Superchargers At National Parks

[gene]

my 2 cents:



EVs + National Parks just go together in my head Especially love the idea that they keep the pristine air clean and free of smog.

This, 1000%

 

[CHGolferJim]

my 2 cents:

There should be SCs on the way to every national park.".....just go together in my head Especially love the idea that they keep the pristine air clean and free of smog.

Outside the parks on private property with solar.......perfect.

 

[DFibRL8R]

Many parks already have some infrastructure in the form of 50 amp RV hookups. The 50amp hookup typically has a NEMA 14-50 plug and gives a decent charge in several hours. Allowing EVs to reserve a slot or expanding upon this existing infrastructure might be one way to start also.

 

[Sevenfeet]

I spend a lot of time in national parks, and typically not just a few hours. However, many people are just, unfortunately, passing through, and don't have more than a few hours to "auto-tour" and take a few pictures. Encouraging BEV's would go a long way towards decreasing emissions, and in my mind, making the correct statement that we need to protect and conserve the parks. The J1772 is most likely the preferable route, as it's open to all. However, it would be HUGE for Tesla to place SC's in the gateway cities. The only problem with those cities is the real estate is incredibly expensive and hard to come by.

There is one national park where the whole point is driving: The Natchez Trace Parkway. This park is the old trail originally travelled by Native Americans and then early European settlers. These days it's 444 miles of paved driving between Nashville and Natchez. MS. The only major city the trail passes through is Jackson, MS. That leaves a lot of open highway that it's unlikely most EVs could manage without charging stations on the way. The park has very few facilities and no street lights (it's closed to cars after dark). But it's some of the most beautiful back country driving you can do in this country.

There are no gas stations for ICE cars also, so those cars have to get off the parkway in small towns where roads intersect the Parkway to find facilities (not as easy as it sounds...many intersecting state roads have no access to the Trail). But there are station buildings where the Park Service have their employees operate out of at certain spots. I think these structures would be ideal for paid charging stations since they already have electrical access (unlike most of the Trail). And it would encourage EV drivers to spend more time on the trail with zero emission vehicles.

 

[Rheazombi]

There are no gas stations for ICE cars also, so those cars have to get off the parkway in small towns where roads intersect the Parkway to find facilities (not as easy as it sounds...many intersecting state roads have no access to the Trail). But there are station buildings where the Park Service have their employees operate out of at certain spots. I think these structures would be ideal for paid charging stations since they already have electrical access (unlike most of the Trail). And it would encourage EV drivers to spend more time on the trail with zero emission vehicles.

Even better would be completely self-sustaining solar powered chargers with a backup battery. Love the idea of EVs being able to go places that gas cars find difficult!

Wish Tesla would do one somewhere as a proof of concept.

 

[TheTalkingMule]

Even better would be completely self-sustaining solar powered chargers with a backup battery. Love the idea of EVs being able to go places that gas cars find difficult!

Wish Tesla would do one somewhere as a proof of concept.

A SolarCity, Tesla, Parks partnership perhaps? Massive solar array over the main parking area that powers a half dozen charging stations all with universal(non-Tesla) charging ports? A massive SolarCity battery backup to ease the need for grid juice?

 

[Aargau]

In California, if you've been to Yosemite Valley, Kings Canyon at the Copper Creek Trailhead, Bristlecone Pine or White Mountains, Whitney Portal, you'll find that many are termini, not thoroughfares. It's far better to get chargers at the intersections of the park entrances. However, if one wanted to restrict personal vehicle access to zero emission cars and buses, I think that would be a fine plan.

 

[RiverBrick]

I haven't even been able to use a 120V receptacle and Canadian parks under Federal jurisdiction. It seems they are paranoid about fires or influenced by the oil industry.

 

[GRA]

In California, if you've been to Yosemite Valley [Yes], Kings Canyon at the Copper Creek Trailhead [Yes], Bristlecone Pine or White Mountains [Yes], Whitney Portal [Yes], you'll find that many are termini, not thoroughfares. It's far better to get chargers at the intersections of the park entrances. However, if one wanted to restrict personal vehicle access to zero emission cars and buses, I think that would be a fine plan.

None of the places you mention should have QCs in any case. Trailheads/ends of roads should have L1, L2 or a mix, depending on whether they primarily get day or overnight use and their electrical capacity. In many cases these types of locations lack electrical capacity for QCs any way, and many (Copper Creek for one IIRR, although it's been about a decade) lack electricity at all.

Nor are PV/battery-based chargers necessarily a panacea, as the NPS wouldn't allow them in places where they'd interfere with the views or significantly alter the ambience. I almost had to offer the Yosemite Park historian a first-born male child as a hostage to ensure that I wouldn't make any _permanent_ structural or visual alterations to a stone historic structure or significantly visually impact a Wilderness area, to get him to sign off on a PV lighting installation at a backcountry ski hut, despite the fact that we were replacing about 40 gallons of white gas hauled in by mules every year, with all the environmental impact that implies. As a result the PV panels are 'mounted' to the upstairs balcony by nothing more permanent than tubular nylon webbing attached to the frame and tied to the railings, installed and removed at the start and end of the season by the hut caretaker.

While a major parking lot with minimal scenic views should be less restrictive, as an example you probably couldn't just blithely install PV in the parking lot of Yosemite Village (I know, there's power there in any case). Sensitivity to non-natural structures varies somewhat from park to park and even superintendent to superintendent, but the intent is always to minimize features that clash with the natural or cultural setting, and rightly so. So, L1/L2 pedestals fed by the grid present relatively minimal problems compared to more visually intrusive PV or QCs.