Supercharger - Twin Falls, ID

[wycolo]

Continuing south along the Oregon Trail the next SuC is Tremonton, UT. It is not so much the mileage (~150) as the adverse conditions likely to be encountered during this treck. Headwinds, snow & rain and just the boring monotony of keeping to 60mph to ensure arrival. So is there hope of a Burley, ID SuC to solve this issue? Tesla.com has removed the map of SuCs it seems so there is no way to check without being in the car, sorry.
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[ChrisH]

Continuing south along the Oregon Trail the next SuC is Tremonton, UT. It is not so much the mileage (~150) as the adverse conditions likely to be encountered during this treck. Headwinds, snow & rain and just the boring monotony of keeping to 60mph to ensure arrival. So is there hope of a Burley, ID SuC to solve this issue? Tesla.com has removed the map of SuCs it seems so there is no way to check without being in the car, sorry.
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Find Us | Tesla

 

[wycolo]

Find Us | Tesla

There's the map! Yes, Burley SuC, just what we need to cross the vast expanse to Tremonton.
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[dgpcolorado]

Continuing south along the Oregon Trail the next SuC is Tremonton, UT. It is not so much the mileage (~150) as the adverse conditions likely to be encountered during this treck. Headwinds, snow & rain and just the boring monotony of keeping to 60mph to ensure arrival. So is there hope of a Burley, ID SuC to solve this issue? Tesla.com has removed the map of SuCs it seems so there is no way to check without being in the car, sorry.
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[edit: too slow to post, ChrisH beat me to it!]
Tesla.com does still have the map of Supercharger Stations (as well as Service Centers and Destination Chargers). It is located under the "Find Us" tab on the menu.

The Heyburn location is still listed as "target opening in 2019" but Tesla has been focused on opening new Supercharger Stations in and near dense population centers, not fill-in locations in fly-over country, so that location seems unlikely to be built anytime soon. I also have difficulty with Twin Falls to Tremonton in my degraded battery S-60. Last time through I did my overnight stop at an RV park near Heyburn to make it easier.

 

[wycolo]

> in my degraded battery S-60 [dgpcolorado]

You are a brave EVer in the Rockies!
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[marksvend]

This segment from Twin Falls to Tremonton SuC was pretty challenging in our February road trip to SLC. The high speed limit, winter tires, and ski rack made more it difficult. Leaving with 100% in our S 90D, I did the first half of the drive at 70mph and increased to 80mph as I gained confidence that I'd make it. I arrived with 13% left.

There are really no backup charging options or any services along this route, so it's do-or-die. Even when doing 80mph, I was in the slow lane with everyone else having to pass. It would be tough to go 60mph on that road.

It was sunny, which helped out not having to spend too much power heating the car. The wind was light as well. At least with the higher elevation there is somewhat less air resistance.

 

[MyJoule]

FWIW- if you have a CHADEMO there is an EV America charger in Heyburn, so that would be a safety valve... But we did the drive this week into a headwind of about 20MPH in an S85 and made it from a 100% charge with 20% remaining when we pulled into Twin Falls. I can see how this might be tough in the winter on a windy day though

 

[KJD]

FWIW- if you have a CHADEMO there is an EV America charger in Heyburn, so that would be a safety valve... But we did the drive this week into a headwind of about 20MPH in an S85 and made it from a 100% charge with 20% remaining when we pulled into Twin Falls. I can see how this might be tough in the winter on a windy day though

Thank you for that bit of information. I did not know that one was there and I have traveled that route many times.

The plug share listing shows 4 CCS and 1 CHAdeMO. Here is hoping that Tesla gets busy and builds a CCS adapter soon.

It would appear to me that Electrify America is going to be the backup plan when the Tesla SC are busy or spaced too far apart as is the case here.

 

[aesculus]

I have the same issue going south on US93. First SCs on I 80 are either at West Wendover (eastbound) or Elko (westbound). On the way to TF no big deal because it's downhill and there is generally a tailwind. But southbound in Winter you always have a serious headwind, often snow and it's uphill. There is an RV park in Wells that I have on my backup plan but so far charging to 100%, driving 55 mph, drafting semis, turning range mode on, seat heaters and turning off the cabin heat has been my go to moves.

With the new degradation of the battery on my 90, I may find myself over the edge this winter.

 

[Rocky_H]

So is there hope of a Burley, ID SuC to solve this issue?

