Where is the California Supercharger build out?

[ecarfan]

Yep. I am starting to see a pattern here, with Tesla expanding existing California Supercharger locations. We now know that Harris Ranch, Barstow, Dublin, and Rocklin are being expanded.

In addition, there is now a report in the Gilroy Supercharger thread that pavement markings suggest that location is going to be expanded.

Clearly Tesla has decided to significantly expand existing Supercharger locations.

Please keep this thread focused on the topic of the California Supercharger buildout. There are multiple existing threads about the issue of local charging and paying for Supercharger. Thank you.

 

[Jeff N]

Could you possible enlighten all of us as to the plans of VW on Tesla owner's charging needs?

Tesla owners with CHAdeMO adapters will be able to use any of the new VW-installed chargers since all of them in the first 2.5 year investment cycle will support both CHAdeMO and CCS plugs. However, the existing Tesla CHAdeMO adapter is believed to be limited to 125A or around a peak of 50 kW.

Tesla may or may not bring out a newer adapter that would allow higher charging rates. There is also some speculation in other threads about whether the Model 3 might get additional hardware to assist in adapting to use of a CCS plug or even a native CCS socket. There is no real evidence one way or the other so far.

 

[SMAlset]

If you are interested in the build out in Gilroy, here's the photos from today: Supercharger - Gilroy

 

[Vern Padgett]

I'm interested in how companies charge money for delivering electricity to automobiles. Anybody know how Volkswagen plans to do that? Or whether they need to care about that?

Jeff, is their punishment to just provide the outlets, or also to give "free" electricity to us?

 

[ecarfan]

Please keep this thread focused on the topic of the California TESLA Supercharger buildout, as stated in the thread title. There are existing TMC threads about what VW has been ordered by the courts to do for EV charging. Thank you.

 

[Vern Padgett]

Thanks again ecarfan.

TSLA SC build out ... anyone seen any progress at the proposed sites at Commerce, or at Downey?

 

[Vern Padgett]

Most of Tesla's Supercharger crowding is caused by locals charging there, rather than their homes.
I was just at a normally crowded SuperCharger at San Diego,Qualcomm. Met a rather entitled owner who said he lived only 4 miles away, but prefered to wait in line for a spot, rather than charge at home where it was not free.
I was there for about 20 minutes for enought to get back to Canyon Lake, and very few of the plugged in cars were moved. Maybe many of the employees were pluging in and leaving their cars there while they went to work.
If customers used the Superchargers as intended, for long distance remote traveling, most of the problem would vanish over night.
Saw the same thing at Whole Foods parking spaces. Customers would just plug in for some free juice while getting their normal shopping done. Always gonna be a line for free stuff...

Uncle Paul
You have hit on a human frailty: We want "free stuff."
I paid a lot of money for a Model S. Or, two of them.
I feel entitled to "free" electricity.
For life.
But how does Tesla balance my entitlement for free power, with the reality of finite resources?
Is it reasonable for me to expect that Tesla will build an infinite number of SC stations so that I will never have to wait for my "free" power?

 

[Vern Padgett]

Agree completely ... the Model 3 tsunami is about to hit California and the Super charger issues will be significant.

Yes.
Thinking here about how to ration "free" power to Tesla owners.
Met a man last month who gave $40,000 to Tesla in promise for them to deliver him a Model S. Which they did.
Makes me want to sacrifice. For Tesla.
So I want to charge at home. I want everyone to charge at home. Not suck "free" power from Elon.
But how to effect that?

 

[OCRyan]

From posts in other threads, it appears the California buildout is starting with expansions at Barstow and Harris Ranch in addition to Rocklin mentioned above.

Yep. I am starting to see a pattern here, with Tesla expanding existing California Supercharger locations. We now know that Harris Ranch, Barstow, Dublin, and Rocklin are being expanded.

Just to report in on the Gilroy SC location. It's also pretty busy at times. Seen it with all 10 stalls filled. 6 in one section and 4 in another. Today we noticed across from the 6-section that they have utility markings on the ground. Looks to be for additional stalls (sorry didn't think to count) along with a trench marking--for power I assume. So that would correspond to the added charging in Gilroy on the SC update map.

In addition, there is now a report in the Gilroy Supercharger thread that pavement markings suggest that location is going to be expanded.

Clearly Tesla has decided to significantly expand existing Supercharger locations.

