Tesla employee hogging supercharger in new Reno SC

[TaoJones]

The annual production rate goes to 500,000 next year. That's a whole lot of cars no matter how you divide it up.

I think Model 3 drivers will be more likely to use SCs since I bet a lot of use are in condos or apartments without charging available and certainly not DC charging capability.

The FUD is strong with this one

The 10,000 cars per week target is a target. If it is reached by year end, then the first year during which 500,000 cars/year will be produced will be 2018. And about half of those cars are not for the US market. And that number includes MS and MX.

500,000 --> 250,000 US of which 2/3 go to garaged owners (probably more now and probably less later so split the difference) and that leaves 83,333 cars to the non-garaged. By the end of 2018. By then the SC network will have more than twice the pedestals it has now. And now, 97% of the network moonlights as cricket and tumbleweed models. So 97% tumbleweeds today, and the network more than doubles by the time just 83,333 non-garaged cars hit the road. Nationwide.

All will be well. Tesla's commitment to density as well as to distance has been in place for over 2 years now.

Further, a significant number will order the M3 without SCing enabled; most people in areas of density don't travel more miles than they can recharge overnight at home. So that 83,333 number could well be 50,000 cars or less with SC capability belonging to a non-garaged owner. And those owners aren't going to visit SCs on a daily basis.

Again, all will be well insofar as capacity and demand are concerned. Will there be chokepoints? Sure - but the exception does not make the rule. People don't go to Costco to get gas on Friday or Sunday afternoons either, if they value their time.

The clear and present problem in the future will be the same as the clear and present problem today - and that's ICEing by our own, which coincidentally is the point of this thread. As painfully observed in Reno over the weekend, there's no better way to clog an SC than to park in it after the charge is done.

As I have opined before, I would love to see simultaneous text, email and automated calls go out to owners 5 minutes after their charge is complete if the cable hasn't been removed from their cars. And 5 minutes after that? The car should emit unpleasant, most foul, and embarrassing noises. And 5 minutes after that? A voice from within the car that would loudly announce, "Oh, dear. My owner is an asshat. Please call a towing company to remove me from this space immediately." In the voice of C3PO, of course.

I understand that we all pay for SC usage up front. But it's a scarce resource and we should treat it as such. I've seen SCs go from empty to full to empty in the space of an hour. As the OP has noted, a little kindness and consideration go a long way. Put another way, let's regulate ourselves before regulation is foisted upon us.

 

[Mark Z]

I drove the 2009 Crystal Red Escalade from OC to help you all charge faster. Enjoyed a great time at the grand opening. Noticed plenty of Supercharger space on Hwy 395 on Thursday and Saturday. Drive safe! Photo link posted after this post: Gigafactory July 29 event thread for posting attendees photos and reports

 

[AMPd]

I drove the 2009 Crystal Red Escalade from OC to help you all charge faster. Enjoyed a great time at the grand opening. Noticed plenty of Supercharger space on Hwy 395 on Thursday and Saturday. Drive safe! Photo link posted after this post: Gigafactory July 29 event thread for posting attendees photos and reports

You commited blasphemy and now you act as if you're able to sleep well at night?
Interesting

Jk

 

[TEG]

...Posting the Mfg plate won't identify the car as this is the number on all the company owned cars. Vin needed.

Actually there is a unique plate code on the right... So Tesla would know which Model S was sporting plate "48K" by checking their records on which car was borrowing which plate.

 

[Mark Z]

You commited blasphemy and now you act as if you're able to sleep well at night?
Interesting.

Jk

Model X has been in service for 3 weeks and Model S has a version "A" battery. Tesla is sleeping as well.

 

[cpa]

The teachable moment referred to by TaoJones is fair. However to be more specific:

Tesla Motors knew that the Gigafactory party was Friday night. Tesla Motors knew that the annual TMC Connect was occurring contemporaneously in Reno. Tesla Motors knows that the Atlantis has two destination chargers across Virginia Street. Did Tesla Motors make it a point to the driver of this car not to hog the SC space?

Tesla Motors needs to have a definitive corporate policy for employees' use of Superchargers. This policy should be thorough and comprehensive and a copy should be in every company vehicle. This policy should address common themes like how many company cars can utilize a SC location at one time? (I was at Ft. Tejon a year ago, and there were three company vehicles charging with no one around. About 30 minutes later they trickled back to their cars all wearing Tesla shirts. It did not seem plausible that all three were loaner vehicles.) Should an employee stay with the vehicle to move it if the location gets crowded? Should the employees utilize destination chargers first if staying for a longer duration?

