Thought on I-10 route

[Chuq]

Even as a non American the absence of any SCs between San Antonio and Tucson is quite obvious and no doubt annoying for many of you.

I've had a thought - this part of the world has extremely good solar coverage. What if Tesla is planning a new design of Supercharger site which is fully self contained - integrated solar and battery storage?

Of course this was how superchargers were originally envisioned, and it was wound back to charger stalls only in order to speed up approval and build out of the network. But perhaps this route has the right set of conditions to make it worthwhile.

Variables that I don't really know much about include: the typical amount of traffic expected over this route, as well as the quality/capacity/reliability of the grid in this area.

 

[jerry33]

Unfortunately, I-10 has a very low traffic volume, and traffic volume seems to be the primary selection criteria.

 

[bollar]

But to your point, yes, it's an ideal set of locations for self-contained superchargers. With few seasonal exceptions, there will be 1-2 cars a week visiting each SC, and that gives plenty of time to charge the local battery storage.

 

[TaoJones]

It's the only transcontinental route that doesn't require snow tires or chains year-round. The route's been promised for 2 years and they are waaaay behind.

Having to hang a hard right from Baton Rouge into tornado alley and then into the black ice of the high desert is just embarrassing at this point - mostly for the Southwest Region.

At this point, south from Albuquerque to El Paso would almost be worth it to then branch out east and west therefrom.

They built I-10 for a reason - to support millions of travelers from CA, TX and FL to name just a few affected states - would be nice to get to use it sometime this decade, My offer of 10 cases of good ale stands if they connect Tucson to San Antonio by year end (same offer as last year). But at this rate, they'll light up the Alaskan Highway before I-10.
And that's a shame, both from the standpoints of safety and of common sense.

 

[Chuq]

At the absolute minimum, a site at Lubbock would make it a lot easier, and the other four near El Paso:

 

[TaoJones]

At the absolute minimum, a site at Lubbock would make it a lot easier, and the other four near El Paso:

Nice! And agreed. Then add one at Van Horn and then onward to San Antonio. Et voila.

 

[tezzla]

I'll be driving from Los Angeles to San Antonio later this month. It's about 400+ miles longer to take the i40 than the i10. Basically, the route will cost me around 12 hours round trip (not including charging time).

 

[KublaConn]

Unfortunately, I-10 has a very low traffic volume, and traffic volume seems to be the primary selection criteria.

Yes, having a continuous route that connects the nation's three most populous states by the shortest & most direct route seems a bit frivolous doesn't it?

Snark aside, I agree, it's not the most heavily traveled interstate, mainly due to the daunting length and breadth of the area and shear desolation of the scenery. Most people will choose to fly rather than deal with the drive. I have faith that they will be remedying the situtation relatively soon and understand how the logistics and aforementioned lack of significant traffic make for a lower placement on the priority list. Texas, in general, is a very underserved state. Considering the population of the state and the fact that it takes up an area that spans roughly the same area as Paris to Budapest and Hamburg to Florence, twelve operating superchargers seems fairly paltry, doesn't it? I'm sure that the Texas government's attitude and its pro-car dealer stance isn't really helping the situation. The fact still remains that Texas has six of the top-20 largest cities in the U.S. by population and five of those are top-26 by area, including also, by far, the highest average distance between all of them (in the lower-48, of course).

Being originally from northern Illinois, my other lament is when I look at the Houston-to-Chicago or Houston-to-Quad Cities route. I understand the desire to start with the interstates and understand that links between major interstate cities may be less of a focus due to the tendency of people to fly instead of drive, but that doesn't make me look at the 400+ mile additional driving a Tesla would require with any less trepidation and dread. As bad as Texas may have it right now, Arkansas has it even worse.

 

[jerry33]

Yes, having a continuous route that connects the nation's three most populous states by the shortest & most direct route seems a bit frivolous doesn't it?

That wasn't an agreement with the policy, just an observation

 

[KublaConn]

That wasn't an agreement with the policy, just an observation

Understood. Hopefully, you understood I was snarking at the message (policy), not the messenger. Another factor I would expect Tesla to consider when it comes to superchargers is where the Teslas actually happen to be.

 

[Ed Hart]

I think the group is right....there is just not enough traffic on the 10 to move up its priority. But I am glad to see 20 getting built out this year. I made a trip to Florida from California last year, and had to add an extra day to "get around Texas", so it would have been nice to have either 20 or 10 available. Take a look at my route map!

 

[jerry33]

Understood. Hopefully, you understood I was snarking at the message (policy), not the messenger.

That's why I put a smiley there.

 

[TaoJones]

Bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy there. If there aren't SCs for 1800 miles, of course there will be fewer Teslas. And since Teslas are the only vehicles that use SCs, to cite stats for vehicles at large is a red herring.

Put 100 Tesla owners in a room and give them the choice of detouring into known bad weather areas (tornados and black ice) versus driving the interstate that Eisenhower had intended for use by sane people, and you'll be hard-pressed to find many who step up for the loss of a day's travel time and the bad weather risk as a bonus for their trouble. Now multiple that 100 in the room by many times as there are quite a few owners in CA, AZ, NM, TX, and FL, just to name five states along the way.

Far more owners there than in, say, freaking Magoc, Canada. But the Canadians will tell you that Magoc is a vital cog in the transport machine that exists within 100 miles of the US border. Last I checked, El Paso was a tad busier than Magoc. As was the greater metropolitan area of Tucson at 1,000,000+ inhabitants (with a growing and quite active Tesla owners club, by the way).

The neglect of Southern Arizona, let alone the entire remaining I-10 corridor, has been, and remains shameful. Shameful, ah sez! But this is what you get in particular from the Southwest Region wherein they still think it's a good idea to put SCs at malls/shopping centers and then wonder why they get congested and need valets.

