Trips to Baltimore MD and Columbus IN: how risky without ChaDeMo adapter?

[CdnRedRocket]

Hi all,

Travelling down from Waterloo, ON to Baltimore in a couple of weeks for a conference and then to Columbus, IN in late June for a friend's wedding.

For the Baltimore trip, I will be there for almost a week and there will not be a charger at the hotel (downtown Baltimore). It's too late to change hotels (the Tesla purchase was a bit sudden; as of 3 weeks ago, I was still driving a Prius). I'm not even sure 110V outlets will be available; there aren't any at my parents' place, but I don't tend to be there more than 2 nights. Looking at the maps and planners, it looks like I can survive the vampire drain and lack of charging at the hotel if I charge up to 90% at the Laurel Supercharger before heading into the city. Inbound, I will likely be at this supercharger in the evening; is it a pretty safe area there at night? The outbound plan is to top up again at the Laurel supercharger on the way back to Canada. I suspect that my friends and colleagues at conference will be wanting rides and so I am anticipating that I will leave with less charge than I planned! If the rides and drain are not going to allow me to get back to the Laurel supercharger, I was planning on charging up in the city somewhere, but I don't know where would be relatively safe place to top up. Hence my query about a ChaDeMo adapter, which would, presumably, get me off any dangerous streets faster. Any advice? Has anyone done the week-long, no access to charging in Baltimore? Can I do the trip without the ChaDeMo adapter?

For the Columbus trip, it is likely I will not have access to a charger at the hotel in Columbus either. I was thinking of charging up to 90% at the Indianapolis Supercharger. I am less concerned about this trip since we will likely only be staying a couple of nights, rather than almost a week and so the amount of vampire drain will be smaller! But if anyone thinks that I ought to have the adapter for this trip, please let me know!

The last concern, of course, is how I will get my hands on a ChaDeMo adapter if you think I will need one!

Thanks for any advice!

 

[thefortunes]

Take a look at Plugshare - there are hundreds of available chargers in Baltimore and the surrounding area that you can use in a pinch.

 

[Saghost]

Vampire drain isn't a big problem. I left my X parked at the airport for an entire week with energy saving on and always connected off, and it lost 10 miles in that week, even with me checking in on it a couple times a day (which of course wakes the computers up and eats some power.)

Colleagues wanting rides I can't help you with. Tesla time is generally fun. I have trouble seeing you burning up enough miles in that to put a return to Laurel in doubt, though, if you do charge to 90% first - Laurel just isn't that far away from Baltimore.

 

[CdnRedRocket]

Thanks both. My concern with using the chargers in the city (found using the plugshare map of course) was that I wouldn't know if I was charging up in a dangerous part of the city. I think I scared myself by reading a 2016 police report about increased carjackings in the downtown Baltimore area. But it would seem that I probably needn't worry about having to charge during the week since I should have plenty left to get back to Laurel. I'll just have to put my foot down with my colleagues if I'm starting to run out of range. Or tell them to go buy their own Tesla?

 

[Saghost]

Thanks both. My concern with using the chargers in the city (found using the plugshare map of course) was that I wouldn't know if I was charging up in a dangerous part of the city. I think I scared myself by reading a 2016 police report about increased carjackings in the downtown Baltimore area. But it would seem that I probably needn't worry about having to charge during the week since I should have plenty left to get back to Laurel. I'll just have to put my foot down with my colleagues if I'm starting to run out of range. Or tell them to go buy their own Tesla?

Depending on how busy you are during the week, use it as a learning opportunity - invite them to come see how the car charges, then go down to Laurel for an evening or a long lunch, let them plug it in, and go eat at the nice Thai restaurant or the steakhouse there in the plaza and let them watch the car charge on the phone app.

 

[BerTX]

A CHAdeMO adapter won't help you in Columbus, IN, that's for sure. Plugshare shows three individuals with 14-50 plugs offering them for use -- chances are, one of them is in the wedding party in a town that size. You will need to sign up for an account (free) on Plugshare to see the private parties offering charging.

