Supercharger - The Dalles, OR (LIVE Aug 2014, 5 V2 stalls)

[lnsh]

Thanks for the great info, @acarney! This route info is fantastic. It really does support the notion of something out there between The Dallas and the 84/82 junction. It seems Boardman has been on the “coming this year” list for more than a couple of years.

It looks like there are a couple of non-Tesla options along that stretch in Arlington, but it would be nice to have an SC option on that route for sure.

 

[PLUS EV]

"I wish I got the EV with a shorter range."

-said no one. ever.

 

[Rocky_H]

"I wish I got the EV with a shorter range."

-said no one. ever.

Yeah, when these kinds of "what should I do?" questions come up from people looking at what size battery to buy, I don't always say that everyone should buy the longest range, but I do make it really clear about going into the decision realistically with your eyes wide open. What is that 10 or 15 thousand dollars worth to you? If you don't spend that extra and keep that money, you will need to make some trade off sacrifices in stress and patience on longer trips like this, with having to charge to nearly full in several places and maybe do some hypermiling-ish driving here and there, where the longer range cars won't.

 

[ReddyLeaf]

.....What is that 10 or 15 thousand dollars worth to you?......

To paraphrase @PLUS EV , I just wish that I’d put that extra money in TSLA stock when I bought my S70D.

 

[ReddyLeaf]

Being relatively new to this corner of the state (Walla Walla) - I do know that weather/wind can be an issue along the river —especially headed west towards Portland. Any insight from others in this general area about whether my worry is just ’newbie range anxiety’ or grounded in reality?

Yes, absolutely wind and weather can be a huge factor in Eastern WA/OR and especially between The Dalles and WW. I drove my 2011 Leaf down the OR coast and back one summer. I literally arrived below LBW (all dashes and less than 10 mi range) into Arlington, OR after driving 65 mi into a 25 mph headwind. This was even with driving 25 mph on every side road I could find and 45-50 mph on the freeway at times. On the return, I drove 70 mph with a 25 mph tailwind and made 85 mi without needing my emergency stop, and still at least 10 mi range left. FYI, the 2011 Leaf EPA range was 72 mi.

Now, from WW in 2020, I wouldn’t worry even a bit. There are multiple Electrify America sites, several early Aeroviroment CHAdeMO sites, and two Tesla superchargers, with additional planned. To the north, there are GreenLots chargers. The only lacking route is Lewiston to Missoula. Get a CHAdeMO adapter and you will have extra piece of mind. I find the SC network is sufficient for nearly all of my needs (230 mi S70D), but that overnight hotel charging has not expanded as much as I would like. Still, if you’re planning lots of winter trips, longer range is always better and charging is faster.

 

[Raleel]

Being relatively new to this corner of the state (Walla Walla) - I do know that weather/wind can be an issue along the river —especially headed west towards Portland. Any insight from others in this general area about whether my worry is just ’newbie range anxiety’ or grounded in reality?

just drove from richland to Yachats this last weekend. Left richland in my LR3RWD-AERO with 100% and pulled into the dalles with less than 30. Headwind was vicious and was pulling 365wh/mile for most of the drive.

now, coming back the other way, it’s far far less

lincoln City to the dalles I need about 65% to make it, with some conservative driving on he interstate (not the 80 everyone does). That’s with cooler weather and a little rain. If it gets cooler, you definitely need to be pushing up around 90 to avoid the butt pucker factor.

 

[ReddyLeaf]

Navigation is showing that The Dalles charger is down. Any intel?

Unfortunately, I’m on my way back from the Oregon Coast and at the Sandy SC right now. I’m going to make a run for Kennewick (207 mi) in my 2015 70D with 230 mi range. The nav suggests that I’ll arrive in Kennewick with 10% after painfully waiting for my 100% charge here. Fortunately, I’ve got a NW wind and will cutoff through Irrigon to shorten the route and reduce speed. I’m sure that I’ll make it, but damn @acarney is right, we need Boardman and NOW!

I’ll swing by the Dalles and post an update.

 

[acarney]

Navigation is showing that The Dalles charger is down. Any intel?

Unfortunately, I’m on my way back from the Oregon Coast and at the Sandy SC right now. I’m going to make a run for Kennewick (207 mi) in my 2015 70D with 230 mi range. The nav suggests that I’ll arrive in Kennewick with 10% after painfully waiting for my 100% charge here. Fortunately, I’ve got a NW wind and will cutoff through Irrigon to shorten the route and reduce speed. I’m sure that I’ll make it, but damn @acarney is right, we need Boardman and NOW!

