Supercharger Siler City, NC

[ASUComputerGuy]

Per Facebook, It looks like a new Supercharger is going in at
1605 E 11th St, Siler City, NC

I can't take credit for the Photo, this is from Facebook and was taken by John Gotsch.

If anyone else can find more information, feel free to add to this thread. Chatham County Inspections site is not publicly accessible.

Appears to well on its way... @MarcoRP

 

[SigNC]

I just knew this was going to be at the smithfield's but I guess not.

 

[nccars]

There will be plenty of (fast food at least) restaurants within a very short walk.

 

[Da_Gman]

Siler City! Andy Griffith would be proud. Now, that's only a hop and skip from Mt. Pilot to Raleigh.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Siler City, NC

Along Primary Interstates: None
Along US Numbered Highways (<=5mi): US-64, US-421
Along Auxiliary Interstates: None

US-64

From: Lexington, NC - 59.2 miles
To: Rocky Mount, NC - 100.2 miles
Diversion: 0.2 miles
From: Chattanooga, TN - 433.1 miles
To: Plymouth, NC - 168.8 miles

US-421

From: South of Wilmington, NC - 158.6 miles
To: Greensboro, NC - 40.3 miles
Diversion: 1.5 miles
To: Colfax, NC - 46.7 miles

To: Lynchburg, VA (US-64, US-421, I-85, I-785, US-29) - 139.9 miles
To: Mebane, NC (NC-1004, l, NC-87, I-40) - 33.8 miles
To: Durham, NC (US-64, US-15) - 36.3 miles
To: Cary, NC (US-64, NC-540, NC-55) - 40.6 miles
To: Raleigh, NC (US-64, I-440) - 51.4 miles
To: Smithfield, NC (US-64, I-40, US-70) - 77.2 miles
To: Wallace, NC (US-64, US-421, l, NC-27, I-95, I-40) - 124.2 miles
To: Fayetteville, NC (US-64, US-421, NC-210) - 66.5 miles
To: Myrtle Beach, SC (US-64, US-421, US-1, US-15, US-74, US-501, l) - 177.2 miles
To: Florence, SC (US-64, US-421, US-15, US-74, US-501, I-95) - 143.6 miles
To: Charlotte, NC (US-64, NC-49, I-485, I-85, l) - 91.5 miles
To: Lexington, NC (US-64, l, I-285) - 59.3 miles
To: Archdale, NC (US-64, US-421, NC-62, I-85) - 37.4 miles
To: Greensboro, NC (US-64, US-421, I-85, I-73,I-40) - 40.3 miles

Another Tesla hole-filler on US Numbered Highways.
On US-64 between Charlotte, NC and the Outer Banks, and on US-421 between Greensboro, NC and Wilmington, NC.

 

[DavidAsheville]

Glad to hear this one is in progress!

 

[BrownOuttaSpec]

Tesla.com site says Q4 2021 but if the pedestals are already in place than I would say it will be sooner that that!

 

[DarkNightP3D]

This to me is one of the weirdest locations. Why not Asheboro where the zoo, I-73 and other things actually are? I’d also like to know how this got priority over a place like Boone, Sanford, Pinehurst, or Emporia, VA.

 

[J569]

This to me is one of the weirdest locations. Why not Asheboro where the zoo, I-73 and other things actually are? I’d also like to know how this got priority over a place like Boone, Sanford, Pinehurst, or Emporia, VA.

I definitely agree with those other locations, especially Boone, but I do think Siler City fills an important gap on both US 64 and US 421. Thus it helps both the secondary NC 49/US 64 Charlotte-Raleigh route and the US 421/NC 87 Greensboro-Fayetteville route. I’d also really like a Rockingham supercharger to plug the US 74 Charlotte-Wilmington route and also serve I-73/US 1.

I bet that the Siler City supercharger would make Asheboro less likely to get one soon unfortunately.

 

[DavidAsheville]

... I do think Siler City fills an important gap on both US 64 and US 421. Thus it helps both the secondary NC 49/US 64 Charlotte-Raleigh route and the US 421/NC 87 Greensboro-Fayetteville route ...

Although it's been quite a long time since I've driven from Asheville to Chapel Hill or Raleigh, my recollection is that taking US-64 to bypass the Winston - Greensboro - Burlington section of I-40 is a much more pleasant drive. There are friends down that way I would like to go visit, and this Siler City location could be a good place to stop for a charge.

 

[SigNC]

This to me is one of the weirdest locations. Why not Asheboro where the zoo, I-73 and other things actually are? I’d also like to know how this got priority over a place like Boone, Sanford, Pinehurst, or Emporia, VA.

This site will get a lot of traffic. Tons of teslas running 64 out of raleigh to 421 to 85 and vice versa. I run it all the time and there are always lots of other teslas on the route.

 

[BrownOuttaSpec]

This site will get a lot of traffic. Tons of teslas running 64 out of raleigh to 421 to 85 and vice versa. I run it all the time and there are always lots of other teslas on the route.