Yes, it is in progress, but slow. Here is the forum thread on it:
Supercharger-Burley Heyburn Idaho
Tesla had contacted the owner of that shopping center in the fall of 2018 to start arranging things there in Heyburn. The last status update we had there was on July 20. Since there are several stores there that share the parking lot, they all need to approve it, and the Ross store still hadn't signed off yet.

There are really no backup charging options or any services along this route, so it's do-or-die.

Depends on the time of year. Plugshare shows that there is an RV park in Snowville, UT that is open from March 1 to November 1, so when it's not winter, there is an accessible place in the middle of the route.

FWIW- if you have a CHADEMO there is an EV America charger in Heyburn, so that would be a safety valve..

Yes, that one opened up within the past few months, I think. It is interesting how EA is getting a lot of this I-84 corridor covered out in the northwest. I was just talking with a coworker friend out here in Boise about electric vehicles he is considering. They go to Seattle frequently, and I found that EA has the whole route from Boise to Seattle covered with their sites, so it's not just Tesla that can do that now.

I have the same issue going south on US93. First SCs on I 80 are either at West Wendover (eastbound) or Elko (westbound). On the way to TF no big deal because it's downhill and there is generally a tailwind. But southbound in Winter you always have a serious headwind, often snow and it's uphill. There is an RV park in Wells that I have on my backup plan but so far charging to 100%, driving 55 mph, drafting semis, turning range mode on, seat heaters and turning off the cabin heat has been my go to moves.

That is a route I've been pondering and half planning a few times and have a plan worked out of how I would get down to Las Vegas. From Twin Falls, I would go down to West Wendover to charge up, and then it goes southwest on alt-93 to rejoin main highway 93 toward Ely and then down toward Panaca. That would be the long segment, from West Wendover to Panaca. There is a CHAdeMO in Panaca, and then it's easy from there to Las Vegas.

 

[PLUS EV]

Continuing south along the Oregon Trail the next SuC is Tremonton, UT. It is not so much the mileage (~150) as the adverse conditions likely to be encountered during this treck. Headwinds, snow & rain and just the boring monotony of keeping to 60mph to ensure arrival. So is there hope of a Burley, ID SuC to solve this issue? Tesla.com has removed the map of SuCs it seems so there is no way to check without being in the car, sorry.
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This stretch has been brought up many times on this forum. Also, I think there is a thread for the supercharger in Burley. Someone claimed to have inside info that it was going to be installed at some mall in that town, but that was like a year ago and we have seen no signs of permit/construction.

 

[PLUS EV]

Yes, it is in progress, but slow. Here is the forum thread on it:
Supercharger-Burley Heyburn Idaho
Tesla had contacted the owner of that shopping center in the fall of 2018 to start arranging things there in Heyburn. The last status update we had there was on July 20. Since there are several stores there that share the parking lot, they all need to approve it, and the Ross store still hadn't signed off yet.


Depends on the time of year. Plugshare shows that there is an RV park in Snowville, UT that is open from March 1 to November 1, so when it's not winter, there is an accessible place in the middle of the route.


Yes, that one opened up within the past few months, I think. It is interesting how EA is getting a lot of this I-84 corridor covered out in the northwest. I was just talking with a coworker friend out here in Boise about electric vehicles he is considering. They go to Seattle frequently, and I found that EA has the whole route from Boise to Seattle covered with their sites, so it's not just Tesla that can do that now.


That is a route I've been pondering and half planning a few times and have a plan worked out of how I would get down to Las Vegas. From Twin Falls, I would go down to West Wendover to charge up, and then it goes southwest on alt-93 to rejoin main highway 93 toward Ely and then down toward Panaca. That would be the long segment, from West Wendover to Panaca. There is a CHAdeMO in Panaca, and then it's easy from there to Las Vegas.

Apologies for my previous post repeating much of what you said here. Your post was after the page break.

I wanted to add, that it probably doesn't make sense to drive Twin Falls->Wendover->Panaca->Vegas vs. just staying on I-84 and I-15 through Utah to get there. But if you are bored of that drive along the interstate and just want to try something different, then I totally understand. I used to do that drive through Ely about once a year in my ICE days and I'm looking forward to doing it again in my Tesla, but I'm probably holding out for a supercharger in Ely which may take another decade at this rate.

