Supercharger - Temecula, CA (Winchester Rd., LIVE 10 May 2016, 10 V2 stalls)

[leaurend]

As far as the Supercharger goes, I gave the mean eye to a SUV that was pulling in and ready to park or ICEd a Supercharger spot. They end-up leaving to go up one level to park close to the stairs. Crazy when you think that around 7pm there were empty regular spots all around within 30 feet!!! 30 feet is too much I guess... smh

 

[4SUPER9]

I've said this before on other mall located SC's: For those of you who would need to frequent this location, invest in some green traffic cones and put them in front of each stall. My guess is that this would prevent the vast majority of ICE'ers.

 

[leaurend]

I've said this before on other mall located SC's: For those of you who would need to frequent this location, invest in some green traffic cones and put them in front of each stall. My guess is that this would prevent the vast majority of ICE'ers.

Good point! The mall should provide them. I have seen Pala casino provides cones for their two Blink charging spots, and they have not been ICE-d ever since.
Also I was charging for 30 mins yesterday around 7.30 PM, and the mall security officers were going around. One was in a pick-up truck, and the other one was with a golf cart. So I would think they are going to monitor the SC spots.

 

[4SUPER9]

Century City mall just installed a whole row of Chargepoint stations. Because 90% of the mall is under construction, these spots are often ICE'd. Their security is excellent at monitoring, but all they can do is give them a "ticket." They even gave one to my friend last week who, to my dismay, was parked there and not plugged in. These tickets have no legal power. Also, by the time they give them a ticket, it's too late. The car is already parked for the evening (usually, for a movie).

While I agree with you that the mall should provide the cones, they may not get around to it. If they were to suddenly to magically find 8 green cones in place, they would probably assume that TM did it and not be unhappy with it.

 

[crackers8199]

Good point! The mall should provide them. I have seen Pala casino provides cones for their two Blink charging spots, and they have not been ICE-d ever since.
Also I was charging for 30 mins yesterday around 7.30 PM, and the mall security officers were going around. One was in a pick-up truck, and the other one was with a golf cart. So I would think they are going to monitor the SC spots.

i live about 15 mins from the promenade, and they do a decent job patrolling the parking garages in general

 

[TaoJones]

I've said this before on other mall located SC's: For those of you who would need to frequent this location, invest in some green traffic cones and put them in front of each stall. My guess is that this would prevent the vast majority of ICE'ers.

Great idea. If anyone does this, however, I would recommend weighting down the cones to make them more annoying to steal. I've seen some creative ways in which the weighting has been done. Lead (or similar) tape, some kind of funky metal donut thing, concrete wedge, pretty much anything will work. I did buy some small orange traffic cones just to have - very small and stackable - but they're so light unless you modify them that they would just blow away otherwise. Even the "official" traffic cones are too light to avoid being appropriated.

Traffic cones and milk crates. Reduce, reuse, recycle. Words to live by in college, back when a milk crate was a milk crate. Harrumph.

 

[RobertF]

Century City mall just installed a whole row of Chargepoint stations. Because 90% of the mall is under construction, these spots are often ICE'd. Their security is excellent at monitoring, but all they can do is give them a "ticket." They even gave one to my friend last week who, to my dismay, was parked there and not plugged in. These tickets have no legal power. Also, by the time they give them a ticket, it's too late. The car is already parked for the evening (usually, for a movie).

While I agree with you that the mall should provide the cones, they may not get around to it. If they were to suddenly to magically find 8 green cones in place, they would probably assume that TM did it and not be unhappy with it.

Thanks for your observations. It appears to be a ridiculous problem for security who has no power to enforce. Why doesn't Tesla just locate the chargers outside in less desirable parking spots. It wont totally solve the problem but it should help. Better signage, warnings and red car stall floor paint might help. A possible stupid idea would be for security to place some kind of an obstruction preventing egress and requiring car owner to contact security for removal. Lastly, how about towing at owners expense with appropriate very visible signage. I still think keeping chargers located out of garages is best and would not cause bad relations with those who are inconsiderate.

 

[4SUPER9]

Thanks for your observations. It appears to be a ridiculous problem for security who has no power to enforce. Why doesn't Tesla just locate the chargers outside in less desirable parking spots. It wont totally solve the problem but it should help. Better signage, warnings and red car stall floor paint might help. A possible stupid idea would be for security to place some kind of an obstruction preventing egress and requiring car owner to contact security for removal. Lastly, how about towing at owners expense with appropriate very visible signage. I still think keeping chargers located out of garages is best and would not cause bad relations with those who are inconsiderate.

The issue is one of space availability. This is where they could get spots, electricity, etc. The issue of towing is one that has been discussed innumerable times on other threads. To date, Tesla has not made any spots restricted or posted any towing signs. The sentiment is that Tesla does not want to anger anyone just yet.

 

[David99]

The issue is one of space availability. This is where they could get spots, electricity, etc. The issue of towing is one that has been discussed innumerable times on other threads. To date, Tesla has not made any spots restricted or posted any towing signs. The sentiment is that Tesla does not want to anger anyone just yet.

In California there are laws about EV charging spots. Cars can be towed if they are not EV and not charging. For example the city of Santa Monica has been installing many L2 chargers and the signage is pretty simple: 'no parking except EVs while charging'. I'm too lazy to google the law but it basically defines a charging spot and when someone parks their ICE car there or not plugging in, they are in violation just as much as parking at a meter without paying, or parking when a sign says 'no parking'. There needs to be a sign/notice about towing, but that's pretty standard.
I believe Tesla has not been rigorous about towing at Superchargers because of the deal they made with the property owners. They don't claim the spots exclusive. Many Superchargers even have signs saying '30 min general parking' (or something similar) to indicate that it can be still used as parking spots for non Tesla cars. If Tesla wanted to have these spots exclusive, the lease would probably be much higher and some property owners would not even agree to give up 10 parking spots.
At one Supercharger at a hotel I asked about all the Supercharger spots being ICEd and they made it clear they do not enforce it at all and even tell their guests they can park there over night. I was lucky there was one spot still open! It was 3 am and there was no way I could have gotten anyone to move their car.

