What do you usually do when your Tesla is charging?

[Thiago]

Sti

Seriously you've never navigated around the world on supercharge.info? It looks like there are just as many, maybe more superchargers outside North America. Europe is packed with them.

Regarding Europe, Plenty, yes... Still not as many as I need to drive around without range anxiety on my MS75D.

 

[Thiago]

Seriously you've never navigated around the world on supercharge.info?

Whoa, this is a great place to spend some time on...
Kudos for the tip.

 

[David29]

When I used to supercharge locally a lot (when I first had the car and no home charger yet), I used to try to plan an activity to use the time. I have brought magazines, newspapers or book to read. Once or twice I even brought bills to pay (a bit awkward to juggle the checkbook and papers in the car, though). Or I would walk to a nearby store to run an errand, do some shopping. Sometimes I cleaned the windows. Or I would go into the Tesla store where my local superchargers are and look at the cars, chat up the staff, use the rest room. Or maybe browse my cellphone, catch up on email. Once or twice I brought a laptop or tablet and tried to do a little work.

When on trips, we almost always use the charging time for food, coffee/tea,and/or bathroom breaks, maybe a phone call.

 

[Btrflyl8e]

When I used to supercharge locally a lot (when I first had the car and no home charger yet), I used to try to plan an activity to use the time. I have brought magazines, newspapers or book to read. Once or twice I even brought bills to pay (a bit awkward to juggle the checkbook and papers in the car, though). Or I would walk to a nearby store to run an errand, do some shopping. Sometimes I cleaned the windows. Or I would go into the Tesla store where my local superchargers are and look at the cars, chat up the staff, use the rest room. Or maybe browse my cellphone, catch up on email. Once or twice I brought a laptop or tablet and tried to do a little work.

When on trips, we almost always use the charging time for food, coffee/tea,and/or bathroom breaks, maybe a phone call.

What's a checkbook???

 

[BerTX]

What's a checkbook???

We used to have those. Back when we made "phone calls".

 

[daniel]

Weird as it seems, I still have to write checks sometimes. There are places that balk at the 3 or 4 percent the card companies charge merchants, and demand cash or check. And others that give a discount for paying by check. My dentist give a discount for cash or check.

 

[cybergates]

Just place an ipad on the dash right above the touchscreen- everyone gets to watch even from the backseat- pipe the audio over Bluetooth. Couldnt be better

 

[CHG-ON]

Sleep!

 

[ig_epower]

On SC visits on long trips, I do any of the following:

1) Sleep
2) Potty break
3) Eat
4) More recently, I pull out my Onewheel out of the frunk and explore the neighborhood! I saw someone do something similar - he pulled out a fold-up scooter from his frunk. My wife was looking at me shaking her head saying - you crazy Tesla owners think alike!

 

[Phillip L]

A) washroom break
B) eat
C) Read. I always take a book on long trips. I amazes me no one mentioned this.
D) occasionally have a nap

 

[daniel]

On SC visits on long trips, I do any of the following:

... I pull out my Onewheel out of the frunk and explore the neighborhood! ...

That looks pretty cool. I'd probably fall off and break my head open, but other than that it looks cool. (I can't ride a bike either.)

 

[Btrflyl8e]

Weird as it seems, I still have to write checks sometimes. There are places that balk at the 3 or 4 percent the card companies charge merchants, and demand cash or check. And others that give a discount for paying by check. My dentist give a discount for cash or check.

My endocrinologist only takes casks or checks...I had to dig in a bunch of purses in the closet to find a book of checks that didn't have the 19__ prefilled for the year!

 

[ThisIsTrue]

My endocrinologist only takes casks or checks...

"Will work for alcohol!"

 

[daniel]

"Will work for alcohol!"

Damn, you beat me to it!

 

[guipingfang]

Except for long distance travel using the SC network, all our other charging is done at home. Usually it is set for 50%, 80% for the weekends or when we have more local driving planned for the day. Every time we get back home the Tesla is plugged into our 30a EVSE we got 4 years ago when we got our Leaf. It charges up right away and is ready for the next drive.

