Supercharger - Willcox, AZ

[jbcarioca]

At the Holiday Inn in Willcox right now they are well underway with conduit and such boy this is going to be great between this and Tucson when they're both online Tucson is up already I'm heading there should be there in about an hour maybe a little more

@BlueShift
This seems to suggest Willcox will open soon. Fast work on Tucson seems to be a good portent.

 

[tccartier]

@BlueShift
This seems to suggest Willcox will open soon. Fast work on Tucson seems to be a good portent.

It sure does let's hope they keep going they went from zero to Bonkers on this thing looks like there's going to be 5 superchargers from what I can tell. There are five conduits laid along with 5 risers that will come up to the stands where the eventual superchargers will sit.

There is no real reason why this work can't progress quickly if they have the will and the resources to get it done. Hopefully Willcox will get online by the end of the year. I think that's the target date.

 

[Tyl]

Needing supplies. Crew getting done what they can......

Photos.

 

[tccartier]

Needing supplies. Crew getting done what they can......

Photos.

Good to see progress being made that looks a little bit different than it did when I was there was going to go down last night but ran out of time good looking out can't wait till that comes online

 

[tmoz]

It is interesting that Holiday Inn won the location contest. On the south side of I10, you have McDonalds, BK, Pizza Hut, and Safeway. The chosen location is near a subway and a short walk to Apple Annie's, which I'd say is considerably fewer food options. Then again, the few Tesla cars that stop here will hardly make a dent in their balance sheet anyway.

 

[tccartier]

It is interesting that Holiday Inn won the location contest. On the south side of I10, you have McDonalds, BK, Pizza Hut, and Safeway. The chosen location is near a subway and a short walk to Apple Annie's, which I'd say is considerably fewer food options. Then again, the few Tesla cars that stop here will hardly make a dent in their balance sheet anyway.

It's also next to the TA Travel Center which contains several fast food choices and some type of 24 hour sit down restaurant, "basically a Truck Stop Restaurant". But hey, good food.

 

[tmoz]

It's also next to the TA Travel Center which contains several fast food choices and some type of 24 hour sit down restaurant, "basically a Truck Stop Restaurant". But hey, good food.

I thought the travel center only had Subway?
Maybe I'll splurge on time one of these trips and try the sit down place for lunch.
I go to Portal, and then a mile or two on gravel roads - lots of loose rocks.
Not sure I want to bring the Model S down there...

 

[tccartier]

I thought the travel center only had Subway?
Maybe I'll splurge on time one of these trips and try the sit down place for lunch.
I go to Portal, and then a mile or two on gravel roads - lots of loose rocks.
Not sure I want to bring the Model S down there...

It's the Tucson supercharger that only has a Subway at present. In Willcox
I know there's a Popeye's Chicken and two or three other fast food setups. The restaurant which is in the other side of the building which is actually quite nice it is clean. There is also a confectionery type shop in between the two with lots of chocolates and stuff that's not good for you

 

[AudubonB]

Hey tmoz:
Portal and its environs are one of our Top Ten places to visit in all of North America; I've been trying to persuade Jenny that once Wilcox is operational, it will be a slam-dunk easypeasy drive over Onion Saddle to it. Except for that road's surface conditions (I wouldn't terribly mind doing it in our Model X but not our Model S).

But....

the "standard" route to it is into NM and south on Rte 80 to Rodeo, etc. Still much longer and chews up a lot of range miles, particularly if you have to return to the Wilcox SpC to re-charge.

Have you better insight to this?

 

[tmoz]

Hey tmoz:
Portal and its environs are one of our Top Ten places to visit in all of North America; I've been trying to persuade Jenny that once Wilcox is operational, it will be a slam-dunk easypeasy drive over Onion Saddle to it. Except for that road's surface conditions (I wouldn't terribly mind doing it in our Model X but not our Model S).

But....

the "standard" route to it is into NM and south on Rte 80 to Rodeo, etc. Still much longer and chews up a lot of range miles, particularly if you have to return to the Wilcox SpC to re-charge.

Have you better insight to this?

Hi,
Onion Saddle is scary. I've done it a few times in a pickup truck and was thankful I was in a pickup truck. The road can get really nasty. I've gone to barfoot in a prius, but the prius wasn't happy.

Coming down (Noland) Foothills road from I10 (exit 382 near San Simon), I've blown out tires twice. It's only 15 mins longer going the New Mexico US80 route, but it's almost the same amount of time if Foothills Rd hasn't been scraped in awhile (forcing you to go 15 mph for long stretches). Once I tried going back via Foothills but had to turn back after 9 miles because there was a wash that I couldn't cross. Don't even think of Onion Saddle. Yes, miles are shorter, but it takes a long time and the road can have some huge divots in it. Bring a 240 plug adapter for a dryer connection. Someone there should have a 240 outlet for you to charge.

Chiricahua National monument is doable in a Tesla and the roads are nice. But I wouldn't try to cross the saddle to get to Portal.

Going to trailheads in a model S without air suspension could be an issue. I can make it in the Prius to all trailheads, but have to drive slowly on some of the gravel roads.

It will be tempting to take the model S down there when I don't plan on visiting Southfork trail or the Herb Martyr trail.

I think the NM route is about 30 miles longer, but I really wouldn't want to subject a tesla to the gravel road from I10 to Portal. Even if the car doesn't bottom out, the washboard roads can take a toll on a car.

Tom

 

[AudubonB]

Thanks. May have been too many years since I've Saddled - and other than once in Jenny's Subaru, every time has been in a pickup. Never thought it much of a challenge, so thanks for the current perspective.

 

[tccartier]

At the Willcox supercharger site today progress is being made. Staff on the construction site told me they expect to be done in about 6 weeks the superchargers themselves are to arrive in about 3 weeks so they said??

 

[tmoz]

Very cool. Perhaps this weekend, I will have to stop by, take a look, and get an Apple Annie's Apple Pie, and take a pic or two.

 

[otter]

Thanks for the update! Here's hoping 6 weeks is enough lead time for the local utility to get their hands on the appropriate transformer and schedule its installation. The transformer pad or vault will probably show up at the end of that trench in the last picture, and will be a spot to watch.

 

[teddytoons]

Good update! That is right at my estimated drive-by point in time. I hope it's operational by then.

 

[tmoz]

Very cool. Perhaps this weekend, I will have to stop by, take a look, and get an Apple Annie's Apple Pie, and take a pic or two.

Trip got cancelled, so no update pics coming from me today. Sorry.

 

[tccartier]

At the Willcox supercharger site presently. Progress has been made the trenches have been partially backfilled at least though not yet to grade. It is now apparent that there will be eight stations. things are moving but it looks like this one's going to take some time .

 

[tccartier]

A supercharger site selfie.. ON MY DASH!
still Grinning

 

[Tyl]

Keep up the great coverage.

That's an (ahm -TMC member's term... 'coverage'). Ya got to love it!

 

[teddytoons]

Thank you for the great pics, tccartier!