Supercharger - Los Gatos (expanded Jun 2021, 20 Urban stalls)

[FlatSix911]

San Carlos and East Palo Alto just opened with Urban Chargers too, FYI.

One of them seems vandalized... The cover plastic is off of it.

This most assuredly will not end well ...

 

[Ulmo]

A day or two after planx posted that, I swung by and saw the same, called Tesla support to report it, which took all of a minute, and now I see the cover has been put back in place. I don’t know if the company swung by or a conscientious passerby.

No other progress or activity spotted. Since I’m expecting a new power pole, I wonder why that is taking so many weeks. Perhaps the power pole people are booked up, or their pole supply has long lead times, but both seem slightly unlikely. Maybe they’re just not in a rush because the transformer delivery is also slow so it doesn’t matter. Maybe Caltrans and City of Los Gatos need to also coordinate pole insertion work with PG&E and combined with it not mattering how fast they go they take their time to do it pedantically; I’m ok with that given their perspective and the likelihood speed doesn’t matter here (I’ve said my bit about that already). Whatever the case, it seems like we could see activity on that front any time, with no expectation of soon. I’ll be interested to see any new pole.

I can’t see in the new transformer ground box, so I don’t know if any transformer has been delivered. I’m not going to pry. I suspect not.

 

[Warbird]

pry! This thread is like a spy movie.

 

[Ulmo]

pry! This thread is like a spy movie.

No. I looked, and it is nicely secure. It needs a transformer for thousands of volts and thousands of amps, so forget about getting in; it is not for playing around inside. It's going to connect to a pole with no less than 12kV and probably 60kV, maybe 115kV on it. I don't know the exact step down steps they're going to use. They could even use three 3-phase transformers on that site if they wanted to: pole mount, underground, and ground pad mount. I think it's impossible for them to only use 1 transformer due to the high voltage, high power, and long distance requirements. Anyway, if you got inside that underground box, no one would ever find you; you'd just burn to dust, and the few residues that are left would quickly be removed by insects.

 

[Nrazar]

Almost there!

 

[XwingTom]

Almost there!

Open yet?!??

 

[ecarfan]

Open yet?!??

No.

 

[Dag]

Stopped by this morning. No transformer yet. However 3 of the charging stalls were vandalized again, 1 cover fully removed and 2 partial forced open, called Tesla support to let them know.

 

[FlatSix911]

Bummer... copper thieves!

 

[wws]

It is surprising there would be vandalism. Last time I stopped by there, which admittedly was a few weeks ago, they had a security guard watching over the site. He told me it was 24x7 coverage. Guessing it wasn't so 'full time' after all?

 

[wws]

Los Gatos has been targeted by those who want to destroy US society over the last 3 or more years, and maybe some of their new agitators noticed an opportunity, and called that in to their thief buddies. Whatever the reason, we now know that the infection of thought of stealing from that SuperCharger is in place, so enforcement must erradicate those who have that thought there. The number of hobos around Los Gatos has increased dramatically and it would be easy for them to make it easy for drug addicts to move in and become aware of thieving opportunities. Netflix may be to blame for bringing in the wrong politics, but the solution is to catch thieves and make it unprofitable to steal from there...

There has been a HUGE uptick in small (e.g., $1000 or less) property crimes in California lately - largely due to California voters being duped into passing Prop 47 a few years ago. Ask anyone from the Sheriffs dept (I have), or your city council members (I have). If they answer honestly, and probably off the record..., they will confirm it.

 

[SMAlset]

I also think putting the chargers behind the stores kind of in the truck delivery area was not the smartest location. I think the proposal included things like security camera and lighting and forget who's responsibility it is for patroling the parking lots downtown. For this kind of theft there that's really bad for the City of Los Gatos and sure to give them a black eye especially with the affluent residents/shoppers downtown. Can't imagine Tesla is too happy over this either. One step away from car break-ins in my mind (going from corporate to individuals). At least the chargers there are back-in ones so if you need to leave quickly you're pulling forward. I'm not sure I would feel comfortable charging at night, getting some coffee at Starbucks and returning to my car alone.

 

[ecarfan]

Moderator note: multiple posts have been moved to the Off Topic forum. Please stay on topic. Irrational speculation about social changes causing thefts at Supercharger locations will be subject to deletion.

Thank you.

 

[Dag]

Drove by, no transformer and no pried open pedestals .

 

[UrbanEater]

I drove by this location on Saturday because I happened to be in the area. Unfortunately, I forgot to look for a transformer as I was looking at the charging units only. It appears that one of the chargers is missing a front cover. Not sure if that was from before as previously discussed or if it's new vandalism.

 

[Warbird]

Wow, what is happening...! Los Gatos is my home town, My paper routes were blocks from this location. I graduated from LGHS. I left California for Boston in 1986. I look forward to visiting family there, renting a Model 3 on TURO. And now I have to worry about whether the LG SuperCharger has been vandalized? This does not happen in New England.

I guess the reality is that a certain percentage of all the superchargers in the world (numbering?) will require 24/7 security (many with armed guards and some behind looked gates). Very sad

 

[Cheburashka]

Was there this weekend. Nothing has changed.

 

[PLUS EV]

Wow, what is happening...! Los Gatos is my home town, My paper routes were blocks from this location. I graduated from LGHS. I left California for Boston in 1986. I look forward to visiting family there, renting a Model 3 on TURO. And now I have to worry about whether the LG SuperCharger has been vandalized? This does not happen in New England.

I guess the reality is that a certain percentage of all the superchargers in the world (numbering?) will require 24/7 security (many with armed guards and some behind looked gates). Very sad

Talk about an overreaction.

 

[ecarfan]

It appears that one of the chargers is missing a front cover.

I guess the reality is that a certain percentage of all the superchargers in the world (numbering?) will require 24/7 security (many with armed guards and some behind looked gates). Very sad

I don’t think the situation is as grave as you are prortraying it.

 

[gluz24]

I spoke with the Tesla guys that visited Sunnyvale location. The manager claims they will open Los Gatos “very soon” as they are obviously waiting on utility. I hope that very soon means weeks at the most.