Obviously, I do not know if such policy exists. If it does not, shame on Tesla Motors.

 

[AMPd]

The teachable moment referred to by TaoJones is fair. However to be more specific:

Tesla Motors knew that the Gigafactory party was Friday night. Tesla Motors knew that the annual TMC Connect was occurring contemporaneously in Reno. Tesla Motors knows that the Atlantis has two destination chargers across Virginia Street. Did Tesla Motors make it a point to the driver of this car not to hog the SC space?

Tesla Motors needs to have a definitive corporate policy for employees' use of Superchargers. This policy should be thorough and comprehensive and a copy should be in every company vehicle. This policy should address common themes like how many company cars can utilize a SC location at one time? (I was at Ft. Tejon a year ago, and there were three company vehicles charging with no one around. About 30 minutes later they trickled back to their cars all wearing Tesla shirts. It did not seem plausible that all three were loaner vehicles.) Should an employee stay with the vehicle to move it if the location gets crowded? Should the employees utilize destination chargers first if staying for a longer duration?

Obviously, I do not know if such policy exists. If it does not, shame on Tesla Motors.

Why should the employees move if they're still charging?
You say they returned to the vehicle 30 minutes later, that's reasonable, they are people too. They need to go eat or use the restroom
If they moved their car to let others charge they'll be stranded at a busy sc for a while. Not very good use of company time

 

[HankLloydRight]

I have it on good authority that since the car parked at the Reno SC was unlocked but with no key fob, with the right skills , it would have been possible to start the car and move it. Now if that is legal and/or ethical, that's a different question altogether.

 

[Saghost]

The FUD is strong with this one

The 10,000 cars per week target is a target. If it is reached by year end, then the first year during which 500,000 cars/year will be produced will be 2018. And about half of those cars are not for the US market. And that number includes MS and MX.

500,000 --> 250,000 US of which 2/3 go to garaged owners (probably more now and probably less later so split the difference) and that leaves 83,333 cars to the non-garaged. By the end of 2018. By then the SC network will have more than twice the pedestals it has now. And now, 97% of the network moonlights as cricket and tumbleweed models. So 97% tumbleweeds today, and the network more than doubles by the time just 83,333 non-garaged cars hit the road. Nationwide.

All will be well. Tesla's commitment to density as well as to distance has been in place for over 2 years now.

Further, a significant number will order the M3 without SCing enabled; most people in areas of density don't travel more miles than they can recharge overnight at home. So that 83,333 number could well be 50,000 cars or less with SC capability belonging to a non-garaged owner. And those owners aren't going to visit SCs on a daily basis.

Again, all will be well insofar as capacity and demand are concerned. Will there be chokepoints? Sure - but the exception does not make the rule. People don't go to Costco to get gas on Friday or Sunday afternoons either, if they value their time.

The clear and present problem in the future will be the same as the clear and present problem today - and that's ICEing by our own, which coincidentally is the point of this thread. As painfully observed in Reno over the weekend, there's no better way to clog an SC than to park in it after the charge is done.

As I have opined before, I would love to see simultaneous text, email and automated calls go out to owners 5 minutes after their charge is complete if the cable hasn't been removed from their cars. And 5 minutes after that? The car should emit unpleasant, most foul, and embarrassing noises. And 5 minutes after that? A voice from within the car that would loudly announce, "Oh, dear. My owner is an asshat. Please call a towing company to remove me from this space immediately." In the voice of C3PO, of course.

I understand that we all pay for SC usage up front. But it's a scarce resource and we should treat it as such. I've seen SCs go from empty to full to empty in the space of an hour. As the OP has noted, a little kindness and consideration go a long way. Put another way, let's regulate ourselves before regulation is foisted upon us.

You know, Tesla could address this with firmware...

All the AP capable cars could be taught to unlock the charge cable once fully charged when told a site is full/someone is waiting - and to Summon to a designated holding area if the cable is unplugged thereafter.

Kinda the light version of the self valet automated Supercharging, but doable without the snake automated cables.

 

[cpa]

Why should the employees move if they're still charging?
You say they returned to the vehicle 30 minutes later, that's reasonable, they are people too. They need to go eat or use the restroom
If they moved their car to let others charge they'll be stranded at a busy sc for a while. Not very good use of company time

Yes, it was 30 minutes after I arrived. But I do not know how long they had been there prior to my arrival. Might have been 3 minutes; might have been 30.