I’ll swing by the Dalles and post an update.

So when are you getting a Raven?

 

[PLUS EV]

Navigation is showing that The Dalles charger is down. Any intel?

Unfortunately, I’m on my way back from the Oregon Coast and at the Sandy SC right now. I’m going to make a run for Kennewick (207 mi) in my 2015 70D with 230 mi range. The nav suggests that I’ll arrive in Kennewick with 10% after painfully waiting for my 100% charge here. Fortunately, I’ve got a NW wind and will cutoff through Irrigon to shorten the route and reduce speed. I’m sure that I’ll make it, but damn @acarney is right, we need Boardman and NOW!

I’ll swing by the Dalles and post an update.

FYI it's 5 miles less than that (198 miles total) if you cross the Hood River Bridge and go the rest of the way on the WA side of the river. This route also has slower speed limits of course.

 

[Tyler34]

Navigation is showing that The Dalles charger is down. Any intel?

Unfortunately, I’m on my way back from the Oregon Coast and at the Sandy SC right now. I’m going to make a run for Kennewick (207 mi) in my 2015 70D with 230 mi range. The nav suggests that I’ll arrive in Kennewick with 10% after painfully waiting for my 100% charge here. Fortunately, I’ve got a NW wind and will cutoff through Irrigon to shorten the route and reduce speed. I’m sure that I’ll make it, but damn @acarney is right, we need Boardman and NOW!

I’ll swing by the Dalles and post an update.

Any update? I'm between Pendleton and Portland now and was counting on this stop

 

[ReddyLeaf]

Any update? I'm between Pendleton and Portland now and was counting on this stop

It was dead on all stalls that I checked. One was iced. I just arrived in Kennewick with 9% after drafting a semi at 75 mph. Passed another white 3/Y doing the same

 

[ReddyLeaf]

Any update? I'm between Pendleton and Portland now and was counting on this stop

I saw one blue Tesla heading west, and if that was you, sorry, you may need to top up overnight at the aeroviroment Level 2 or Chademo

 

[Tyler34]

Not me, white Y. Turned back to Pendleton. If I get to 98% we can make it

 

[ReddyLeaf]

FYI it's 5 miles less than that (198 miles total) if you cross the Hood River Bridge and go the rest of the way on the WA side of the river. This route also has slower speed limits of course.

Thanks. I would normally go that route, but I was worried about fires and the NW wind. As it was, no fires or smoke. I’ve ridden that route on a bicycle, and it’s way more difficult with all the hills.

 

[ReddyLeaf]

Not me, white Y. Turned back to Pendleton. If I get to 98% we can make it

Good call. I had a good tailwind and you will have a headwind, though it will be less this evening as compared to afternoon. Sorry, I should’ve posted when I was at the Dalles.

 

[Tyler34]

All good. Abetterrouteplanner didn't know it was closed. Between this, Baker City being down too, and i84 closed outside Boise it's been a rough trip from Jackson, wy

 

[mociaf9]

All good. Abetterrouteplanner didn't know it was closed. Between this, Baker City being down too, and i84 closed outside Boise it's been a rough trip from Jackson, wy

ABetterRoutePlanner doesn't have "live" statuses on superchargers. Their planning usually only notes them as offline if they go down and stay that way for multiple days. Like approaching a week +. Really it's supercharge.info making the changes, as ABRP uses SC.info's database for the supercharger data, but the same point holds--statuses on superchargers aren't updated in anything approaching real time.

 

[acarney]

ABetterRoutePlanner doesn't have "live" statuses on superchargers. Their planning usually only notes them as offline if they go down and stay that way for multiple days. Like approaching a week +. Really it's supercharge.info making the changes, as ABRP uses SC.info's database for the supercharger data, but the same point holds--statuses on superchargers aren't updated in anything approaching real time.

ABRP has a premium (paid) subscription which is supposed to tell you the status of the superchargers (full or not) I think... so I wonder then if it would know if it was open or closed...

 

[ReddyLeaf]

All good. Abetterrouteplanner didn't know it was closed. Between this, Baker City being down too, and i84 closed outside Boise it's been a rough trip from Jackson, wy

Wow. That’s tough. This was my first really completely off-line SC. Sometimes they say off-line or reduced service and you can squeeze by. I’ve had a few waits, but not too bad in five years.

 

[PLUS EV]

Not me, white Y. Turned back to Pendleton. If I get to 98% we can make it

Definitely check the wind.