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Walla Walla, WA Tesla Owners and Visitors (Supercharging)

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So I am likely going to be moving to the Walla Walla area within the next month or two. I just got back from a trip and saw a few Teslas around town and a few destination chargers as well. It seems this is not a major travel route but would anybody support a local supercharger? The only logical route backing this up would be coming from Seattle through Kennewick or Portland through Pendleton (or soon to be Boardman!) to visit wineries and then proceed east to Lewiston and north to maybe Cd’A? A more scenic route than having to head back to 395 where the main supercharger corridor is?

Anyone have any thoughts on this? Or word that maybe Tesla is already pursuing this?

Also, anything a current CA Tesla owner should know about moving to WA? Tips, tricks, suggestions?

Thanks!
 
Walla Walla isn't on Tesla's map of future sites.


I could see it being useful for people traveling between Portland and Montana. But otherwise, that area is a long way down the line.

Do you require a Supercharger in your home town?
 
My Mom's BnB is one of the destination chargers. A supercharger would be nice but probably very low priority for Tesla. I suspect the next highest priority will be Pullman for game traffic where people come into town and then turn around and leave as soon as the game is over. Through traffic will mostly be going through Pendleton and Cabbage Hill Pass or stopping overnight in Walla Walla or Lewiston/Clarkston and can charge up to reach the destination from Kennewick.
 
Walla Walla isn't on Tesla's map of future sites.


I could see it being useful for people traveling between Portland and Montana. But otherwise, that area is a long way down the line.

Do you require a Supercharger in your home town?
No, just spoiled with 2 sites here and a 3rd on the way. We aren't really on the way to anywhere either so it's more of a tourist destination thing. However, there are a lot of day trippers here from SF and Sac so that makes sense. WW is so far from anywhere else you aren't coming to town for the day then leaving to go home at night. However, not every place has a destination charger so it seems having a small SC site would be useful for people coming from someplace and needing more charge to go back without being able L2 charge throughout the day.
 
No, just spoiled with 2 sites here and a 3rd on the way. We aren't really on the way to anywhere either so it's more of a tourist destination thing. However, there are a lot of day trippers here from SF and Sac so that makes sense. WW is so far from anywhere else you aren't coming to town for the day then leaving to go home at night. However, not every place has a destination charger so it seems having a small SC site would be useful for people coming from someplace and needing more charge to go back without being able L2 charge throughout the day.
I often do day trips from the Tri Cities area (Richland, Kennewick, Pasco) to Walla Walla and don't even worry about charging while parked in Walla Walla all day, lol

If you're coming down North from like Spokane or something to stay the weekend in Walla Walla you can charge in Ritzville and then probably make it down to Walla Walla and back on a single charge but it might be tight... however, it appears that if you take the route through Kennewick you're probably only adding about 20 minutes to the trip. So you could head home that route, charge in Kennewick, and probably making it back to Spokane without stopping again.

If you're coming from the West side of the state then Kennewick seems to make the most sense and charge there before hitting Walla Walla.

If you're coming from the South you most likely would stop in Pendleton to charge

The only issue would really be coming from like Lewiston or something and... well that's an empty hole anyway.

I think it would be a great idea for you or a car group in Walla Walla to try to get some L2s added to the downtown area. Walla Walla actually seems to have some public parking areas downtown for general walking around the shops and stuff. If eight or so L2s were added across a couple different lots that would go a LONG way to making it way more EV friendly. Most people would at least be parked downtown for two or three hours shopping or eating dinner and that would be enough to build back like 15kWh or so which again should get you back up to Ritzville or Pendleton etc.
 
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Dedicating any spots on Main Street or Alder would probably result in a lot of animosity due to the low numbers of EVs and would be constantly ICEd or at least viewed with (justified) indignation. The ideal locations would be behind Brights Candy in the lot off Rose or behind the Bon Marche, Macy's, Stone Soup but again I think would piss a lot of people off at the lost spots. Probably the best location would be for the city to install a charger next to the VFW in the public parking lot that nobody knows exists anyway.

