Texas Supercharger Locations (location speculation, discussion)

[Schmo]

My point was not which highway was getting the most traffic. It was questioning which highway Tesla owners were likely to use. If you already live in Austin, you're starting out for SA with a full "tank" anyway, and you wouldn't use the San Marcos SC. Where that station will come in handy is for Tesla owners going to and from SA from DFW. Most of them would be bypassing Austin anyway. Personally, I would rather travel on a fast road with very little traffic rather than having to deal with Austin traffic if I'm just passing through.

The 130 toll road is still an option for people coming down to SA from Dallas. You get on 130 at Georgetown, bypass Austin, and then take the 45 Southeast tollway back to I-35 just north of the supercharger in San Marcos. That's a more direct route to San Antonio anyway.

As for us Austin owners, I have a 60 so the San Marcos supercharger will be very handy for me getting back and forth to San Antonio. Otherwise I have to charge quite a bit to get enough juice for the return trip...

 

[Tyl]

Looks like Texas may have their 1st supercharger ribbon cutting ceremony before Oregon. TSCS San Marcos Texas is in, striped, and appears ready for opening. That will bring the number of states that have TM superchargers to seven, and if Oregon follows soon thereafter we will have eight states with TSCS's. Way to go TEXAS! ..... Lucky seven:wink:!
It's gonna happen... you'd think states/cities would be hungry to be the first to have TSCS's, working hard with TM to facilitate TSCS installations. I sure hope it is not too much longer before ARIZONA Telsa Model S owners can gather at the 1st TSCS to open in our state .....'ome on Arizona! ninth or tenth anyway!!!!!

 

[cgiGuy]

Anyone hear where (approximately) in Waco these superchargers will be located? Heading out there tonight and I could check out the progress, but a lot of rocks to look under -

I inquired with Waco building permit office a while back. They said Tesla had asked about BJ's Brewhouse, but hadn't submitted any plans (at that time).

Might be worth checking out.

 

[AustinMS]

@twiddler, It might of been said earlier, but the one other location in Waco that could be a possibility is the "Richmond Mall" about a mile off of 35. Its managed by the same company that supposedly signed a deal with TM for future supercharger locations earlier this year. They never mentioned Waco in the press release, but if its nowhere to be seen on 35, it would be where I would look.

 

[mckemie]

Looks like Texas may have their 1st supercharger ribbon cutting ceremony before Oregon. TSCS San Marcos Texas is in, striped, and appears ready for opening. That will bring the number of states that have TM superchargers to seven, and if

I went over there this afternoon hoping to get my first SuperCharge charge. No activity at the site and no indication that there was any more work to do. The fence enclosing the electric equipment was not locked. No power, however. I did plug in. There was another Tesla there; we shared the same mission: hoping to see a working SuperCharger. This was about 3pm.

I did check out the "food court". 6 or 7 food vendors. Restrooms. A sign indicating free wifi. I'm pretty sure the food court (and restrooms) will not be open around the clock. One of the food vendors said that his business closed at 9pm. The food court doors CLOULD be open later.

 

[rakeshtx]

One of the Austin/San Antonio list members did some sleuthing on Sunday in San Marcos and picked up some good tidbits from the contractor there (sounds like he was enjoying being a micro-celebrity as people stopped by to pick his brain!). In addition to Waco and Columbus, he confirmed that Huntsville is on the list too. Details:

This morning, just for fun, I drove down to the Outlet Mall at San Marcos to see if I could find the Superchargers. I did.While taking the pix below I casually chatted up the workman. The spoke openly, answered all my “casual” question, and had apparently not been sworn to secrecy. Here’s what they said:
1. They are here from Florida and work for a Florida company that is the subcontractor for the six Texas SC stations.
2. Their company is also going to be installing Superchargers from Florida all the way to Maine. There are other subs for other parts of the country.
3. They will finish San Marcos this week, then move up to Waco to begin work there. That job should take 3-4 weeks. The guy wasn’t sure exactly where in Waco they would be (he already had the plans but hadn’t looked at them and didn’t have them at hand).
4. At about the time they start in Waco, another team should be starting the installation at Columbus at a “Comfort Suites or something like that.” I’m guessing it will be here: Map Suites Hotel Columbus, TX
5. Next installations after that will be Huntsville – after that he had no info except there are six total in the works

I put all these details along with a map on my blog:

http://rake.sh/blog/2013/08/13/details-of-where-tesla-is-installing-superchargers-in-texas/

 

[jerry33]

Just a question about the San Marcos location....aren't most people (who can afford a Tesla anyway) taking the new toll road, 130, between Austin and San Antonio now?

