Supercharger - Trinidad, CO

[evp]

Arvada to Trinidad is about 200 miles. Is that doable in cold weather?

Is that a call for a Posse, er a (re)Search Party?

I'm all up for a road trip to Trinidad. It's 211 miles from my house, 800 feet higher, confidently within range of an S85. But if one were paranoid: as cottonwood pointed out, 10 minutes at the Lone Tree SuperCharger would fix that.

 

[glenhurst]

Today, I-95 goes from Boston to Miami, I-5 goes from Vancouver to San Diego, and I-75 is only missing Knoxville to be complete from Detroit to Miami. That's 3 N-S routes!

After the initial Elon Mystery Tour as an E-W route, Tesla completed the I-15 route from SoCal to I-70 to help a little. The I-70 path across the midwest seems to be taking forever, the I-90 connection out of the Pacific NW got stalled in Idaho and Wyoming, and I-40 is finally getting started towards OKC. I-80 from the Bay Area to SLC is the only bright spot for recent E-W route construction.

Looking at this, I think that the N-S routes are a little ahead of the E-W routes.

Trinidad it the first of three Superchargers this year (also Pueblo, CO and Las Vegas, NM) to connect Denver to Albuquerque on I-25. Even with Cheyenne, WY, this section of I-25 is a pretty short N-S route.

If Tesla would put a SC in Des Moines, IA, there would be another N-S route from Minneapolis to Houston via I-35 (once the TX SCs get built). Sadly, DM isn't scheduled to get a SC until 2016.

 

[reddy]

Any word on whether this is under construction yet?

Add:

I called the Trinidad Summit RV Park / Rodeway Inn @(719) 846-2251. The person there was unaware that a SC was going to be built, and says definitely no construction is happening right now.

 

[Cottonwood]

Any word on whether this is under construction yet?

Add:

I called the Trinidad RV Park / Rodeway Inn @(719) 846-2251. The person there was unaware that a SC was going to be built, and says definitely no construction is happening right now.

I think that it is actually at the Rodeway Inn, 9800 Santa Fe Trail Drive, Trinidad, CO. That is probably the place to call.

 

[HillCountryFun]

FYI, I tried the Mexican Food place next door and was told there was no construction nearby. If he understood what I was asking... :crying:

 

[reddy]

I think that it is actually at the Rodeway Inn, 9800 Santa Fe Trail Drive, Trinidad, CO. That is probably the place to call.

It appears that their phone line rings at both places. If the front desk doesn't pick up fast enough the desk at the RV park answers. It's the Summit RV park behind the Rodeway.

Not bad idea to have a nearby 50 amp service in case the SC should be offline.

 

[eco5280]

Not even under construction yet ? No spring break trip south for us next week.

 

[reddy]

I just checked with the Rodeway Inn again, and the person at the front desk was completely in the dark about any Tesla supercharger under construction there, and said that he had never heard of one to be built.

Cottonwood, is there any chance that we got bad info from the building department? Santa Fe Trail is one of those streets with inconsistent numbering. Given that the people at Rodeway have no knowledge of one going in, is it possible we have the wrong location?

 

[Cottonwood]

I just checked with the Rodeway Inn again, and the person at the front desk was completely in the dark about any Tesla supercharger under construction there, and said that he had never heard of one to be built.

Cottonwood, is there any chance that we got bad info from the building department? Santa Fe Trail is one of those streets with inconsistent numbering. Given that the people at Rodeway have no knowledge of one going in, is it possible we have the wrong location?

Here is the info that I have.

I got the address of 9700 Santa Fe Trail via e-mail from the Chief Building Official of Trinidad, CO, telling me "they are in the possess (sic) of applying for a permit." From the Planning Department, I was told, "I have spoken with their representative a few times. The place where they are opening is zoned for that use so they have already submitted for their building permit."

The Rodeway Inn and the Summit RV Park both have the address of 9800 Santa Fe Trail according to Google Maps.

Sorry, I can't offer any more help.

 

[reddy]

Can you PM with with the contact info there?

If you look at the addressing schema, it is irregular. That exit has a fuel stop that I have used many times. The Holiday Inn Suites just to the north is 3130 Santa Fe Trail Drive.

There is a tiny spur of a driveway that 18 wheelers use to park between Holiday Inn and the fuel stop.

The fuel stop, next door, with the Wendy's inside is 9960 Santa Fe Trail Drive. The Tequilas restaurant is at 9900 SFT, Rodeway is at 9800 SFT, and there is a dirt road at 9698 Santa Fe Trail.

Given the association between Holiday Inn and Tesla elsewhere, is there a chance the address really represents that spur ? It would be 9998 Santa Fe, or perhaps 3700 Santa Fe. Since the numbering system changes right at that exit, I am thinking we may have an anomaly here.

 

[reddy]

Just got an email from the city building department.
As I speculated, the addresses are strange, and the charger is in between the Holiday Inn and the Wendys/Shell Fuel Stop.


"You are correct in that the address is unusual.
Once the city limits stopped at the Holiday Inn thus 3031 Santa Fe Trail.
This year the shell station and tequilas was annex into the city limits shell is 9760 Santa Fe Trail tequilas is 9900 Santa Fe Trail.
So 9700 Santa Fe Trail will be on the north side of shell between it and holiday inn. "

 

[eco5280]

Good detective work!

10030 Santa Fe Trail, Trinidad, CO 81082 - Google Maps

 

[Cottonwood]

Just got an email from the city building department.
As I speculated, the addresses are strange, and the charger is in between the Holiday Inn and the Wendys/Shell Fuel Stop.


"You are correct in that the address is unusual.
Once the city limits stopped at the Holiday Inn thus 3031 Santa Fe Trail.
This year the shell station and tequilas was annex into the city limits shell is 9760 Santa Fe Trail tequilas is 9900 Santa Fe Trail.
So 9700 Santa Fe Trail will be on the north side of shell between it and holiday inn. "

Nice sleuthing!

 

[reddy]

I called the Holiday Inn , and they indicated construction has not yet started.

 

[reddy]

Checked again. Still no construction. The Holiday Inn people suggested I check with the truck stop people to see if they knew anything.

 

[reddy]

This time I checked with the people at Trinidad Fuel Stop (719) 846-7076. They said that they had heard Tesla was going to be building at the site, but no construction has started. They have not heard anything about when it will start.

 

[reddy]

Teslamotors.com has changed the supercharger map again.

Trinidad is no longer listed as 'coming soon' but is still on 2015 map.

Tucumcari is now listed as 'coming soon' and apparently is complete except for power hookup. They weren't even on the 2015 map previously.

it is interesting that the teslamotors.com maps vary from reality so much.

 

[eco5280]

Argh. Just give a south route on I-25 already! Nothing even "coming soon" south of Denver anymore. 450 miles. Not gonna make it with a SC!

 

[eco5280]

450 miles. Not gonna make it with a SC!

Can't edit anymore. But I meant to say "450 miles to Albuquerque. Not gonna make it without a SC!"

 

[Barry]

Can't edit anymore. But I meant to say "450 miles to Albuquerque. Not gonna make it without a SC!"

For sure. I was just there last week and drove my ICE. If you're going to be ICEing it anyway, consider taking 285 (and 17) in one direction. It's a lot more scenic than I-25, and just barely longer time-wise, as it's 40 miles shorter (from the west side of town).