Supercharger - Newark, DE

[HankLloydRight]

Do we need to take up a collection and repaint the lines ourselves?

Even if we did, the rest area staff would just re-do it like it is now. I believe Tesla initially painted the proper lines, but then the local staff/management decided to re-paint it back into five spaces instead of the proper four.

 

[AlMc]

Even if we did, the rest area staff would just re-do it like it is now. I believe Tesla initially painted the proper lines, but then the local staff/management decided to re-paint it back into five spaces instead of the proper four.

Correct. The problem is that with the spacing of the 4 SCs the distance they span takes up 5 spaces.

 

[youlikeadajuice]

Again with the lines! I was the black one and almost couldn't plug in because the white one was so far over....I don't even know how he got the cable to reach his! I also made it a full house, so no other options if he had completely blocked the last charger available because of the misplaced lines.

 

[Max*]

All spots taken now. And again people don't understand how to park, barely reached.

 

[paulkva]

My first ever wait at a supercharger today, after nearly 2 years of ownership and well over a dozen supercharged road trips. About 15 minutes before I could start.

I wonder if anyone has reached out to Tesla or the DE agency that manages this location recently to ask for more capacity...

 

[AlMc]

My first ever wait at a supercharger today, after nearly 2 years of ownership and well over a dozen supercharged road trips. About 15 minutes before I could start.

I wonder if anyone has reached out to Tesla or the DE agency that manages this location recently to ask for more capacity...

I have reached out to both. The general manager of the facility tells me that they have no issues if TM wants to put in more stalls. As you know there are about 15 'green' spots next to the TM spots. No reason they could not expand down there. many have asked for ones to be put on the northbound side. I think it easier for TM and the owners of the plaza to just extend them down on the southbound side.

 

[HankLloydRight]

My first ever wait at a supercharger today, after nearly 2 years of ownership and well over a dozen supercharged road trips. About 15 minutes before I could start.

And it looks like a white MS is just pulling in, too!

I have reached out to both. The general manager of the facility tells me that they have no issues if TM wants to put in more stalls. As you know there are about 15 'green' spots next to the TM spots. No reason they could not expand down there. many have asked for ones to be put on the northbound side. I think it easier for TM and the owners of the plaza to just extend them down on the southbound side.

While that might be easier, I think having 8 stalls in a row would increase the chances of ICEing in that location, since it's so close to the door. I'd say put in 4 or 8 more stalls (to handle new MXs) somewhere way out in the parking lot so they don't get ICEd. I really don't mind walking an extra 100 yards if it means I don't have to worry about not getting a charge because a spot is ICEd.

At least let's hope they get the white lines painted correctly this time!

I like what they did with the 2 NJ Turnpike SCs -- out in the furthest corner of the lot. Would only get ICEd under extreme conditions (yes, I know someone already ICEd one of those spots already).

 

[jaguar36]

I wonder if they are electrical capacity constrained at Newark. Would explain why they only put 4 in in the first place.

I'd rather they put some more in at some other rest stops in the 95 corridor rather than expand at Newark anyway, though of course that would probably require more effort.

 

[andrewket]

I wonder if they are electrical capacity constrained at Newark. Would explain why they only put 4 in in the first place.

I'd rather they put some more in at some other rest stops in the 95 corridor rather than expand at Newark anyway, though of course that would probably require more effort.

Newark is an "older" location. At the time it was common for tesla to only install 4 slots. Based on the rate that use is increasing, I'd expand the south side by 4 and add 8 to the north side. Save some cash by doing both at the same time.

 

[paulkva]

Actually, I think there are even better locations at the rest stop, near some of the truck parking, that are easily accessible to both northbound and southbound travelers. I'm not near my computer right now, but when I am I'll mark up a map image...

 

[scaesare]

Indeed.. Newark, DE was one of the first mid-Atlantic corridor locations... and given the adoption rate of MS' in the area, the 4 stalls there have served remarkably well for these last 2-1/2 years...

However, I agree that:

1) The lines are screwed up. Still.

2) It's probably about time to indeed expand... and if so might as well so 12 or 16 stalls (if power feeds allow), rather than just 8.

3) This lines are screwed up. Again.

4) The idea of selecting locations that aren't "prime" one close to the entrance might be worthwhile for preventing icing.

5) The lines are screwed up. Seemingly perpetually.

6) Whatever new locations are selected for additional stalls, making it more obvious for both North- and South-bound travelers would be useful.

7) Did I mention the pavement striping there sucks?

 

[smartypnz]

Instead of repainting, why don't they just moved the SC's a couple of feet. Might get done quicker than repainting

 

[Lanny]

I thought the lines at Newark were a modern art project. No?

 

[andrewket]

Actually, I think there are even better locations at the rest stop, near some of the truck parking, that are easily accessible to both northbound and southbound travelers. I'm not near my computer right now, but when I am I'll mark up a map image...

True. The truck area has tons of space and is common to north and south. I'd say less likely to be ICEd, but Lanny can comment on being blocked by a truck. And when a truck does it, they take out several stalls at once.

 

[paulkva]

True. The truck area has tons of space and is common to north and south. I'd say less likely to be ICEd, but Lanny can comment on being blocked by a truck. And when a truck does it, they take out several stalls at once.

Here's what I was thinking:

My crude drawing above shows 9 new spaces, but the area is probably big enough for another 10-12, and almost certainly big enough for an additional 8. (Don't let DE hire me to paint their new parking space lines!) The biggest advantage, I think, is that the wide truck corridor in the lower left 1/4 of the image is easily accessible for both northbound and southbound travelers. Sectioning off the new spaces would likely prevent a truck from blocking most or all of them. Adding the spaces directly to the truck corridor (my 2nd image below) would disrupt less green space, but would make it more likely that a truck would pull over into them and block most or all of them.

The obvious alternatives (discussed upthread) would be to expand the existing 4 spaces to the southwest (taking up some of the green space where I put my "4 plugs" text) or to the northeast (not in the image, where the almost-never-respected "hybrid only" spaces are), but I think that presents a much higher risk of ICEing since the spaces are substantially closer to the entrance, and it doesn't improve ease of access for northbound travelers.

P.S. For what it's worth, there's some kind of major construction going on in the main parking lot (between the food court and gas station) right now.

 

[HankLloydRight]

What Tesla could do to solve the truck blocking and the bad parking line problems is install all drive-in forward stalls like at Turkey Lake Service Plaza in Florida and a few other locations.

The problem with taking up green space is that there is usually a minimum zoning requirement ratio.. And if they're at or close to the minimum, they can't build on it.

But yeah, that's a great location.

 

[Lanny]

True. The truck area has tons of space and is common to north and south. I'd say less likely to be ICEd, but Lanny can comment on being blocked by a truck. And when a truck does it, they take out several stalls at once.

This truck blocked both charging stations in Bridgeville, DE. These high-amp Level 2 stations are part of the same "Charging Up Delaware" program that installed the three L2 stations in the truck parking area at Newark, north of the Superchargers.

 

[CHRGIT]

Same location. Maybe the truckers got the word.

 

[AlMc]

Just stopped by...passed by...Newark SC at 1:30...All bays full. Three cars waiting

 

[HankLloydRight]

How/where are people queuing up while waiting? Is there an implicit order maintained?