Supercharger - Ottawa ON

[SluyterCapital]

I am from Ottawa and most likely will never use this charger because I avoid The Rideau Centre like I would avoid Toronto. (Relax, I grew up in Toronto and escaped)
It brings up a good point though, not being ungrateful, is Supercharging really free if I have to pay $3.00 an hour to charge? Just asking. In the end this is not free and I wonder if there are grounds to whine like a baby?

 

[rypalmer]

Impossible. Each pedestal operates at the voltage of the vehicle's pack it's charging. The Supercharger cabinets are a little different than the original ones. Instead of having switching mechanisms inside so that different charger modules can contribute current to different vehicles, half of the modules are fixed to one pedestal and the other half are fixed to the other connected pedestal.

I know how battery charging works. Could they not share a negative bus?

 

[MarcoRP]

Impossible. Each pedestal operates at the voltage of the vehicle's pack it's charging. The Supercharger cabinets are a little different than the original ones. Instead of having switching mechanisms inside so that different charger modules can contribute current to different vehicles, half of the modules are fixed to one pedestal and the other half are fixed to the other connected pedestal.

EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE!

 

[Doug_G]

I am from Ottawa and most likely will never use this charger because I avoid The Rideau Centre like I would avoid Toronto. (Relax, I grew up in Toronto and escaped)
It brings up a good point though, not being ungrateful, is Supercharging really free if I have to pay $3.00 an hour to charge? Just asking. In the end this is not free and I wonder if there are grounds to whine like a baby?

A bit anticlimactic. It's certainly great to see something in Ottawa, but..

The location definitely isn't convenient for people passing through Ottawa.

It will be great for tourists, and for visitors staying downtown. $3/hour parking won't really deter people; it's the downtown traffic that will keep most people away.

This would be a 72 kW maximum Supercharger. Not as slow as it sounds because of tapering. I guess you can go shopping or eat in the Rideau Centre while you charge.

 

[SluyterCapital]

It will be great for tourists, and for visitors staying downtown. $3/hour parking won't really deter people; it's the downtown traffic that will keep most people away.

Ah Ha! Maybe that's what the powers that be, want. Keep us locals feeding at our home trough and not munching on that free juice.

 

[wayner]

It brings up a good point though, not being ungrateful, is Supercharging really free if I have to pay $3.00 an hour to charge? Just asking. In the end this is not free and I wonder if there are grounds to whine like a baby?

How else would you do it in urban environments where parking is not free and if Tesla did offer free parking in addition to charging then you would have people abusing that. For example, when I would be driving to downtown Toronto and would need parking for an hour I would make sure to go with an empty battery so I could charge and park for free.

 

[Safari]

So this is a SuperUrbanDestinationCharger? More is better, and if it's $3/hr to park downtown Ottawa, not that pricy. Consider that FLO charges $10/hr for Lvl 3 charging at the Markham Civic Centre (free municipal lot) and $15/hr at Markville Mall (otherwise free parking). I still hope Ottawa gets a Supercharger easily accessible from the highway to support long distance travel. As the Barrie example shows, I suspect its faster dealing with Mall owners/operators than city councils and bureaucrats.

 

[Doug_G]

Yeah I don't think you can use FLO as a comparison. No one wants to use their chargers because they're overpriced and the service is reportedly awful.

 

[Peter_M]

@BlueShift please add to supercharge.info as under construction: 50 Rideau St, Ottawa, ON K1N 9J7. Thanks.

 

[mrElbe]

Yeah I don't think you can use FLO as a comparison. No one wants to use their chargers because they're overpriced and the service is reportedly awful.

I guess we won't "go with the FLO"

 

[Doug_G]

I guess we won't "go with the FLO"

Groan!

 

[rypalmer]

I've found FLO chargers to be very reliable, and their customer support to be excellent. Pricing is set by the host. Don't put that on FLO, they just provide the network.

 

[Cosmacelf]

So, yes, these are the urban Superchargers that give a constant 72 kW of power (or less if your battery is getting full), giving you up to 210 miles of range per hour.

Ottawa is a destination city, not a pass through onto somewhere else city. These SCs are great for visitors from other cities (like Toronto, Montreal, Kingston, etc.), allowing visitors to charge when arriving for drive around town range, and as well before leaving for trip range. This area of Ottawa is within easy walking distance to the Parliament buildings, the very vibrant Market district which is packed to the gills with restaurants and bars, the National Arts Center (plays, orchestra, dance performances), and, of course, the Rideau Center large shopping concourse. The fact that it is underground in a heated garage will be very welcome indeed during the winter.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

So, yes, these are the urban Superchargers that give a constant 72 kW of power (or less if your battery is getting full), giving you up to 210 miles of range per hour.

Ottawa is a destination city, not a pass through onto somewhere else city. These SCs are great for visitors from other cities (like Toronto, Montreal, Kingston, etc.), allowing visitors to charge when arriving for drive around town range, and as well before leaving for trip range. This area of Ottawa is within easy walking distance to the Parliament buildings, the very vibrant Market district which is packed to the gills with restaurants and bars, the National Arts Center (plays, orchestra, dance performances), and, of course, the Rideau Center large shopping concourse. The fact that it is underground in a heated garage will be very welcome indeed during the winter.

Well, Google thinks that if you're traveling between Montreal, QC and Sudbury, ON you'll be driving by Ottawa, ON.

Really, it's just that Tesla has done a deal for an Urban Supercharger and it's just a leaf node on the long-distance network.

 

[Doug_G]

How do Urban Superchargers show on the touchscreen? Do they show that it’s paid parking and lower power? Does the navigation route you to them if you are just passing through?

 

[wayner]

Well, Google thinks that if you're traveling between Montreal, QC and Sudbury, ON you'll be driving by Ottawa, ON.

True, but how many people drive that route? Sure, it is the TransCanada Hwy but I don't imagine there is a ton of traffic on that route, at least there wasn't when I used to spend some time up there 25 years ago or so.

 

[MarcoRP]

How do Urban Superchargers show on the touchscreen? Do they sheow that it’s paid parking and lower power? Does the navigation route you to them if you are just passing through?

this is what it shows on Find Us | Tesla Canada

 

[RiverBrick]

I've found FLO chargers to be very reliable, and their customer support to be excellent...

I agree. It's KSI/myevroute which is overpriced, unreliable and has no customer service.

 

[Doug_G]

Okay I stand corrected.

 

[Duckjybe]

I agree. It's KSI/myevroute which is overpriced, unreliable and has no customer service.

Not to mention the Ontario taxpayer and EV drivers are getting shafted because the L3 portion of the 20 million EVCO program has been spent on L3 charging that is not much faster than the fastest L2 chargers. Many L3 MyEvroute/KSI chargers have been limited to 25kW apparently because of electricity demand charges. Tesla's supercharger network gets better and better and other EV charging is going backwards. If the other manufacturers don't get involved soon they will be left in the dust.