There is also a couple of 14-50 outlets at the Bartholomew County 4H Fairgrounds there. Information also in Plugshare.

As far as Baltimore is concerned, there might be some CHAdeMO facilities there. I'd go to the MidAtlantic forum and inquire there. Somebody might have a suggestion or a CHAdeMO adapter to borrow. There are lots of charging options there. https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/forums/mid-atlantic.98/

 

[T3SLA90D]

I live in the Baltimore area. The laurel supercharger is about 20 min south of Baltimore and is safe located in a large shopping center and a movie theater.
In Baltimore you can park you car (for a fee) and charge for free in the parking under the 4 seasons hotel harbor east. Weekend evening rate is $9 for the parking but if you eat at the Lebanese taverna across the street you get your parking validated for $5
I hope this helps.

 

[artsci]

Hi all,

Travelling down from Waterloo, ON to Baltimore in a couple of weeks for a conference and then to Columbus, IN in late June for a friend's wedding.

For the Baltimore trip, I will be there for almost a week and there will not be a charger at the hotel (downtown Baltimore). It's too late to change hotels (the Tesla purchase was a bit sudden; as of 3 weeks ago, I was still driving a Prius). I'm not even sure 110V outlets will be available; there aren't any at my parents' place, but I don't tend to be there more than 2 nights. Looking at the maps and planners, it looks like I can survive the vampire drain and lack of charging at the hotel if I charge up to 90% at the Laurel Supercharger before heading into the city. Inbound, I will likely be at this supercharger in the evening; is it a pretty safe area there at night? The outbound plan is to top up again at the Laurel supercharger on the way back to Canada. I suspect that my friends and colleagues at conference will be wanting rides and so I am anticipating that I will leave with less charge than I planned! If the rides and drain are not going to allow me to get back to the Laurel supercharger, I was planning on charging up in the city somewhere, but I don't know where would be relatively safe place to top up. Hence my query about a ChaDeMo adapter, which would, presumably, get me off any dangerous streets faster. Any advice? Has anyone done the week-long, no access to charging in Baltimore? Can I do the trip without the ChaDeMo adapter?

For the Columbus trip, it is likely I will not have access to a charger at the hotel in Columbus either. I was thinking of charging up to 90% at the Indianapolis Supercharger. I am less concerned about this trip since we will likely only be staying a couple of nights, rather than almost a week and so the amount of vampire drain will be smaller! But if anyone thinks that I ought to have the adapter for this trip, please let me know!

The last concern, of course, is how I will get my hands on a ChaDeMo adapter if you think I will need one!

Thanks for any advice!

If you're coming from Canada, the Laurel Supercharge will be damned inconvenient as it's some distance south of Baltimore. Don't know which way you'll be coming. If down I-83 to B-more I'd charge up at the Harrisburg, PA SC, if I-95, Newark, DE SC. I'd charge to 90 percent at either place --- that should be enough for your time in B-more. You shouldn't have any issues going west to Columbus, many SC's along the way, but as it's south of Indianapolis, I'd charge to 90 percent at the last SC before Columbus.

 

[CdnRedRocket]

Thanks everyone for your input and ideas. Good to hear that Laurel supercharger is a safe place.

Google maps without superchargers (third choice) and EV trip planner both route me through around Pittsburgh. I believe the car's nav also suggests the same route (looked at it last night but did not write it down). I could try to charge to 90 at Hagerstown SC and skip Laurel SC inbound. I think I'll be okay (Hagerstown SC to hotel = 119 km; hotel to Laurel SC = 37 km). If I use too much range in the city, I can go to Laurel SC on the way out (or for a visit - good idea Saghost!). I don't want to risk taking the smaller roads (I-83). The distance from Buffalo supercharger to Harrisburg supercharger is 460 km and appears to route through the mountains and the other SCs are more out of the way than the ones on the western route.

Thanks all for alleviating my fears!