Supercharger - North Branch, MN

[MarcoRP]

An 8-stall Supercharger is coming soon to North Branch at the Holiday convenience store off I-35.

 

[starman27]

Yes!! More V3 love for I-35!!!

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Yes!! More V3 love for I-35!!!

Wrong end!

 

[Cyberjr]

Yahoo another charger for the I35 commute. Who's ready for a charger in the southern or south eastern part. Makes those beautiful lake and river drives accessible.

 

[DeepBlueMN]

Great to see another supercharger planned along I-35, but we *really* need one south of the metro area. Tesla *has* to have something in the works for Faribault or Owatonna, but maybe they just cant find the right partner or location…?
It is great to see more unplanned superchargers popping up (based on looking at Tesla’s published plan), so I have hope for one of these 2 locations. (Maybe even a supercharger in Grand Marais will happen!)

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

North Branch, MN

Host Type: Gas Station
Host: Holiday
Along Primary Interstates: I-35
Along US Numbered Highways (<=5mi): None
Along Auxiliary Interstates: None

I-35

From: Vadnais Heights, MN - 33.5 miles
To: Hinckley, MN - 35.5 miles
Diversion: 0.5 miles
From: Oakdale, MN - 44 miles
To: Carlton, MN - 88.2 miles

V3 on I-35 North of the Minneapolis-St-Paul area..

If Tesla opened this and all previously identified locations, it now would only need 499 more locations to reduce the maximum gap along single Interstates to 50 miles or less.

 

[tharasix]

Yeah, weird. I mean, now it's easy to skip Hinckley, but man, other places need it more.

 

[emiliorescigno]

I'm always excited for more superchargers, but yet another one with no trailer stall? I always hope to avoid Hinckley so I don’t have to do this…

 

[Kewmpie1]

If Tesla opened this and all previously identified locations, it now would only need 499 more locations to reduce the maximum gap along single Interstates to 50 miles or less.

This is an awesome metric. Is it based on an analytic tool you use or more of an estimate based on observation?

 

[starman27]

It's not a zero-sum game guys. Adding a Supercharger north of the Twin Cities doesn't reduce the possibility of one being added on the complete opposite side.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

This is an awesome metric. Is it based on an analytic tool you use or more of an estimate based on observation?

Sadly, not as automated as it should be. Every time* a new site is added to Supercharge.info I map distances using Supercharge.info from/to the Superchargers 2 either side along the highways it's "along". Mostly just Interstates (not spurs) and US Numbered Highways, but I have done some distances along a few state highways, particularly in California.

I have a spreadsheet with these distances, and count up the gaps in groups.

* Nearly. I ignore Long Island. Those guys are fine. I also ignore urban, although urban are pretty much dead.

 

[Bg2580]

Search and Status

permit for this site

 

[MN_Bob]

Construction has started.

 

[starman27]

Wow. Transformer already in place? Where the heck is Bloomington's?

 

[Bg2580]

@Chuq @corywright Looks like construction has started.

 

[glenhurst]

Wow. Transformer already in place? Where the heck is Bloomington's?

The transformer is ordered by the local electric utility. In North Branch, that would be the North Branch Municipal Water & Light. In Bloomington, it would be Xcel. Perhaps NBMWL is just be more on top of things and ordered the transformer a while ago. The lead time for such things was running 6-9+ months a year or two ago. Not sure about now.

 

[Mrbrock]

Based on the permit, it is a modular precast setup with 2 modules for 8 stalls. There is a recent dig ticket from 8/2 so that follows with construction starting. The one posted above expired 8/1.

Search and Status

 

[Oofta]

How long does it usually take to bring these operational once construction has started?

 

[DeepBlueMN]

It can be, in theory, just a few weeks, IF the prefab units are used, ground prep is good, a transformer is already installed, and Tesla is ready and available to test and enable it. Very rare though.
More likely, 2-4 months. Sometimes 9 months if it spans a winter season.
Bloomington got constructed pretty fast, but then stalled with no transformer (still).
Maple Grove got stalled by a big rain storm early on. But, then progressed well and got a transformer, yet is still not powered up.
Both of these are normal installs, not prefab.
Keep an eye on Monticello to track a local MN prefab install.

 

[mnev]

Drove by this morning. No sign of any Tesla equipment as of yet. Looks like they got more concrete poured since the last picture. There was a crew working, but not sure on what.