I see your position. Yet I think the customer comes first. With three cars and at least three employees, one employee could have remained behind in case the SC got congested and moved one of the cars. They could have arranged a rotation among themselves to be on the lookout.

I was the fifth to charge, with the sixth arriving about 10 minutes after me. There was a short wait for the seventh person who was able to charge when the non-company vehicle left.

I agree it is a delicate situation for the company, its customers and its employees. But better to err on the customer side, which is how I was taught and run my practice--a good employer can always make things up to its employees.

 

[AMPd]

Yes, it was 30 minutes after I arrived. But I do not know how long they had been there prior to my arrival. Might have been 3 minutes; might have been 30.

I see your position. Yet I think the customer comes first. With three cars and at least three employees, one employee could have remained behind in case the SC got congested and moved one of the cars. They could have arranged a rotation among themselves to be on the lookout.

I was the fifth to charge, with the sixth arriving about 10 minutes after me. There was a short wait for the seventh person who was able to charge when the non-company vehicle left.

I agree it is a delicate situation for the company, its customers and its employees. But better to err on the customer side, which is how I was taught and run my practice--a good employer can always make things up to its employees.

I definitely see your point, however letting some cut in front of you will piss off those you don't
Because as I said you can't let everyone ahead of you, at some point you need to charge and go.
Those you don't let in front of you could possibly get offended (I personally wouldn't, but some might)

 

[bluefuego]

You know, Tesla could address this with firmware...

All the AP capable cars could be taught to unlock the charge cable once fully charged when told a site is full/someone is waiting - and to Summon to a designated holding area if the cable is unplugged thereafter.

Kinda the light version of the self valet automated Supercharging, but doable without the snake automated cables.

Or we could go with my more evil idea and have superchargers start to discharge the car's battery the longer it sits there. That would be motivation to get back to move your car.

 

[Mikeman1]

With regard to SC etiquette I had occasion to visit several SC stations on a trip to LA (370 miles away) this weekend.
I needed to visit several SC's along the way, one was in a restaurant parking lot another two were in shopping centers.
They were full when I pulled in, while waiting I talked to other drivers who were ahead of me - yes they were that busy.
The other drivers had been waiting at least 45 minutes to an hour already and I waited with them for a half hour more before someone (1 person) showed up to unplug. Apparently, these people were using this as a charging/convenient parking area. Try to imagine this SC/ Shopping Center scenario during the holiday season.
Would it help if Tesla programmed the cars so their lights flashed (only at SC stations) when they had reached their Set Charge Limit? I can see this SC situation only getting worse.
Luv the car tho.

 

[Pecos Bill]

You know, Tesla could address this with firmware...
All the AP capable cars could be taught to unlock the charge cable once fully charged when told a site is full/someone is waiting - and to Summon to a designated holding area if the cable is unplugged thereafter.

The only challenge is someone is supposed to be there to watch and protect it while it moves. Still, some day that might happen.

As one of the hordes who hopes to get his M.3 (M-3?) in early 18 or if lucky late 17 (one can dream), I'm already glad I know about etiquette and also dread the onslaught of cars to SCs. Mine will have the SC option (and AP&AWD at minimum)

 

[MorrisonHiker]

The Tesla owned car was there from at least before midnight. There was a line to charge at 1-2 am and people realized the car was unlocked and unplugged it hoping that the alert would bring back the inconsiderate driver.

Posting the Mfg plate won't identify the car as this is the number on all the company owned cars. Vin needed.

We noticed the windshield was covered with notes from upset people who had been unable to charge. I wondered if moving the wipers up could've damaged them. Maybe they used service mode?

 

[FlyF4]

Times change. Here we are almost a year later, and you may be happy to know that the Atlantis supercharger stats seem to indicate that the stalls are over 50% open most of the time. Even on a busy weekend night, you might now see that at least 2 of the stalls are open most all of the time.

 

[Akikiki]

View attachment 187834 On the off chance someone from Tesla is reading this, there are several pissed off tesla owners waiting in line to get a Supetcharge this morning from the just opened Reno Supercharger at the Atlantis hotel. In particular there is one tesla with manufacturer plates that is occupying a slot and it isn't even plugged in.

There are about seven teslas waiting to charge.

Wow, how dare Tesla park one of their Teslas at their own Tesla paid for Supercharger, he said with sarcasm dripping from the corner of his mouth. What is the world coming to?