 

[Rocky_H]

I wanted to add, that it probably doesn't make sense to drive Twin Falls->Wendover->Panaca->Vegas vs. just staying on I-84 and I-15 through Utah to get there. But if you are bored of that drive along the interstate and just want to try something different, then I totally understand.

I've never driven to Vegas, so I've never used either route, but I'm more curious about that route down through Nevada for two small reasons. One is that highway 93 is the standard gas car way to do it, and going through Utah is about 100 miles longer (although similar time), so it gets on my nerves having to take an inconvenient longer route to make it doable with an electric car. And the second reason is just partially for the adventure of making a non-Supercharger covered route doable with a little known CHAdeMO station.

 

[aesculus]

for two small reasons

Add a big third reason. It's really a great drive:

• The Ruby mountains from Wells to Ely are gorgeous
• Great Basin National Park
• The town of Pioche is really quaint and neat
• Cathedral Gorge State Park | State Parks
  
• Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge - Pahranagat - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

 

[cpa]

I've never driven to Vegas, so I've never used either route, but I'm more curious about that route down through Nevada for two small reasons. One is that highway 93 is the standard gas car way to do it, and going through Utah is about 100 miles longer (although similar time), so it gets on my nerves having to take an inconvenient longer route to make it doable with an electric car. And the second reason is just partially for the adventure of making a non-Supercharger covered route doable with a little known CHAdeMO station.

Rocky, how much further and inconvenient would it be to take US95 the whole way to Vegas? I know the leg from Boise to Winnemucca would require an hour or so at the casino, but then Winnemucca--->Lovelock--->Hawthorne--->Tonopah--->Beatty--->Vegas seems quite easy.

 

[Rocky_H]

Rocky, how much further and inconvenient would it be to take US95 the whole way to Vegas? I know the leg from Boise to Winnemucca would require an hour or so at the casino, but then Winnemucca--->Lovelock--->Hawthorne--->Tonopah--->Beatty--->Vegas seems quite easy.

Huh. Hmm. I hadn't thought of that side, because it's the "go west to come back east" thing, so it isn't the usual direction people go to Vegas. But I am also the crazy Tesla adventurer who first tried that Boise to Winnemucca path on a trip from Boise to Salt Lake City. You probably notice that is not on the way.

While that route looks kind of interesting, it's 772 miles, so it's even longer than just taking the full interstate route through Utah. The point of taking the West Wendover-Ely 93 route is being 100 miles shorter. And it is still all DC fast charging, without the hour+ stop. If my car had a faster onboard charger, that might be more enticing, since Say When in McDermitt does have a high amp circuit, but I can only draw 40A.

 

[PLUS EV]

I've never driven to Vegas, so I've never used either route, but I'm more curious about that route down through Nevada for two small reasons. One is that highway 93 is the standard gas car way to do it, and going through Utah is about 100 miles longer (although similar time), so it gets on my nerves having to take an inconvenient longer route to make it doable with an electric car. And the second reason is just partially for the adventure of making a non-Supercharger covered route doable with a little known CHAdeMO station.

Well you are detouring to Wendover, so you aren't going the exact way an ICE would go. Compared to your Twin Falls -> Wendover -> Vegas, the interstate route through Utah is only 30 minutes more driving and you would most certainly save that in charging time by using all superchargers. Perhaps most importantly, that route through Nevada is very desolate. You better be damn sure that Chademo is functioning as you might not have many options at all outside of Ely. There are probably some 50 mile stretches on that route that don't even have a 110V plug-in. And of course cell reception is limited as well. So be careful.

 

[PLUS EV]

Rocky, how much further and inconvenient would it be to take US95 the whole way to Vegas? I know the leg from Boise to Winnemucca would require an hour or so at the casino, but then Winnemucca--->Lovelock--->Hawthorne--->Tonopah--->Beatty--->Vegas seems quite easy.

It's 1.5 hours more driving than the route through Utah and involves L2 charging. So basically not a viable option unless you are just wanting to go that way for some reason.

 

[PLUS EV]

Add a big third reason. It's really a great drive:

• The Ruby mountains from Wells to Ely are gorgeous
• Great Basin National Park
• The town of Pioche is really quaint and neat
• Cathedral Gorge State Park | State Parks
  
• Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge - Pahranagat - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

I do like drives through the desert, but I'm not sure that the general public would describe this one as "a really great drive."

 

[aesculus]

I do like drives through the desert, but I'm not sure that the general public would describe this one as "a really great drive."

And that is the problem with the "general public".