I have always said, putting chargers in undesirable or less convenient parking locations would greatly solve the problem of ICEing. I believe Tesla is rather selling Superchargers to hotels and malls as bring high end customers to these businesses. I'm sure they get a much better deal that way, even though it comes with the compromise of non-exclusive spots.

 

[Cosmacelf]

The CA law about towing is a bit more strict than that. The EV charging spot MUST warn that your car can be towed, and give the phone number of the towing agency/impound lot where the car will be held.

Anyways, has Temecula been busy? Are people waiting to charge?

 

[AEdennis]

I was there with the LA and SD Clubs when we went to Wine and Wheels or is it Wheels and Wine... I dropped the wine part for this drive as "I am the autopilot" for the drive this weekend...

Took the following picture from outside:

IMG_20160514_143713 by Dennis Pascual, on Flickr

And another inside

IMG_20160514_143245 by Dennis Pascual, on Flickr

 

[freeewilly]

Try to avoid this SC station!!!

I went to Wilson Creek Winery for brunch and wine tasting on Sunday, I could have around 10% energy left to reach home if I did't charge my car. I had to check out this new SC location, although it's on the 3rd floor, it's very convenient and the parkings are right next to the elevator. Tesla and the mall made the right call to have them installed on the 3rd floor instead of the 1st floor because the traffic on the 1st floor will be harder for Tesla to back into the parking space. There were 2 cars charging around 4PM on Sunday only.

So why I say avoid this SC station? Because it's right inside the MALL. I spent 30 minutes to charge and saved a couple bucks, but wife bought bunch of dinnerware from Pottery Barn, it's very close to the parking structure. She won't tell me how much she spent, but insist it was on sale. I should just drive home directly.

 

[David99]

So why I say avoid this SC station? Because it's right inside the MALL. I spent 30 minutes to charge and saved a couple bucks, but wife bought bunch of dinnerware from Pottery Barn, it's very close to the parking structure. She won't tell me how much she spent, but insist it was on sale. I should just drive home directly.

LOL this hilarious! It shows that their idea works. Supercharger stations brings customers to local businesses.

 

[Mark Z]

...I say avoid this SC station? Because it's right inside the MALL...

This might be Elon's secret to decrease locals from charging up at the Supercharger.

 

[miimura]

This might be Elon's secret to decrease locals from charging up at the Supercharger.

A local would know better than to bring his wife to the mall. On a road trip you probably have no choice.

 

[bmah]

I would like to gently point out that not all women are shopaholics. Some of them even drive their own Teslas and can decide for themselves if they want to charge at the mall or whereever.

Peace,

Bruce.

PS. And yes I know I gave a Funny rating to the post that started this tangent.

 

[Mark Z]

A local would know better than to bring his wife to the mall...

If I was visiting the Temecula Supercharger by myself, I'd enjoy the freedom to buy something new from the Apple Store or savor the food at Lazy Dog!

 

[4SUPER9]

I would like to gently point out that not all women are shopaholics. Some of them even drive their own Teslas and can decide for themselves if they want to charge at the mall or whereever.

Agreed. Though just because someone's wife went shopping on one particular situation doesn't mean he thinks she or other women have an issue, or make him misogynistic in any way. Well, at least I will assume that. Take it as a fun commentary for this one personal situation only. We tend to accuse people of too many "isms" in this country.

For me, I had this issue myself. I parked at the Culver City SC a couple of years ago and 30 minutes later, I was packing a new 42" TV into my trunk. My fiance, on the other hand, would never do this. So much for free supercharging!

 

[smilepak]

All of the SC i've visited have been on ground floor. This is the first I've seen in a parking structure and on like the 3rd floor. hehehe

 

[immolated]

I've been to maybe 30 supercharging locations throughout the country and I have to say Temecula is the worst location I've been to (had to use it three times now over the past year). Putting it on the third floor of a busy shopping area is a bad idea. Yes, it reduces the chance of being ICEd, but maybe the location is too crowded anyway and somewhere down the street would have been better. It is a huge pain to drive through the congestion and make your way up the three floors. I almost got backed into by an inattentive driver in the garage. I almost got hit TWICE by buffoons driving down the center of the garage lane turning a corner. Some tesla owner WILL get in a fender bender in this garage, if it hasn't happened already Takes like 10 mins going from highway driving to plugging in, not good.

Also, the stalls themselves are performing poorly right now. The stalls were empty, I had 19% battery, and I plugged into the first stall. 30kW. Switched stalls, same thing. Called tesla service. Rep said all stalls except one were showing flucuating power and were awaiting maintenance. Told me stall 4B was the only one with full power, tried that and immediately got full 112kW. As I was leaving (trying again to not get hit by shoppers' cars), I noticed another Tesla approaching, obviously a new owner with paper plates. I felt bad because as a new owner he would have no way of knowing or figuring out the problem with the stalls, and probably would've sat there at 30kW, oblivious. Could have been his first supercharging experience. I know my first couple times I wouldn't have been able to notice what looked normal or not in the charging numbers.

I had this same problem a few months ago at Temecula (but I didn't know to call them) so either it took them a long time to recognize and schedule fixing it, or it's a recurring problem.

tldr: Use stall 4B