Yeah, Tesla has ALL the information about our cars, where/when we travel, and super charger usage. Just look at this from what the public can see (map is incomplete since not many people in US use this app, but I do, hence the usage around the Raleigh area where my car can 'ping' and collect data):

This is the Raleigh (North Hills) usage based on time of day: (Available SuC Stalls)

Tesla knows where to put the Superchargers and how to prioritize them. They have the data!

 

[RTPEV]

Yes, this site is an interesting one. It doesn't appear to be one of the "spur of the moment" Sheetz (or other convenience chain) sites that were likely prompted by the convenience chain, using THEIR data/traffic patterns rather than Tesla's. This one seems like a more traditional Tesla-initiated site, which is possibly encouraging for those looking for a Boone area Supercharger, as there doesn't appear to be any convenience chain hosts in that area (that are working with Tesla at this point anyway). The problem is that while Tesla may have great data on where Tesla owners are currently traveling, their data on where to site FUTURE Superchargers may be imperfect because of a chicken-and-egg problem: drivers may be avoiding Boone because of lack of infrastructure, so it may not appear to have as big a demand as there actually is.

This is why I continue to say it's important to reach out to hosts like Sheetz who "get it" and see the writing on the wall when it comes to transitioning from gas pumps to charging stations. There isn't a Sheetz in Boone, but there is a Circle K, and they are at least talking the talk. If this is important to you, keep hounding Circle K on social media about the fantastic opportunity to fill a huge gap and have virtually no competition in that area.

Brand new Circle K with 300 kW fast chargers, solar panels and battery storage

 

[jsight]

The problem is that while Tesla may have great data on where Tesla owners are currently traveling, their data on where to site FUTURE Superchargers may be imperfect because of a chicken-and-egg problem: drivers may be avoiding Boone because of lack of infrastructure, so it may not appear to have as big a demand as there actually is.

I feel like Tesla may also be looking at nearby stations with excessive charge times and using that to gauge interest. I think it would be pretty easy to search for charge sessions that go to 85% or 90+% and then track where they went next. Even a few cars doing that would point to useful new sites.

Of course, this wouldn't catch the cases where its literally impossible to reach a destination. It doesn't seem like there are too many of those left though.

 

[RTPEV]

I feel like Tesla may also be looking at nearby stations with excessive charge times and using that to gauge interest. I think it would be pretty easy to search for charge sessions that go to 85% or 90+% and then track where they went next. Even a few cars doing that would point to useful new sites.

Of course, this wouldn't catch the cases where its literally impossible to reach a destination. It doesn't seem like there are too many of those left though.

While I don't doubt that Tesla could do this level of data mining to tease out new charging sites, I'm fairly skeptical that they actually are. I do think they've reached a point where they can rely on partners (like Sheetz, et al) to propose new sites at a sufficient pace to keep their network expansion going. Having a willing host saves Tesla the hassle of having to hunt one down themselves, even if they have a suitable location in mind.

Once critical mass is achieved with convenience stores and grocery stores providing charging services, as well as growing numbers of EVs on the road, other chains will start falling over themselves to provide this amenity, and Tesla (and other charging providers) will start to have to be selective in which ones they move forward with!

 

[DarkNightP3D]

I definitely agree with those other locations, especially Boone, but I do think Siler City fills an important gap on both US 64 and US 421. Thus it helps both the secondary NC 49/US 64 Charlotte-Raleigh route and the US 421/NC 87 Greensboro-Fayetteville route. I’d also really like a Rockingham supercharger to plug the US 74 Charlotte-Wilmington route and also serve I-73/US 1.

I bet that the Siler City supercharger would make Asheboro less likely to get one soon unfortunately.

yes, we definitely need something on US-74 corridor near Rockingham.

This site will get a lot of traffic. Tons of teslas running 64 out of raleigh to 421 to 85 and vice versa. I run it all the time and there are always lots of other teslas on the route.

I’m not really quite sure why anyone takes US-64 to get to 421 from Raleigh (or 85, really, unless seeking a “scenic” route). 421 doesn’t really run any place that you can’t get to more quickly on a major interstate. Maybe as an alternate route from points south of Raleigh like Holly Springs you could take 64 to 421 to Greensboro, but that’s about the extent of traveling that route. Many many times more people travel to Asheboro than Siler City (from all parts of NC) because of the NC Zoo. Asheboro is also along an actual interstate (73/74), whereas Siler City is not. People traveling from places like Myrtle Beach to Greensboro have no charging stations on their route. Asheboro (and/or Rockingham) would help alleviate that large gap (170 miles between the MB and GSO Superchargers).

You can argue Tesla knows all and builds chargers only where they are needed, but they took YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR to build a charger in Charleston, and when they finally did build one, they didn’t even put it in Charleston proper. It’s 20 mins away at the airport in N. Charleston. If you’re driving south from Wilmington to Charleston, it’s a fairly large detour out of the way to hit the “Charleston” supercharger. I also would not have chosen the location they picked for the Cary SC because it requires exiting I-40 and driving south on the toll portion of 540. If they had moved it one exit north on 540, or placed it on I-40 (say at Airport Blvd or Aviation Pkwy), you wouldn’t have to go on the toll road or go any out of your way off 40. Siler City is fine to add, but rbey still need to add one in Asheboro, Rockingham, and maybe Biscoe on the 73/74 corridor.

