Yep. We were stuck in a snowstorm in Hope BC by then. Waiting for the pass to open. Big motorhomes, snow, yay. not.
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Supercharger wait times as Model 3 numbers increase
- Thread starter lapolak
- Start date
Yep. We were stuck in a snowstorm in Hope BC by then. Waiting for the pass to open. Big motorhomes, snow, yay. not.
You would have noticed us.
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Glad you decided not to park in a charging stall.
I'm on Cape and use the Dedham Service Center. Had an appt. today scheduled for 11:30. I got there 40 minutes early but they saw me right away and was out of there before my appt was scheduled to begin...and that was with a free carwash! Dedham has always been great and another part of the terrific Tesla experience.
GDNTX
Member
Good topic, but this is also the very good reason there is NO free SC for the M3. First they can't do it for the price of the car, not enough overhead to provide that for the build out and free electricity of life of the car. Tesla notes that the SC's aren't meant for daily charging for any of their cars and anyone really owning an M3 should have a plan to charge at home. Trips are a different thing and SC'ing should be part of that plan. Tesla has greatly and is increasing the SC'er at a pretty good pace however.
There are several other factors that go in to SC'ing and I'm just learning from these forums, but I'm guessing the majority of drivers will really never know. It has been proven already that even at a SC and on a road trip you shouldn't fully charge. The more full the batter is the charging slows down. I forget where the sweet spot is, but you are better off charging to 70% or something and then hitting the road again to the next SC. The first part of the charge goes so much faster. There is a big part of the population that won't ever comprehend that. So while it best to be at a SC stall for 20 minutes and then move on down the road with 70% full vs a full hour to get 95 to 100%.
Tesla will likely have to add some cut off %'s on the SC's and only allow to get to that sweet spot of charging or you'll pay a higher price for that extra charge to get to 100%. I'm sure they've though it through.
There are several other factors that go in to SC'ing and I'm just learning from these forums, but I'm guessing the majority of drivers will really never know. It has been proven already that even at a SC and on a road trip you shouldn't fully charge. The more full the batter is the charging slows down. I forget where the sweet spot is, but you are better off charging to 70% or something and then hitting the road again to the next SC. The first part of the charge goes so much faster. There is a big part of the population that won't ever comprehend that. So while it best to be at a SC stall for 20 minutes and then move on down the road with 70% full vs a full hour to get 95 to 100%.
Tesla will likely have to add some cut off %'s on the SC's and only allow to get to that sweet spot of charging or you'll pay a higher price for that extra charge to get to 100%. I'm sure they've though it through.
ℬête Noire
Active Member
In TX you pay SC per minute. 8c/min <=60k, 16c/min >60kW. So already insentive to move on here & few other states like that.
However my 2nd hand understanding is even S/X owners w/free charging rights pay if they exceed a certain time limit if there are others waiting?
Anyone worried about charging their model 3 should look at the Tesla charging map and the number of new chargers that are scheduled to go in by end of this year. Then take a good look at the 40 station Kettleman charging station. This is the shape of things to come...
You're right that fully charging is rarely useful. But there isn't a single magic "sweet spot". It depends on how much energy you'll need to get to your next charging stop (assuming you're on a road trip). Clearly that depends on a bunch of factors such as distance, speed, wind, weather, elevation change, desired reserves, etc. The point is that in some situations you might be fine departing with a 50% charge, and in others you might need 90%. It's a little more complicated than "fill 'er up" in an ICE vehicle (fortunately we have a variety of tools to help us plan this). An arbitrary cut-off doesn't make sense (I'm not saying it can't happen, just that it doesn't really meet the needs of long-distance travelers).
Bruce.
I've been a Tesla owner since 2013 and have worried about the same thing (supercharger traffic). There have been times when it looked like my fears were going to be realized, but in the five years I've been using superchargers it really has never been an issue other than on isolated occasions, like during holidays. I probably use superchargers more than the average owner since I drive a lot between the Bay Area and north of Sacramento and Bay Area. My issue is the charging time, rather than the wait time (another reason we're going to be moving back to ICE), but that's because I don't like stopping for anything once I'm on the road.
All Tesla drivers pay per minute after their cars are fully charged if the supercharger location reaches greater than (or equal to?) 50% full.
Msjulie
Active Member
FWIW when I went from San Jose to San Diego and back (long weekend, left Friday return Sunday) I never hit a SC that didn't have at least 2 spots open, sometimes more. I also saw signs telling about new charger stations coming (to existing places) and new locations altogether.. not worried yet
Kant.Ing
Member
Indeed, unexpectedly long charging time at Super-chargers has been an issue planning our road trips. Other DCFCs are much more predictable. Longer charging time would also increase the wait time for any line waiters.
torqaholic
Member
I'm sure there's going to be a learning curve. New M3 owners will probably drive out of their way to get free energy (of their 400kWh allotment) from a supercharger at first, causing unnecessary traffic and SC congestion. Hopefully they learn very quickly that it's in their best interest to avoid the extra time and hassle - the vast majority of the US has dirt cheap electricity.
torqaholic
Member
What's that now?
I'd love to hear about these 'other DCFCs' that are more predictable. Do you enjoy charging at 50kW?
There is no 400 kWh allotment on the Model 3. That’s only on S & X without free supercharging.
ℬête Noire
Active Member
If it wasn’t 5x the cost per kWh compared to SC charging, maybe?
Then again maybe that’s why it’s “more predictable” even with fewer stalls.
torqaholic
Member
Good to know, glad there won't be a distorted market issue that drives silly human behavior!
roblab
Active Member
1. You need to plan for "unexpectedly long charging" times when on road trips. And it isn't unexpected on weekend afternoons when everybody thinks it's a great day for traveling.
2. Other DCFCs may be predictable, but they're slower, and usually have only a couple chargers vs. Tesla's dozen or so. If anyone thinks they're better, there are adapters for Teslas so you can use them.
3. I've only used Supercharging when on trips, and I've hardly ever waited for one. ONE time we waited THREE minutes for a charger. I recommend that people figure out what they need and charge a percentage over, after they've figured out how it works, and quit hogging the chargers, which is why Tesla is charging a fee for using a supercharger now. People are selfish, and free makes it worse. Driving 80-90 mph on trips really messes up the calculations, too.
"....where I live."
The map here is still thick here with grey pins, that Tesla lists as "Target opening by end of 2018". We'll see.
Yup, fortunately Southern California seems to have many options.
My neighborhood is actually slated to have a SC added in, curious to see if they'll make it this year.
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