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Tesla's Supercharger Team was recently laid off. We discuss what this means for the company on today's TMC Podcast streaming live at 1PM PDT. You can watch on X or on YouTube where you can participate in the live chat.
Tesla Supercharger network
- Thread starter dsm363
- Start date
My guess is the point of adding a HPWC or some other slower charger in the same area of a supercharger would be for the ability to top off all the way to a full range charge, while allowing others to take full advantage of the faster charge of a supercharger or in cases where you aren't in a hurry (you're going to have a long lunch) and also don't want to be "parked" at a SC without charging.
Supercharging slows down to protect the battery at higher percentages and so it is an inefficient use of resources if others are waiting to supercharge (from a low state of charge) while you're trying to top off.
Short version: Change the terminology from "supercharging stations" to "EV rest stops, courtesy of Tesla Motors".
I think of it this way in the longer term for an example location:
1. Parking spots: 50
2. Supercharger: 8 ports
3. HPWC: 8 ports
4. 14-50: 16 ports
5. 120V/12A: 18 sockets
I imagine the cost of #4 and #5 to be relatively cheap after establishing 2 and 3. I see this as a likely minimum installation in the "Gen 3 at volume" era.
Some have suggested that #2 and #3 blend such that you have 16 ports, but only 8 can ever be at a "supercharge" amperage at a time.
With these kind of installations, it's easy to imagine having typical rest stop tables, etc. such that stops become more like picnics and semi-anonymous social events rather than a chore.
@Roadsters - I'd like to see them come up with something for #2 and/or #3 to allow Roadster vehicles to participate. But if not, at least there's a 14-50.
@NonTeslaPlugins - If the 14-50 isn't enough, then perhaps consider offering a J1772 72A offering for some of #4.
@OMGWTFBBQ_12A_Seriously? - This gives people an option of last resort and provides a safety net for cold weather drain situations.
2. Supercharger: 8 ports
3. HPWC: 8 ports
I suspect that those HPWCs wouldn't be much cheaper than adding more heads to the existing supercharger ports relative to the cost of the overall station.
Given a good enough interface and a little software, having a large stack of flexible chargers with a lot of ports can subsume the functions of what many of those chargers would do. Tesla has apparently thought a lot about these scenarios though who knows which they may implement: Method of Operating a Multiport Vehicle Charging System - Patent application
"Reservations with Power Profile" and "Power Distribution Based on User Need" talk explicitly about charging at low rate for a long time (even up to overnight)
I hope that's the case because I'd love to see 16 ports being the minimum as Gen 3 rolls out.
FredTMC
Model S VIN #4925
thanks. I was on that site this past weekend and I couldn't get the darn thing to return any permit results either. Ugh...
Here are some others. I couldn't find anything, but maybe someone else will have better luck.
San Clemente: eTRAKiT
San Juan Capistrano: eTRAKiT
Mission Viejo: SIRE Public Access
Not all of the cities in that area seem to provide online permit searching.
lol -i had the same thought Neroden about the Upstate NY Supercharger locations. I love Ithaca (i have family there), but as a practical matter it is a head scratcher. Binghamton makes much more sense - it's at the nexus of 2 interstates (I81 & the I86) ...and selfishly, i live in the NYC area but we have a family house on Canandaigua Lake, so.... ;-) as of right now, i am thinking of hitting up that nice Ice Cream place in Ithaca for a boost.
JRP3
Hyperactive Member
ChadS
Last tank of gas: March 2009
bollar
Disgruntled Member
Is it straightforward for someone to update one of these maps to show 100 mile circles instead of 200? I'd like to expose the parts of the SC network that will need be augmented before point-to-point travel is possible (such as DFW to Little Rock). I think it will be clear with smaller range circles.
That's a lot of work to do by hand, but I might give it a shot over the weekend at some point.
If you had long/lat for all the red and grey dots in text form, it might be easy to do quickly.
bollar
Disgruntled Member
Thanks!
I wonder if it would be most efficient to help daxzeal update his map? Tesla Supercharger Map estimator
HansK
Member
We're hoping to plan a trip in August and take the 101 instead of the 5 from LA to Los Altos. I overlaid the summer map to estimate the locations, but don't have any intelligence on the dates they'll come online. The original jpeg said 2013q2 which is rapidly passing by... Looks like Paso Robles, Buellton (confirmed), and somewhere around Ventura/Oxnard/Camarillo.
This is a map with all the supercharger stations on Tesla's map overlaid with 75 (red), 100 (yellow) and 150 mile (green) ranges - these are approximate.
I think the yellow 100 mile range is of particular interest as around 200 mi seems like a good planning range for the 85 KWh, giving a safe operating radius of about 100 mi. For a 60 kWH car, the 75 mile radius might be better for planning.
The green outer area of 150 miles radius is the practical maximum operating radius for the car, so somewhere between the red and green areas is what's possible with the Superchargers.
I think the yellow 100 mile range is of particular interest as around 200 mi seems like a good planning range for the 85 KWh, giving a safe operating radius of about 100 mi. For a 60 kWH car, the 75 mile radius might be better for planning.
The green outer area of 150 miles radius is the practical maximum operating radius for the car, so somewhere between the red and green areas is what's possible with the Superchargers.
dflye
S Sig Perf 414, VIN 814
While that image is indeed most excellent, it is strictly showing "as the crow flies" distance between points.
Thankfully a lot of these points are connected by interstates that mostly go in straight lines between two adjacent points.
But it does mean that expecting to safely travel to areas in the the center of the yellow or green patches (or even straying too far off the interstate between chargers in the red) without needing some additional charging along the way could leave one stranded.
Plenty of sections of the country with windy roads and mountain passes to add extra mileage and elevation gain to the equation.
Looking forward to the day when superchargers are as common as a mega-chain like Starbucks or McDonalds. While those aren't as prevalent as gas stations, more than enough locations to charge when getting around by EV.
Thankfully a lot of these points are connected by interstates that mostly go in straight lines between two adjacent points.
But it does mean that expecting to safely travel to areas in the the center of the yellow or green patches (or even straying too far off the interstate between chargers in the red) without needing some additional charging along the way could leave one stranded.
Plenty of sections of the country with windy roads and mountain passes to add extra mileage and elevation gain to the equation.
Looking forward to the day when superchargers are as common as a mega-chain like Starbucks or McDonalds. While those aren't as prevalent as gas stations, more than enough locations to charge when getting around by EV.
Wattson
Member
bollar
Disgruntled Member
Thanks for this! It does highlight a couple of high-traffic holes they will want to consider prioritizing before 2016
I agree it's a useful exercise. The mountainous west is particularly a challenge because of meandering roads and the 3rd dimension (yes, you do come down but regen isn't 100% efficient).
Another way to look at it is with the interstate overlay that I posted a while back. Looking at travel between city pairs shows some major gaps that the crow-flies analysis doesn't fully highlight. For example, atlanta to dallas is particularly screwed - 700 miles and one SC along the route. Though the CF map does show some of the holes near Dallas. Denver to Phoenix looks like you have to do a major detour to use SCs.
Another way to look at it is with the interstate overlay that I posted a while back. Looking at travel between city pairs shows some major gaps that the crow-flies analysis doesn't fully highlight. For example, atlanta to dallas is particularly screwed - 700 miles and one SC along the route. Though the CF map does show some of the holes near Dallas. Denver to Phoenix looks like you have to do a major detour to use SCs.
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