Supercharger - Wichita, KS

[swaltner]

Nice. I stopped by on Sunday morning to check the status. They had the signs up in front of the charging stalls, but I didn't get close enough to see how they have them marked (tesla only, 30 minutes parking, whatever...). I was already planning on stopping by tomorrow to snap some pics. I assume the announcement e-mail will come from Tesla very soon.

 

[swaltner]

And the downtown Hyatt got added to the destination charging program with an 80A HPWC. That's a big addition for the local charging infrastructure in Wichita.

 

[Cottonwood]

Will I-35 or I-10 provide the first path off of the Texas Island?

 

[bollar]

Will I-35 or I-10 provide the first path off of the Texas Island?

Neither for 60s. I-10 for 85s.

 

[emupilot]

Will I-35 or I-10 provide the first path off of the Texas Island?

The pieces are coming together for I-35 (even for 60's): Denton TX and Perry OK are in the permit stage and Ardmore OK is believed to be in progress. I-10 is likely to have multiple >200 mile traverses initially, even after Slidell LA or Mobile AL is built.

 

[purplewalt]

Will I-35 or I-10 provide the first path off of the Texas Island?

I've heard Baton Rouge is slated to open on Jan. 22 (today).
Therefore: Texas Island (5) and Louisiana Peninsula (2) = 7 Total.

It would be awesome if both routes (I-35 and I-10) connected to the SpC Network before the end of February....

 

[swaltner]

All looks good here in Wichita. No Tesla (yet), so I couldn't test it out.

The paired stalls are next to each other (1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b). The "A" stall on each pair is marked with a sign saying "60 minutes general parking". The others are marked as Tesla Parking.

If I'm reading the electric meter correctly, 13 kWh delivered to the site. That should increase dramatically at some point....

 

[Sgt Barone]

Thanks for the pics!

 

[glenhurst]

This is the first SC I have seen where all the stations are set so that you drive nose in to park next to the charger. I like that as it makes getting the car near enough (the cables are a bit short, and pretty stiff this time of year up here in the cold northland) going forward rather than trying to jockey into position while driving backwards. Of course, you pay for it when leaving, but I would argue that backing to leave does not require the same precision, so it makes sense to have the be the stage where the car is driven backwards. It looks like it did mean tearing up more concrete, but perhaps not.

 

[swaltner]

The area where these were built was unused space. There was grass planted here before construction started. It was all new asphalt/concrete to setup this area. They removed 3 parking stalls to make the entrance to this new parking area. It'll be a little tight backing out (about 30' from the pedestals to the curb by the building), but should be manageable. These stalls are tucked on the back (North) side of the Applebee's building. I doubt (ok, hope) there will be much problem with them getting ICEd.

The biggest problem with this type of setup (nose first parking with pedestals between stalls) is that it'll be more difficult to clear snow away. We tend to only get a couple good snows each winter, so that may not be too much of a problem either.

 

[LMB]

(LMB spouse)

A problem with nose-in parking, at least for older cars, is that it's hard to judge how far to pull in. The back-in stalls let you use the back-up camera to judge your spot within inches. Maybe the autopilot cars will pull in unassisted.

 

[Cottonwood]

The first Kansas Supercharger e-mail for me:

Only 8 days late from actual opening... :frown:

 

[swaltner]

Tesla Motors shows off all-electric cars, new Wichita charging station (VIDEOS) | The Wichita Eagle The Wichita Eagle

Not really worthy of a dedicated thread, but Tesla hosted a test ride event yesterday here in Wichita. The closest store is 3 hours away in Kansas City, so this was just a way to spread brand awareness and let a few folks experience the smooth acceleration of an EV. Having local access to a Supercharger makes it easy to put on events like this.

There are only a handful of Tesla vehicles in town. I've talked about Teslas for long enough and frequently enough that I get reports from friends when they see them in the local area. Last week, there was even a wayward Roadster with CA plates running around Wichita.

When I had called the Applebee's last week to ask about this event, they said Tesla would be offering rides today as well. No mention of that in this article though. Hoping that the folks that went for test rides will venture up to KC for a test drive. That's where the real fun happens.

 

[DriverOne]

Old thread, but I'm hoping to be coming through these parts later this year. The nose-in parking photo made me wonder if this style is less likely to be ICEd. Back-in style looks largely like any other parking space. This style appears more "reserved". Real-world experiences?

 

[BerTX]

Old thread, but I'm hoping to be coming through these parts later this year. The nose-in parking photo made me wonder if this style is less likely to be ICEd. Back-in style looks largely like any other parking space. This style appears more "reserved". Real-world experiences?

We've only been there once, but it was in the morning before Applebee's opened. Not a soul there nor anywhere else in the parking lot.

 

[MrPinrel]

i've been there a couple of times during busy periods and didn't see any ICE-ing

 

[DriverOne]

This is a well-located charger, with a Starbucks across the street too.

Getting into a space is rather awkward. I'll take that inconvenience over the risk of being ICEd, which in this location I think would otherwise be high adjacent to a restaurant. Any ICEr would have to be very on-purpose with this nose-in style!

Both times I came through I got a fast charge and only shared with 1 or 2 other Teslas.

 

[gpsparkie]

Watch this location! Charged there in the afternoon of August 1, 2018. Was approached by a "panhandler" asking for money to buy parts to fix his broken down ICE vehicle. It was a scary scene, but fortunately nothing happened. You are blocked in the charging station stalls behind an AppleBees restaurant without a quick way to exit. Be aware of your surroundings. Consider waiting inside the restaurant, if it is open.

 

[PLUS EV]

Watch this location! Charged there in the afternoon of August 1, 2018. Was approached by a "panhandler" asking for money to buy parts to fix his broken down ICE vehicle. It was a scary scene, but fortunately nothing happened. You are blocked in the charging station stalls behind an AppleBees restaurant without a quick way to exit. Be aware of your surroundings. Consider waiting inside the restaurant, if it is open.

What exactly was scary?

 

[PStewart]

How's the traffic here in the summer at this six stall? Any waiting?