I don't take toll roads unless there is no alternative. AFAIK, the DFW airport is the only place where there is no alternative.

 

[bollar]

I don't take toll roads unless there is no alternative. AFAIK, the DFW airport is the only place where there is no alternative.

You can always take the DFW access roads and avoid the tolls at the cost of a lower speed limit and stop lights.

I'm on the other side of the coin. I'll almost always take the toll road.

 

[mark]

I don't take toll roads unless there is no alternative. AFAIK, the DFW airport is the only place where there is no alternative.

How do you get to cars and coffee without using the tollway or GB turnpike?

 

[Twiddler]

Sitting at the Waco BJs now, not even a suspicious looking utility truck. Likewise at the CTX marketplace, where I was able to flag down a guard, who reports no suspicious activity. Oh well, maybe it's too early.

 

[jerry33]

How do you get to cars and coffee without using the tollway or GB turnpike?

Parker-->Independence-->Spring Creek-->C&C.

 

[Twiddler]

Addendum: just spoke with the manager at BJs. He had never heard of Tesla. Fail.

 

[ZestyChicken]

I know DFW is so full of toll roads that it's almost impossible to get anywhere without using them (I personally detest the idea and will not use them),

That is not true. I live off of 75 in Dallas and may use a tollroad once a month.

 

[sublimaze1]

Addendum: just spoke with the manager at BJs. He had never heard of Tesla. Fail.

Advance Cadre / Recon is never a fail. Your info is noted. Keep up the good work.

 

[SoTX_WestTX]

That is not true. I live off of 75 in Dallas and may use a tollroad once a month.

Originally Posted by SoTX_WestTX
I know DFW is so full of toll roads that it's almost impossible to get anywhere without using them (I personally detest the idea and will not use them)

I know it's possible, I didn't mean that as literal as it sounded. When I go to Dallas, like I said, I don't take them at all. That's flying into/out of both DAL and DFW, going downtown, up north, and over to Ft. Worth. It's just takes a bit of work to do, though...at least, I find myself taking slightly circuitous routes when a toll road is more direct. (Well, more so than otherwise since to me DFW freeways are a mess of spaghetti compared to the nice symmetrical layouts of Houston and San Antonio.) That's just me, though. I'm cheap and I'm just philosophically opposed to them.

 

[sublimaze1]

One of the Austin/San Antonio list members did some sleuthing on Sunday in San Marcos and picked up some good tidbits from the contractor there (sounds like he was enjoying being a micro-celebrity as people stopped by to pick his brain!). In addition to Waco and Columbus, he confirmed that Huntsville is on the list too. Details:

3. They will finish San Marcos this week, then move up to Waco to begin work there. That job should take 3-4 weeks. The guy wasn’t sure exactly where in Waco they would be (he already had the plans but hadn’t looked at them and didn’t have them at hand).

Too close for comfort (I'm traveling from McKinney to Bastrop on the 6th). I guess I'll have to leave early and hang at the domain for a little while. OTOH, if they bust hump, the potential for ribbon cutting is still on the table.

Ah - who am I kidding.

 

[cgiGuy]

Addendum: just spoke with the manager at BJs. He had never heard of Tesla. Fail.

Interesting.. I called BJ's a couple weeks ago and the guy who answered said, "Yeah, Brian is working on that and he won't be back for 4 more days."

Oh well.. sorry for the bad intel. Maybe Tesla changed their mind. I emailed the permits contact that I have to see if they'll give me an update.

 

[brianman]

1) What is time to completion?

If these are questions for Tesla, then you might get an answer that's useful.

If these are questions for the men doing the physical labor, don't expect me. In conversations with the Centralia crew person, there is an official response that "we can't say". It was stated repeatedly. To the point where we were both tired of him saying it. Nice guy though.

 

[Tyl]

mckemie

If you visit there again please get some fresh pictures. .... from two states away it is the easiest way to take a look at the location. BTW, who will be next at ribbon cutting?

:crying:Texas or Oregon (Woodburn)

 

[Schmo]

http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/show...percharger-Locations/member.php/13023-mckemie
If you visit there again please get some fresh pictures. .... from two states away it is the easiest way to take a look at the location.

Here's a picture of the Columbus, Texas Comfort Inn location:

The box circled in red is a large existing power transformer in the middle of their parking lot. The Supercharger will tap into this transformer and the charging stations will be located to the left in the existing parking slots. The grassy strip also had paint to identify power cables to be run and two squares that were the same size as the wooden enclosures in the San Marcos pictures. The construction crew was reviewing the plans with the power company, but I wasn't able to get anymore information.