Charging in Kennewick on the way in or out though is a huge PITA. If you've already got a 5 hour drive and a charge ahead of you... adding one more charging stop and making it another hour longer is really heavy on morale. Being able to arrive in WW with 10% charge or leave with 100% charge makes the drive across the state far less frustrating. And with winter + head winds you might need to stop and charge a second or third time on the way home. I've needed to charge in both Cle-Elum and then again in Kennewick just to reach WW in a LR-RWD due to head winds. Telling your passengers they need to charge twice on the way home may elicit an EV mutiny for any future trips.
 
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I think it would be a great idea for you or a car group in Walla Walla to try to get some L2s added to the downtown area. Walla Walla actually seems to have some public parking areas downtown for general walking around the shops and stuff. If eight or so L2s were added across a couple different lots that would go a LONG way to making it way more EV friendly. Most people would at least be parked downtown for two or three hours shopping or eating dinner and that would be enough to build back like 15kWh or so which again should get you back up to Ritzville or Pendleton etc.
I actually tried that several years ago, emails with mayor, walked down several locations, etc. Actually, the city-owned lot just off of the main drag was perfect, plenty of electricity, parking, low ICEing probability.


Unfortunately, Like so many municipalities or businesses that I’ve tried, it all comes down to money, time, effort, and a local champion to spearhead the effort. I’ve had some successes (EVITA DCQC chargers, Hamilton & Badger Wineries), but it’s like pounding your head against the wall. PM me if anyone wants to really push the issue, otherwise I’m done with it.
 
No, just spoiled with 2 sites here and a 3rd on the way. We aren't really on the way to anywhere either so it's more of a tourist destination thing. However, there are a lot of day trippers here from SF and Sac so that makes sense. WW is so far from anywhere else you aren't coming to town for the day then leaving to go home at night. However, not every place has a destination charger so it seems having a small SC site would be useful for people coming from someplace and needing more charge to go back without being able L2 charge throughout the day.
Are you really comparing Walla Walla to Napa?
 
Dedicating any spots on Main Street or Alder would probably result in a lot of animosity due to the low numbers of EVs and would be constantly ICEd or at least viewed with (justified) indignation. The ideal locations would be behind Brights Candy in the lot off Rose or behind the Bon Marche, Macy's, Stone Soup but again I think would piss a lot of people off at the lost spots. Probably the best location would be for the city to install a charger next to the VFW in the public parking lot that nobody knows exists anyway.

Charging in Kennewick on the way in or out though is a huge PITA. If you've already got a 5 hour drive and a charge ahead of you... adding one more charging stop and making it another hour longer is really heavy on morale. Being able to arrive in WW with 10% charge or leave with 100% charge makes the drive across the state far less frustrating. And with winter + head winds you might need to stop and charge a second or third time on the way home. I've needed to charge in both Cle-Elum and then again in Kennewick just to reach WW in a LR-RWD due to head winds. Telling your passengers they need to charge twice on the way home may elicit an EV mutiny for any future trips.
These all mirror my thoughts after a short trip in town but for reference, look at Sonoma, CA. With 2 in Napa, Novato, Petaluma and other nearby spots well covered, there is no reason for 1 to be in Sonoma but they put one in with 8 stalls and 2 J-1772 destination chargers with electricity paid for by the city of Sonoma supposedly. If you get Tesla involved with SC, that is the only way to get L2 from them since they stopped paying for destination chargers.

I didn't get a full tour and the Google sat images are a couple years old (The Lodge apartments are an empty block) so is there still an empty lot between the Courtyard hotel and 9th Ave? That seems like a good location, edge of downtown. Other spots that look interesting are the WaFed bank lot (there's a strip off Alder that looks perfect for easy in and out) and somewhere in the Whitman Hotel parking lot. For easier highway access, the Best Western Plus and the Quality Inn and Suites appear to have large parking lots and/or empty lots next to them.
 
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I make a summer trip to Walla Walla and Sunriver for golf. And if you are spending a few days in Walla Walla while driving around to various locales, i have to say that an SC in that city would help in making the trip south and avoiding a stop at Kennewick or The Dallas. Madras will help when it comes online. I charged at an L2 at the hospital there I believe to help get juice for the trip out of town.