We gave up public charging years ago with the Leaf when I realized what the "FREE" electricity we got from the DCFC cost us in time and miles going there, charging, then driving back home. We could spend an hour and get what would only cost of $1 at home. Now in the Tesla and Supercharger, we still only get about $3 of electricity for each hour, less if there is a waiting line like there is in the urban California Superchargers. I do not know for sure, but I suspect that many charging there are local and go to the SC to get free fuel, not thinking of the value of their time. For me, my time, even leisure time, is more valuable than $3 per hour. If you are sitting at the Supercharger just waiting for more electrons you are not properly pre-planning your trips, or you are local and could just charge at home. The exception would be those in appartments or condos that are not able to install an electrical outlet where they park. For these folks they have to just accept that they will waste time at the SC and find something productive to do while there.

Now while on trips, and we do lots of those, the Supercharger Network is very valuable. It is the reason that Tesla does not have any competition in the EV market. Whether an EV has 85 miles range or 249 miles range, they can not be recharged quickly enough to make it practical for long trips like the Tesla is. Plus, anyone using a public DCFC network is paying more for the electricity than they would for GAS and then add all the extra hours the trip takes.

With the Tesla we are able to make these long trips in almost the same amount of time as with a ICE car. Even if the car could go for 8 hours without stopping, we always stop every 1 to 2 hours for potty break and walking around to get the blood flowing in our legs and feet. With the Tesla we do the same, only we stop at a SC, find a restroom, walk around, and get a snack if needed. After 10 to 15 minutes we are ready to go again. If we stay longer it is not to get more electricity, it is just letting the car charge more while we are doing something else. Sometime it is talking to ICE drivers and answering questions about driving an Electric Vehicle.

AS A SIDE NOTE: Does anyone know if Tesla has accumulated the SC data to find out what percentage of charging is from local owners as compared to owners on out of area trips? I would be interested to know that statistic for the "overbusy" California Superchargers. The only wait I have had while on a trip was at the Rancho Cucamonga, CA Supercharger.

Thank you for your sharing,I have got so much tips for the charging time.I do think I will be more enjoyable with my MS.

 

[guipingfang]

On our last trip, I had me, my wife, and my 8 yr old. We got out, walked around, went to the bathroom, ate once or twice, and in the emptier parking lots we through a ball back and forth.

On my work trips, I'm usually tired when I stop at the supercharger, so I take a nap. The charging is usually done before I am, so I always set an alarm to wake me up.

You must be a excellent dad and a perfect works in your life.Thank you so much for your sharing.I got it.

 

[hill]

Driving w/ 'she-who-must-be-obeyed' - during stops, she keeps a Yahtzee game on board. I hate it. SWMBO always kicks my arse at most games ... board games, dice, cards, you name it.


otherwise, i'd go get a bite to eat. Or, the other activity we do? ... with the all-too-much regularity, i'll watch who moves off which charger-stall real quick. You just KNOW why they're doing that. If one is watching for that ... and if our X drops down to a paltry 28kW's - 45's real quick ... i'll know which stalls to NOT move over to.

.

 

[daniel]

... the other activity we do? ... with the all-too-much regularity, i'll watch who moves off which charger-stall real quick. You just KNOW why they're doing that. If one is watching for that ... and if our X drops down to a paltry 28kW's - 45's real quick ... i'll know which stalls to NOT move over to.

.

Are you saying that some stalls in a supercharger are well below "super"? My understanding (I've never charged anywhere but at home) is that the superchargers are supposed to give a Model S an 80% charge in 30 minutes. Is this not always the case, and if not, how often is it not?

A half-hour stop every 250 or so miles would be acceptable to me. A two-hour stop would not be.

 

[Markk993]

when i supercharge I have a bag with water less car wash and some towels.(bought on Amazon)... spray it on, wipe with a mirco fiber towel... I stay busy and in 30-40 minutes I am charged and clean... then when i get home i swap out the dirty towels and ready for the next supercharger

 

[Btrflyl8e]

"Will work for alcohol!"

Damn, you beat me to it!

Crap.