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The Seattle Area Needs More Superchargers
- Thread starter EarlyAdopter
- Start date
EVie'sDad
Member
melindav
☰ 2018
assuming that was a serious question and not sarcasm:
This would be the equivalent if NorCal was limited to just Sacramento, Manteca and Gilroy.
I'm in Portland and go to Seattle multiple times a year for a couple days at a time. The only SC option is Centralia, half way between Ptld and Seattle. So if just driving up and straight back it would be fine. But that's not how a trip normally goes, and would need to find charging around Seattle.
Here's a snapshot of Seattle (similar scale you posted) and the bay area (at the same scale).
Where is the love for 101 in Washington? Oregon has 2 superchargers active along 101, with a permit in on another, and one under construction as soon as you cross into CA. But the instant you follow 101 to Washington? Dead zone.
So not only is Seattle neglected, 101 is too.
The only positive is there is now (as of a month or so ago) a FREE Chademo at Wilder Nissan in Port Angeles, WA, and it's open to the public. But there is nothing between Port Angeles, WA and Seaside, OR (supercharger) if you take 101 west/south. You have to go around the other way (east/south) and hit a Chademo (if it's available [and working]) in Bremerton.
Making a road trip in a 70D already comes "down to the wire" if you hit the supercharger in Centralia and then have to make it to the supercharger in Ellensburg to continue on I-90 east.
How about some attention for this liberal haven of tech and social justice warrioring?
So not only is Seattle neglected, 101 is too.
The only positive is there is now (as of a month or so ago) a FREE Chademo at Wilder Nissan in Port Angeles, WA, and it's open to the public. But there is nothing between Port Angeles, WA and Seaside, OR (supercharger) if you take 101 west/south. You have to go around the other way (east/south) and hit a Chademo (if it's available [and working]) in Bremerton.
Making a road trip in a 70D already comes "down to the wire" if you hit the supercharger in Centralia and then have to make it to the supercharger in Ellensburg to continue on I-90 east.
How about some attention for this liberal haven of tech and social justice warrioring?
We also need another one between wenatchee and Chelan, so you connect up with Canada and go up on 97, or across the state on US 2 from Stevens pass. My dream would be one on Steven's pass and Snoqualmie Pass and finally at Crystal Mountain, but I always leave home with a good charge heading that way anyway.
Crystal Mountain is the ski area that needs it the most.
Crystal Mountain is the ski area that needs it the most.
goneskiian
Active Member
I don't think Crystal needs a Supercharger. It's not a through route. The others, definitely. Maybe add White Pass to that list. Crystal (and the others) could use a bunch of L2 chargers for day use (skiers, hikers, mtbers, etc.).
ecrsail
Member
I live in Boulder. We are probably one of the most uptight, green, Pro-EV, tree-hugginest, crunchy, granola cities around AND the home to Elon's Brother's flagship restaurant - The Kitchen - and the closest SuperCharger is almost 40 miles away.
I think they just don't want people using them for anything but long trips.
That is definitely true and I fully agree with and support Tesla's policy in this regard. But Boulder (and Seattle) are just underserved --- even for travelers.
As an example, I visited Boulder on a long trip earlier this year and had the exact same thoughts and experience. People tell me that Elon is often seen in Boulder, and yet as a visitor I found Boulder to be a very difficult place to find working and conveniently placed public charging stations of any type. No doubt Elon's brother has a HPWC installed at home, but if you are a visitor who is not staying at the Boulderado or Best Western, you'll find your EV charging options (Tesla or J1772 quite limited! I visited the solar powered charger in a public parking lot on Broadway, but it didn't work. Had better luck with the free-for-customers chargepoint at Alfalfas Market but you're limited to an hour at 30 A so that wasn't very practical for Tesla owners. There are other parking garages with J1772s available on the east side of town if you happen to be staying there. As a visitor staying with a friend on the west side who did not have a 220 V outlet installed in his home or garage, I was forced to charge in Denver (art museum or SC) or Fort Collins (day trip and visit) during my stay in Boulder.
But the original post was about Seattle, and I whole-heartedly agree with the sentiment expressed there as well. Had I not stayed at a Capitol Hill area B&B with a destination charger, actually exploring Seattle would have been impossible. My Seattle B&B experience was great, but the dearth of charging options (Tesla or otherwise) in the greater Seattle area made visiting destinations along the Olympic Peninsula quite difficult. I do have sympathy for Tesla in that the Seattle area is not an easy one to equip with all of the interesting geography and waterways...
Seattle and Boulder are two of my favorite destinations and two cities frequently associated with progressive environmentally-friendly residents. But I found neither to be very "Tesla" friendly. Hopefully that will change....
As for Oregon, I personally did not find moving about Oregon as a visitor too difficult at all, even with the lack of coastal Superchargers earlier in the year. Lots of options where I needed it and also lots of destination chargers where I wanted to stay. And it appears Oregon is going to be even more nicely equipped by the end of year.