But I admit my use case is kind of narrow!
 
I make a summer trip to Walla Walla and Sunriver for golf. And if you are spending a few days in Walla Walla while driving around to various locales, i have to say that an SC in that city would help in making the trip south and avoiding a stop at Kennewick or The Dallas. Madras will help when it comes online. I charged at an L2 at the hospital there I believe to help get juice for the trip out of town.

But I admit my use case is kind of narrow!
I typically do too. There's a local bicycle stage race, the tour of Walla Walla, there every spring. I know there are a few more Tesla owners in the local bike race community now too. The local bike shop has also started promoting a gravel ride/race in the fall. I'm with you on admitting my use case is narrow though! Can you say niche within a niche? 😂

A supercharger would be super helpful for trips over there though!
 
I typically do too. There's a local bicycle stage race, the tour of Walla Walla, there every spring. I know there are a few more Tesla owners in the local bike race community now too. The local bike shop has also started promoting a gravel ride/race in the fall. I'm with you on admitting my use case is narrow though! Can you say niche within a niche? 😂

A supercharger would be super helpful for trips over there though!
Get the bike shop to put in a tesla wall charger and whatever charger can charge the E-bikes....
 
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So I am likely going to be moving to the Walla Walla area within the next month or two. I just got back from a trip and saw a few Teslas around town and a few destination chargers as well. It seems this is not a major travel route but would anybody support a local supercharger? The only logical route backing this up would be coming from Seattle through Kennewick or Portland through Pendleton (or soon to be Boardman!) to visit wineries and then proceed east to Lewiston and north to maybe Cd’A? A more scenic route than having to head back to 395 where the main supercharger corridor is?

Anyone have any thoughts on this? Or word that maybe Tesla is already pursuing this?

Also, anything a current CA Tesla owner should know about moving to WA? Tips, tricks, suggestions?

Thanks!
 
So I am likely going to be moving to the Walla Walla area within the next month or two. I just got back from a trip and saw a few Teslas around town and a few destination chargers as well. It seems this is not a major travel route but would anybody support a local supercharger? The only logical route backing this up would be coming from Seattle through Kennewick or Portland through Pendleton (or soon to be Boardman!) to visit wineries and then proceed east to Lewiston and north to maybe Cd’A? A more scenic route than having to head back to 395 where the main supercharger corridor is?

Anyone have any thoughts on this? Or word that maybe Tesla is already pursuing this?

Also, anything a current CA Tesla owner should know about moving to WA? Tips, tricks, suggestions?

Thanks!
Don't know if you've made the move or not, but I can tell you house prices are going up fast as they are in most places. If you are in the County and on City water be prepared for really high water bills. I can say I think the County give better service than the City - eg. Snow plowing more frequently when needed. The City has recycling pickup whereas the County doesn't. When it comes to charging we seem to be in no man's land. I charge at home. I have a model Y and my wife has a model 3. Within a two block area of where I live there are 2 other Teslas, and a BMW i3.
Overall Walla Walla is a great place to live - none of the craziness we experienced living on the wet side. Welcome to Walla Walla!
 
Don't know if you've made the move or not, but I can tell you house prices are going up fast as they are in most places. If you are in the County and on City water be prepared for really high water bills. I can say I think the County give better service than the City - eg. Snow plowing more frequently when needed. The City has recycling pickup whereas the County doesn't. When it comes to charging we seem to be in no man's land. I charge at home. I have a model Y and my wife has a model 3. Within a two block area of where I live there are 2 other Teslas, and a BMW i3.
Overall Walla Walla is a great place to live - none of the craziness we experienced living on the wet side. Welcome to Walla Walla!
Thanks! We have been here about 3 weeks. We are on the south side in the city near the country club with our 2 model Ys. A bit of a change from CA where you pay for garbage and then recycling and green waste are free, as many bins as you want. Recycling every other week and no glass or plastic is going to be tough to get used to.

I got out gen 2 WC installed last week so set for home charging and figure out an adapter to charge off 30A 3P 208V at work. So pretty set when it comes to charging.

Very happy to be here and out of CA.