 

[DarkNightP3D]

I feel like Tesla may also be looking at nearby stations with excessive charge times and using that to gauge interest. I think it would be pretty easy to search for charge sessions that go to 85% or 90+% and then track where they went next. Even a few cars doing that would point to useful new sites.

Of course, this wouldn't catch the cases where its literally impossible to reach a destination. It doesn't seem like there are too many of those left though.

Well, I’ve been to Boone enough times in our Model 3s the past few years they should know they need one there or at least somewhere like Hamptonville (421 and I-77 intersection). Thank god Boone does have a handful of free AC chargers in some parking decks because without them I wouldn’t be able to go to Boone and make it back to Greensboro to Supeecharge on my way back to Raleigh. The OG GSO location was always full and it seemed to always have at least two chargers not working well and while not far off the highway, the traffic lights getting in and out added 7-8 mins of time just to get to the Sheetz. Haven’t been to the new location, hopefully it’s better.

 

[SigNC]

yes, we definitely need something on US-74 corridor near Rockingham.

I’m not really quite sure why anyone takes US-64 to get to 421 from Raleigh (or 85, really, unless seeking a “scenic” route). 421 doesn’t really run any place that you can’t get to more quickly on a major interstate. Maybe as an alternate route from points south of Raleigh like Holly Springs you could take 64 to 421 to Greensboro, but that’s about the extent of traveling that route. Many many times more people travel to Asheboro than Siler City (from all parts of NC) because of the NC Zoo. Asheboro is also along an actual interstate (73/74), whereas Siler City is not. People traveling from places like Myrtle Beach to Greensboro have no charging stations on their route. Asheboro (and/or Rockingham) would help alleviate that large gap (170 miles between the MB and GSO Superchargers).

You can argue Tesla knows all and builds chargers only where they are needed, but they took YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR to build a charger in Charleston, and when they finally did build one, they didn’t even put it in Charleston proper. It’s 20 mins away at the airport in N. Charleston. If you’re driving south from Wilmington to Charleston, it’s a fairly large detour out of the way to hit the “Charleston” supercharger. I also would not have chosen the location they picked for the Cary SC because it requires exiting I-40 and driving south on the toll portion of 540. If they had moved it one exit north on 540, or placed it on I-40 (say at Airport Blvd or Aviation Pkwy), you wouldn’t have to go on the toll road or go any out of your way off 40. Siler City is fine to add, but rbey still need to add one in Asheboro, Rockingham, and maybe Biscoe on the 73/74 corridor.

It's not about traveling TO a city it's about traveling THROUGH a city. Let's play out your zoo theory. do you think a lot of people take 40 out of raleigh to 73 to go to the zoo? If they do, they pass 2, soon to be 3 superchargers right off the interstate. Meanwhile, there is nothing on 64 and a charger at 64/421 covers both of those places.

For all the reasons you are complaining about supercharger placement, there are equal reason why they are nice. For instance, the charleston charger is near the airport, right off 26 as you enter the city, and covers 526. I imagine exponentially more people come into charleston that way than down from wilmington, and you pass the MB charger on the way. The cary one is convenient for anybody going 540 to 147 and is in a much nicer location. Nobody wants to stop off airport blvd for anything other than going to the airport.

Also, back on topic of the siler city charger. I think you'd be surprised how many people take 64 out of the raleigh/cary etc area to charlotte. It's a much shorter distance drive, often less stressful, and not that longer duration wise.

 

[jsight]

Well, I’ve been to Boone enough times in our Model 3s the past few years they should know they need one there or at least somewhere like Hamptonville (421 and I-77 intersection). Thank god Boone does have a handful of free AC chargers in some parking decks because without them I wouldn’t be able to go to Boone and make it back to Greensboro to Supeecharge on my way back to Raleigh. The OG GSO location was always full and it seemed to always have at least two chargers not working well and while not far off the highway, the traffic lights getting in and out added 7-8 mins of time just to get to the Sheetz. Haven’t been to the new location, hopefully it’s better.

I know what you mean. My trip down I26 is kind of like this... Its a little frustrating, but obviously help is on the way. It just takes time to find good sites for some routes.

You can argue Tesla knows all and builds chargers only where they are needed, but they took YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR to build a charger in Charleston, and when they finally did build one, they didn’t even put it in Charleston proper. It’s 20 mins away at the airport in N. Charleston. If you’re driving south from Wilmington to Charleston, it’s a fairly large detour out of the way to hit the “Charleston” supercharger.

Yeah, it'd be great to have them in downtown and Mt. Pleasant. Maybe soon-ish...

 

[SigNC]

Got some pics. Not a great spot IMO. Smithfield by Taco Bell and Walmart would have been much better but perhaps space / agreement issus.