2) and apartment dwellers start buying Tesla’s as I don’t think many landlords of midranged apartments will want to pony up the money to install chargers
Hope I’m wrong
juliusa
Active Member
People have been saying that for five years. Just like they have been saying the stock is overvalued. Maybe things will change in the future, but so far so good.
It could be worse. You could be this guy that bought a top-of-the-line Taycan and decided to do a lap around North America. The Porsche dealership warned him not to do it but he proceeded. **SPOILER ALERT!** It didn't go well... Taking One Lap of the Country in my Taycan Turbo - 10k miles in 6 weeks Cross-Country JournalWhy aren’t you complaining more?!?!?!
plusplusjames
Member
Coming back to the topic at hand -- this will be a supercharger with 16 stalls in the middle of the PA Turnpike desert. It's likely to be a very heavily used station. Locals, please post daily updates. I arrive on April 28th -- any possibility they will be up and running by then?
Kids these days are so spoiled with their abundance of superchargers! Who else remembers being excited when Hagerstown was built so that you could get to Pittsburgh!
This is great location (and should have been built long ago), but its hardly a game changer or neccessery for any trips at this point.
This is great location (and should have been built long ago), but its hardly a game changer or neccessery for any trips at this point.
What makes you think that it would be very heavily used? It's 20 miles from Philadelphia, PA, and others are under construction at travel plazas on the Turnpike.
plusplusjames
Member
People who drive to the northern Philadephia suburbs (like me) from outside the area can arrive with their battery extremely low. Also, have you ever driven from Collegeville, KOP, or Exton to Center City around 5 PM or a weekday? Like I wrote above, this area has a relative lack of superchargers.
So I think this will be heavily used, given the population of this area and the distribution of the superchargers. Just my opinion.
The KoP area is a hub of business headquarters and specialty retail shopping. The mall is one of the largest if not the largest mall in the US. There's also an incredible amount of luxury apartments built or being built. Between the apartments and the significant office presence I expect a significant spike in Tesla purchases from people who can't charge at home.
If you look at any supercharger within 200 miles, a great majority are 8 stalls. Tesla decided to put 16 here. They clearly realized this isn't just some turnpike service plaza area.
If you look at any supercharger within 200 miles, a great majority are 8 stalls. Tesla decided to put 16 here. They clearly realized this isn't just some turnpike service plaza area.
Craig_in_PA
Member
Funny you say that. Tesla is almost done installing 16 superchargers at Hickory Run service plaza, and very likely will be installing 16 at Allentown service plaza too.
more progress today.... looks like the trench to the PECO distribution is here
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