If they are deciding between concrete and asphalt, it seems like they have already decided on the site. If it isn't far off the Interstate, then that lines up with the "8 bumpers" site PLUS EV found.
-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
Supercharger - Wall, SD
- Thread starter PLUS EV
- Start date
-
- Tags
- south dakota supercharger
As you can see in the pics, the lot is currently unpaved, so I'm guessing that is indeed the lot where they are putting it.I called the city council office. They said that Tesla is still in the planning phases. They are discussing whether to use concrete or asphalt. It won't be far off the interstate either. I did say that it will bring in a lot of new revenue for the town ( didn't mention free juice).
cpa
Active Member
Not to undermine the superlative sleuthing of PlusEV, because ya gotta get out on the road to uncover these hidden gems.
My accountant's brain started to slip a few gears trying to wrap my head around our hypothesis that this site will be the planned SC in Wall SD based upon the presence of a handful of rubber parking lot curbs that are lying about casually in two piles.
These things ain't all that cheap per the Goliath Amazon, and yes I am quite well-versed on the accounting concept of materiality.
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=parking+lot+curbs
Here is my thinking, so feel free to agree or disagree.
Tesla stocks in inventory all the hardware components of the Supercharging system to be dispatched to all sites under construction and all sites that are in need of repair or refurbishing. Tesla does not purchase and stock the ancillary items like parking curbs, bollards, cement, wire, paint, and anything else that would be needed to complete the job. Those ancillary items are part of the contract and are obtained as the job commences by the general or the various subcontractors. The costs of those items will vary from location to location, and might be purchased in larger quantities if the same contractor will be doing multiple jobs. Supercharger hardware has a very specific function and generally does not have much extrinsic value to others. Easy to inventory and easy to control internally. However, all the various supplies and ancillary components are common items that are used every day across the country in the construction trades. It might cost Tesla more in overhead to inventory and control internally these parts than it would be to pay the contractor on a site-by-site basis.
I think that it is a happy coincidence that those curbs are strewn about in that vacant lot. But I do not think that they are the property of Tesla, and I do not think that they belong to the contractor that will be installing the Superchargers at this putative site when it commences. For all we know, this job has not even gone out to bid.
My accountant's brain started to slip a few gears trying to wrap my head around our hypothesis that this site will be the planned SC in Wall SD based upon the presence of a handful of rubber parking lot curbs that are lying about casually in two piles.
These things ain't all that cheap per the Goliath Amazon, and yes I am quite well-versed on the accounting concept of materiality.
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=parking+lot+curbs
Here is my thinking, so feel free to agree or disagree.
Tesla stocks in inventory all the hardware components of the Supercharging system to be dispatched to all sites under construction and all sites that are in need of repair or refurbishing. Tesla does not purchase and stock the ancillary items like parking curbs, bollards, cement, wire, paint, and anything else that would be needed to complete the job. Those ancillary items are part of the contract and are obtained as the job commences by the general or the various subcontractors. The costs of those items will vary from location to location, and might be purchased in larger quantities if the same contractor will be doing multiple jobs. Supercharger hardware has a very specific function and generally does not have much extrinsic value to others. Easy to inventory and easy to control internally. However, all the various supplies and ancillary components are common items that are used every day across the country in the construction trades. It might cost Tesla more in overhead to inventory and control internally these parts than it would be to pay the contractor on a site-by-site basis.
I think that it is a happy coincidence that those curbs are strewn about in that vacant lot. But I do not think that they are the property of Tesla, and I do not think that they belong to the contractor that will be installing the Superchargers at this putative site when it commences. For all we know, this job has not even gone out to bid.
I guess we'll have to agree to disagree then.
The town of Wall is tiny. It is highly unlikely that there is coincidentally another construction project going on with that same type of parking bumper. Even less likely if they are a particularly expensive type of parking bumper.
My suspicion was that the same group that is working on Wheatland, WY and Custer, SD are also working on this one. They were staying at the host hotel in Wheatland when I drove through last week and there was a similar trailer in the parking lot there. For whatever reason, I think they dropped off that trailer (see picture) and left the parking bumpers outside on the ground for some reason. The latter is somewhat sloppy as they could easily be stolen, but I'm thinking maybe they took them out so they could place them on the ground and envision where the parking spaces would be.
The fact that they were discussing using concrete or asphalt to pave is more evidence that this is the location in my opinion. If the site were already paved, they would simply have to dig up what was necessary and replace it with the same thing it was already paved with. This lot of course is gravel so it's up to them how they want to pave it. There are a couple unpaved supercharger sites out there, but presumably Tesla wants them to pave it.
The town of Wall is tiny. It is highly unlikely that there is coincidentally another construction project going on with that same type of parking bumper. Even less likely if they are a particularly expensive type of parking bumper.
