Supercharger - San Juan Capistrano, CA (7 V2 stalls)

[maverick]

thanks for all the updates! does anyone know when it will be ready? may? june?

 

[Cottonwood]

thanks for all the updates! does anyone know when it will be ready? may? june?

Not to rub it in, but San Juan Capistrano really does seem to be the problem child of Supercharger installs. Compare this to Wheeling, WV:

• March 22, 2014 - Dot noticed on Supercharger Dashboard - Wheeling, WV Supercharger
• April 12, 2014 - Site discovered, almost done - Wheeling, WV Supercharger - Page 2
• April 28, 2014 - Work appears complete, including transformer, ready for inspections - Wheeling, WV Supercharger - Page 4

And the thread is only 31 messages long compared with the 421 messages on this thread...

 

[jyc]

On the bright side, I'm sure the supercharger teams have learned from this experience and can take that forward to help other future supercharger installs go smoothly. You can't predict everything that can happen during roll-out!

Given the number of currently operating superchargers, I'm still amazed that so many others have gone so smoothly!

Compared to some early adopters waiting around 4 years or so for delivery of their vehicles, this isn't all that bad.

 

[wnb]

Today's update installment and photo... As you can see from the photo below, the concrete footing around the outside of the transformer encampment has been poured, as well as the anchors for the barrier posts to protect the equipment therein. I could not see that any of the duct tape covering the conduit ends had been disturbed, so I'm guessing that the mandril pull has not yet occurred. Enjoy...

 

[yoyodyne]

I'm guessing 4th of July though I'd love to have it by May 9th or 10th.

 

[Gear]

I could have really used this today. I had to go to San Diego for business today and had to range charge, drive 5mph under the limit, and take another major detour through Hawthorne to be able to make it back home. Living in the mountains has some perks I guess, as I had 245 miles on the range charge in my 60 and arrived at Hawthorne with 10 rated miles remaining. Charging to only 90%, driving 75mph, and not having to go through LA would have been much better.

 

[tbleakne]

Thanks to C10Cruiser for yesterday's thoughtful remarks. I was inspired to follow up, so I just took the photos below to augment his text. The forming for the pad concrete pour are most visible in the first photo. Something I didn't notice in the previous inspection is the conduit that is just barely visible in the lower-right corner of the smaller pad in the second photo.
View attachment 48018View attachment 48019

Is the smaller pad possibly for the meter, which forms the boundary between SD&G and Tesla after installation? Since Tesla buys their power "at voltage" my understanding is that this boundary is on the HV side of the transformer. However, the meter might be integrated with the transformer. Tesla gets a "at voltage" discount but must pay for any transformer maintenance.

 

[Cottonwood]

Is the smaller pad possibly for the meter, which forms the boundary between SD&G and Tesla after installation? Since Tesla buys their power "at voltage" my understanding is that this boundary is on the HV side of the transformer. However, the meter might be integrated with the transformer. Tesla gets a "at voltage" discount but must pay for any transformer maintenance.

In other Supercharger sites, I have seen the meter mounted on the side of the Distribution Panel with Current Transformers (CT's) inside the Distribution Panel. At these power levels, the connection does not pass through the meter. That would be 3 phases plus neutral times 4 parallel 500 mcm cables in the typical location; 16, 500-mcm cables, in and out of the meter, is a whole lot of cable to wrestle around...

The picture below shows what 3 500 mcm cables x 4 look like at the 4 stall installation in Farmington. The outside of the insulation on each of those cables is almost an inch in diameter. This picture also shows how the Distribution Panels come preconfigured for up to 6 parallel 500 mcm cables per phase, and those bus bars are rated at 2,000 Amps each!!!

 

[Apoclyps]

I could have really used this today. I had to go to San Diego for business today and had to range charge, drive 5mph under the limit, and take another major detour through Hawthorne to be able to make it back home. Living in the mountains has some perks I guess, as I had 245 miles on the range charge in my 60 and arrived at Hawthorne with 10 rated miles remaining. Charging to only 90%, driving 75mph, and not having to go through LA would have been much better.

How did you manage to get 245 miles on a range charge on an MS60? I can only get 199.

 

[Gear]

How did you manage to get 245 miles on a range charge on an MS60? I can only get 199.

My house is at about 6000'.

 

[Alexander]

I know this is off topic. But does altitude really affect your mileage on electric cars?

 

[ecarfan]

At high altitude there is less air resistance. The improvement in range is small but measurable.

 

[spentan]

At high altitude there is less air resistance. The improvement in range is small but measurable.

But getting up to that altitude can be really taxing on your mileage

 

[RandyS]

Back to SJC...Friday (drumroll)...Scheduled installation of transformer and wire pulling from 12kV source to transformer by utility crew...

 

[spentan]

Back to SJC...Friday (drumroll)...Scheduled installation of transformer and wire pulling from 12kV source to transformer by utility crew...

Yaaay. Great to hear about progress.

What's a conservative ETA to completion in your opinion Randy?

 

[markb1]

I know this is off topic. But does altitude really affect your mileage on electric cars?

I think what he means is he gets 245 miles going downhill.

 

[Gear]

I think what he means is he gets 245 miles going downhill.

Yes, sorry if I wasn't clear about that.

 

[Cosmacelf]

Hopefully someone can be there Friday to take pictures. I want to see what a 12kV transformer looks like before it is covered up!

 

[apacheguy]

Back to SJC...Friday (drumroll)...Scheduled installation of transformer and wire pulling from 12kV source to transformer by utility crew...

Sweet! So what would be left after that? I assume just inspection and then the site goes live?

 

[Cosmacelf]

I would assume Tesla has to test it after that. Not only test each supercharger stall, but also communications back to the mothership. But yeah, sounds like it could be live next week...

Time for someone to take more pictures. The rest of the concrete should be poured soon.