I have talked to Tesla in 2014 and 2015 when listed a Supercharger to be installed in Seattle 2014 map. Called again in 2016 about needing a SuperCharger for Seattle as going into Seattle to play for the day and lucky if have a charge to get back to any of the superchargers in surrounding area. .. Last told they could not find property to install it and like around I-5 and I-90 crossing area.. I don't see it going in tell 2017, 3 years past original date proposed date. I had my car before the first supercharger installed in WA so happy to see everyone installed. I had the head arguments as plug & share with only one plug as charged 20 mins and a Leaf driver showed up and started ripping my butt saying they are for his model of car not my model of car I stayed 1.5 hours anyways.
I do feel upset watching Tesla USA map when they stack Superchargers on top of other Superchargers at locations while the USA map is not complete I see as poor management in the Supercharging Department. I been watching the coast line in Oregon get Superchargers that was never planned and again by passing Seattle.. I happy that SeaShore got one still in Oregon as had to Hotel (2x 50amp outlets) at the only place that had a charger or use camping ground as the Plug Share there has not Cell service and mostly offline and they can not reset..
So yes my two cents and yes I have 133k on my car so I use going everywhere and just bites not seeing SC where belong..
I do feel upset watching Tesla USA map when they stack Superchargers on top of other Superchargers at locations while the USA map is not complete I see as poor management in the Supercharging Department. I been watching the coast line in Oregon get Superchargers that was never planned and again by passing Seattle.. I happy that SeaShore got one still in Oregon as had to Hotel (2x 50amp outlets) at the only place that had a charger or use camping ground as the Plug Share there has not Cell service and mostly offline and they can not reset..
So yes my two cents and yes I have 133k on my car so I use going everywhere and just bites not seeing SC where belong..
> I see as poor management in the Supercharging Department. [MBCMDR]
Suppress such scurrilous thoughts! Any SC that manages to reach completion is a wonderment so sublime as to be worshipped without reservation. In no time at all it will be humming along at design capacity as EVers clammer for even more to be built.
Nonetheless, Wyoming could sure use:
1. Little America
2. Rawlins
--
Suppress such scurrilous thoughts! Any SC that manages to reach completion is a wonderment so sublime as to be worshipped without reservation. In no time at all it will be humming along at design capacity as EVers clammer for even more to be built.
Nonetheless, Wyoming could sure use:
1. Little America
2. Rawlins
--
Sorry can't suppress, as a Manager and look a bigger picture, yes I talked to main office and the Tech's doing field repairs and upgrades of the SC (so this is my view & stand behind it). As Tesla provide a approximate installation on there SC Map and not even have there proposed location match where there installation match like Oregon Coast. Do the proposed and then add the extra following proposed complete. Yes they done a great job getting them out just feel they should have done the main highways first like Wyoming too before putting a second SC in area less than 20 miles apart.
I agree that it's ridiculous. I've been watching the "coming soon" map since 2014 and have always seen Seattle as one of the red dots. Yet here we are in late 2016 and it's clear that even the most optimistic opening date would be in 2017. WA is 2nd to only CA in terms of per capita Tesla ownership, most of those Teslas are owned by people in the Seattle area, so it's just crazy to neglect the region like this.
Any location would be a huge improvement on the current situation but I would not recommend the I-5/I-90 interchange area as it would be a magnet for local charging, would likely be sketchy at night, it wouldn't be an easy on/off the freeway and it isn't necessarily on people's north/south routes when traveling through the metro area.
If they insist on building just one SC in the Seattle area, they should put it some place like Northgate, but I think that location would also be vulnerable to local charging and not being along everyone's path through the city. My suggestion would be to put one at Southcenter and one at Alderwood Mall, or at least in those general areas, as they would be less prone to local charging, more safe at night, easier to get on and off, and most importantly along just about everyone's path through the metro area.
Any location would be a huge improvement on the current situation but I would not recommend the I-5/I-90 interchange area as it would be a magnet for local charging, would likely be sketchy at night, it wouldn't be an easy on/off the freeway and it isn't necessarily on people's north/south routes when traveling through the metro area.
If they insist on building just one SC in the Seattle area, they should put it some place like Northgate, but I think that location would also be vulnerable to local charging and not being along everyone's path through the city. My suggestion would be to put one at Southcenter and one at Alderwood Mall, or at least in those general areas, as they would be less prone to local charging, more safe at night, easier to get on and off, and most importantly along just about everyone's path through the metro area.
LovelyCarrot
Member
Looks like they've installed one at the new Bellevue Service Center. Probably not for public use though.
Wait... what? There's a Supercharger at Bellevue Service Center.
edit - no there is not. Just called the center and spoke to the sales staff. He firmly confirmed there is NO supercharger at the new Bellevue 20th St location. He said they are working on "maybe" getting a couple of outdoor HPWCs but right now the only charging there is for store use only for service and delivery.
goneskiian
Active Member
Um, yes, there is. That screen grab from my app was when my X was at the new Bellevue Service Center for post delivery tweaking. Like I said in the post you quoted though, probably not for public use.
The problem is even if Bellevue had one many of us have a week day job where we working our butts off and weekends are our play time so trying to use on Sat would be limited hours and totally no access on Sundays.. As tried that route already before so have to settle for CHAdeMO in Seattle if find one operation or open when operational..
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