The good news is that it's even money whether we'll get I-10 finished before the 1900 miles or so of Great Alaskan Highway, or Arkansas, and/or North Dakota.

 

[AZ Desert Driver]

Perhaps you recall that Tucson was in the running to host the Gigafactory. When our legislators decided accept the Dealership model and hinder Tesla sales, the Gigafactory was then moved from Tucson to Reno. Now - I don't know if the lack of SC along I-8 and I-10 have anything to do with this "insult" but ...

Now, the other part of history (Gadsden purchase) was to get an all weather train route along the southern border. The interstate system (and stage coach system before that) were selected to be important transport routes. I think we deserve a few more charging stations.

Now I do take some offense to the comment of "mainly due to the daunting length and breadth of the area and shear desolation of the scenery". I happen to thrive in this desolation and choose to explore many of its nooks and crannies. But, then again...if others found the beauty I found, then it could get a bump in population which would hurt the thing I enjoy.

 

[KublaConn]

Now I do take some offense to the comment of "mainly due to the daunting length and breadth of the area and shear desolation of the scenery". I happen to thrive in this desolation and choose to explore many of its nooks and crannies. But, then again...if others found the beauty I found, then it could get a bump in population which would hurt the thing I enjoy.

No offense was intended and I think you might be willing to concede that not all of the details & nuances of nature's beauty are immediately apparent from the seat of a vehicle hurtling down the interstate at 75+mph. Especially in a desert setting. I would also point out that we are talking about a 860 mile stretch of road, and while I can't vouch for the 300 miles or so within the confines of Arizona, though I will trust your assessment of its aesthetic appeal, I can speak for the remaining 500+ miles in Texas, and I guarantee you that you will find few who will laud the beauty of the drive from about Junction to El Paso. I think that Gertrude Stein's words would describe it best, "There's not 'there' there." The words "desolate" & "monotonous" would not be considered an unfair assessment, by most, but beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder. I would add that if there is, in fact, some sort of retribution for a perceived "insult" going on here, and it could definitely apply to both AZ & TX, it would be sort of foolish and counterproductive to Elon's stated goals, but ego is ego, I suppose.

 

[TaoJones]

...Now, the other part of history (Gadsden purchase) was to get an all weather train route along the southern border. The interstate system (and stage coach system before that) were selected to be important transport routes. I think we deserve a few more charging stations.

Now I do take some offense to the comment of "mainly due to the daunting length and breadth of the area and shear desolation of the scenery". I happen to thrive in this desolation and choose to explore many of its nooks and crannies. But, then again...if others found the beauty I found, then it could get a bump in population which would hurt the thing I enjoy.

Good point about the historical nature of why we have I-10 in the first place - it more or less stood to reason that if it made sense for trains and the stagecoach, it would make sense for cars and long haul truck routes, as time was/is money.

Equally good point about the desert. I remember a reference to the Sonoran Desert of Southern Arizona as a living desert. And sure enough, there's no place I'd rather be after a good monsoon (seasonal daily 5pm rain of often biblical proportion for 45 minutes - for the unfamiliar). Ask most people about the southwestern deserts, though, and you'll get a description that pretty quickly includes Wil E. Coyote and some scorpions and tumbleweeds for good measure. Not that there aren't scorpions. After all, the Gila monsters need something to eat.

In the end, the years-long delay in lighting up I-10 is now just a colossal embarrassment with no construction, permits, or even siting in sight - you can hear the chant now: "We're 0 for 8! We're 0 for 8!". The least you'd think they'd do is apply for the permits so that the entire process could get bogged down in a Santa Barbara-esque malaise of epic Texass-ian proportion as the GOBs (good ol' boys) try every nefarious tactic under the AZ/NM/TX sun to avoid the completion of the most sensible weatherproof transcontinental route on the continent short of the Panama Canal. But no.

And with that, I shall close with a slightly bemused and entirely resigned... Harrumph.

At least I'll get to keep the 10 cases of ale I keep trying to offer/deliver to the SC team if they complete I-10 from Tucson to San Antonio by year-end (2015, and now 2016).

 

[McRat]

Some might be confused.

Commuters don't use the 10. It's not for intrastate. There are no jobs or factories in West Texas. The 10 is a pipeline from Long Beach (huge port) to Texas and the other Southern states that are not rail freight.

If you are driving a car interstate as opposed to intrastate, the 10 is your good friend. The 40 is poorly laid out. It climbs 2500 feet higher, and 200 miles longer coast to coast using the same air distance. The 40 gets too much commuter traffic and too much weather.

If you want to commute, use the 40.

If coast to coast is your plan, use the 10. You'll get there about 25% sooner, coast to coast. Seriously. Done it both ways many times.

 

[TexasEV]

Some might be confused.

Commuters don't use the 10. It's not for intrastate.

Really? The 6 million people who live in or near Houston (most of whom seem to be on I-10 at any given time) may disagree with you.

 

[MyJoule]

A lot of Telsas travel East of Tucson on I-10 it's just that they are on car carriers heading for their new owners at points east of here. I regularly see car carriers heading east on I-10 through Tucson. I too wish they'd supercharge the route to San Antonio, Last spring we drove to Galveston in our Model S, but ended up using the I-40, I-35 detour which cost us an extra day each way. While we love driving the car, making a 2 day trip into a 3 day trip stinks. Hopefully this will be remedied before we make the trip again.

 

[AZ Desert Driver]

NICE - thanks all for defending "my" desert. Took me awhile to fall in love with it - everything had stickers, even the toads. Once I slowed down, the beauty emerged. I'm also I'm not terribly easy to insult - so Apologies accepted ( if that was what was offered).
See you guys on the road!! ( I formally place my MS order this week. M3 is still in the wings)