My suspicion was that the same group that is working on Wheatland, WY and Custer, SD are also working on this one. They were staying at the host hotel in Wheatland when I drove through last week and there was a similar trailer in the parking lot there. For whatever reason, I think they dropped off that trailer (see picture) and left the parking bumpers outside on the ground for some reason. The latter is somewhat sloppy as they could easily be stolen, but I'm thinking maybe they took them out so they could place them on the ground and envision where the parking spaces would be.
The fact that they were discussing using concrete or asphalt to pave is more evidence that this is the location in my opinion. If the site were already paved, they would simply have to dig up what was necessary and replace it with the same thing it was already paved with. This lot of course is gravel so it's up to them how they want to pave it. There are a couple unpaved supercharger sites out there, but presumably Tesla wants them to pave it.
You could call them and ask where it will be placed. I just asked if it was near the hyway and she said wall is right off the hyway.
Wall City Office
501 Main St.
Wall, SD 57790
Phone (605)279-2663
The woman that I talked to was very nice.
Wall City Office
501 Main St.
Wall, SD 57790
Phone (605)279-2663
The woman that I talked to was very nice.
Wait, I drove west across SD a year or two ago. You mean there's a sign / billboard for Wall? Huh, I must have missed that sign.
ha ha ... j/k ... I was actually looking forward to my first trip across SD to see if the billboards stacked up to what I remember for Pedro's South of the Border in Dillon, SC. The signs for Wall definitely did not disappoint.
I even picked up my (required) free bumper sticker and couldn't resist a refrigerator magnet with most of the signs that I saw along the trip. I'm looking forward to my second trip through SD soon and will stop in Wall again (because you have to) and see if I can spy any progress on this potential supercharging location. Good eye for finding it, PLUS EV.
The city engineers are designing the supercharger location now, but the start of construction is not estimated until Sept 6th. First a water project must be completed.
So the tentative completion data is October 2018.
Here is the proposed location
So the tentative completion data is October 2018.
Here is the proposed location
That's great information - although it would be an epic sleuthing win if the 8 bumpers site turned out to be it, this site is much closer to amenities and of course Wall Drug. Did you learn this by speaking to the city engineer? It sounds like there is an agreement in place between the City and Tesla, but did your contact state that specifically?
At the Sound of Silence rally in Custer over the weekend, I heard people talking about the Wall location. I think they saw the same items mentioned above but didn't get all the details.
Okay then I was wrong about the location.
I did heavily scout the Wall Drug location and concluded that there wouldn't be enough space for a supercharger in the existing parking lots, at least during busy travel weekends. That being said, the location Utahken shows is adjacent to existing parking lots so it looks like they will be paving a new lot with makes sense.
In terms of amenities, I actually think the location I spotted near the freeway exit is better than Wall Drug, but I admit, it would feel kind of wrong to have the Wall supercharger at a place other than Wall Drug. Basically all the fast food, gas stations and hotels are right near that exit. While Wall Drug is the only "amenity" at Utahken's location.
I did heavily scout the Wall Drug location and concluded that there wouldn't be enough space for a supercharger in the existing parking lots, at least during busy travel weekends. That being said, the location Utahken shows is adjacent to existing parking lots so it looks like they will be paving a new lot with makes sense.
In terms of amenities, I actually think the location I spotted near the freeway exit is better than Wall Drug, but I admit, it would feel kind of wrong to have the Wall supercharger at a place other than Wall Drug. Basically all the fast food, gas stations and hotels are right near that exit. While Wall Drug is the only "amenity" at Utahken's location.
A "Tesla update" was on the agenda for the July 19th City Council meeting, but the minutes aren't available yet to find out what happened.
Bighorn
Top Supercharger
At the October 1st City Council meeting, they decided to award the contracts for the sewer and parking lot projects to the same contractor. They decided on concrete instead of asphalt and decided that Tesla would be fine with it either way.
Bighorn
Top Supercharger
Christmas update
Not sure what I’m looking at. Some are pushing for a 24 hour restroom. Maybe that.
Not sure what I’m looking at. Some are pushing for a 24 hour restroom. Maybe that.
There seems to be mention of a well house project in the same parking lot as the planned superchargers. Also mention of the discovery of underground tanks needing removal, delaying the start of the parking lot construction itself. On the upside, in the same minutes it was stated the Tesla contract being approved. This all sounds encouraging for general site construction over the coming months (weather dependent) and the Tesla supercharger construction to follow. Perhaps there is hope for completion in time for the Custer rally.
Information found in the Wall City Council Meeting Minutes (most info found in the December 2018 meetings).
Does imply blue pin time? @BlueShift
Information found in the Wall City Council Meeting Minutes (most info found in the December 2018 meetings).
Does imply blue pin time? @BlueShift
Similar threads