This is great that we are "starting" to see some expansion in a few locations. However, to put this in perspective, Tesla has said "1,000 Superchargers in California alone". To date in 2017 we have seen exactly ZERO new superchargers in California. So let's assume each of the 5 locations mentioned (Harris Ranch, Barstow, Dublin, Rocklin, and Gilroy) gets an extra 8 stalls, 40 total. We have 229 days left in 2017 which means we need over 4 new stalls EVERY DAY for the rest of the year to meet this target. These five locations represent less than 10 days worth of volume needed.

So it's a start I suppose, but this is by no means the buildout that is needed.

Where is the California Supercharger build out?

 

[RandyS]

When word came down that a major Supercharger expansion was going to be funded, one of the very first activities is to find acceptable sites with willing hosts for the stations. That takes quite a bit of time to nail down...Agreements, lawyers, etc. Once that is over with, then the design, permitting, and construction can begin. My experience is that it takes quite a bit of time to get through those first couple of steps...Then they'll start to break loose with activity....

 

[ohmman]

Yes.
Thinking here about how to ration "free" power to Tesla owners.
Met a man last month who gave $40,000 to Tesla in promise for them to deliver him a Model S. Which they did.
Makes me want to sacrifice. For Tesla.
So I want to charge at home. I want everyone to charge at home. Not suck "free" power from Elon.
But how to effect that?

All vehicles delivered starting at the beginning of this year have to pay for Supercharging. They get a small allocation, but the energy comes at cost. Maybe you aren't aware of that.

 

[SMAlset]

This is great that we are "starting" to see some expansion in a few locations. However, to put this in perspective, Tesla has said "1,000 Superchargers in California alone". To date in 2017 we have seen exactly ZERO new superchargers in California. So let's assume each of the 5 locations mentioned (Harris Ranch, Barstow, Dublin, Rocklin, and Gilroy) gets an extra 8 stalls, 40 total. We have 229 days left in 2017 which means we need over 4 new stalls EVERY DAY for the rest of the year to meet this target. These five locations represent less than 10 days worth of volume needed.

So it's a start I suppose, but this is by no means the buildout that is needed.

Where is the California Supercharger build out?

I'm sure a number of these locations will have additional chargers as space permits and that doesn't equate to large numbers, you're right. But Tesla's illustration of what looked like dedicated "Tesla-land" supercharger sites with rows of chargers, solar panels overhead and some with "waiting rooms" (maybe when nothing else is around) to me would quickly add to those numbers. I'm sure Tesla would love to find enough land where they can set something up like this and owners would find it nice not to have to share charging stalls with parking spots like in Mountain View (since it's not their land and the spaces become general 30 minute parking). Who knows for locations that are kind of out of the way from civilization, they could end up being sort of like Highway Roadside Rest Area stops like I remember from road trips as a kid. Income generating if they lease the space to a coffee shop/restaurant or even keep that revenue for themselves if they do their own thing with the space.

 

[OCRyan]

Income generating if they lease the space to a coffee shop/restaurant

^^^^This^^^^

I've always wondered why they don't leverage the fact that Tesla owners as a demographic tend to be more affluent and enter into an agreement with some nationwide restaurant chain that tends to be along highways. Seems like the ratio of charging patrons that would convert to restaurant patrons would be incredibly high. Or pick your retail establishment. I know that I for one have spent money I never intended to while waiting for a charge because I was just "looking around".

 

[cpa]

^^^^This^^^^

I've always wondered why they don't leverage the fact that Tesla owners as a demographic tend to be more affluent and enter into an agreement with some nationwide restaurant chain that tends to be along highways. Seems like the ratio of charging patrons that would convert to restaurant patrons would be incredibly high. Or pick your retail establishment. I know that I for one have spent money I never intended to while waiting for a charge because I was just "looking around".

You mean like, "Stuckeys?" Come for the electricity, leave with pralines!

 

[Vern Padgett]

All vehicles delivered starting at the beginning of this year have to pay for Supercharging. They get a small allocation, but the energy comes at cost. Maybe you aren't aware of that.

Yes, thanks, I guess I was aware of that.
But my focus was on current crowding at current supercharging stations. How to reduce the congestion now, not in the future.

 

[Vern Padgett]

^^^^This^^^^

I've always wondered why they don't leverage the fact that Tesla owners as a demographic tend to be more affluent and enter into an agreement with some nationwide restaurant chain that tends to be along highways. Seems like the ratio of charging patrons that would convert to restaurant patrons would be incredibly high. Or pick your retail establishment. I know that I for one have spent money I never intended to while waiting for a charge because I was just "looking around".

I read about Ruby Tuesdays being that client. I'm with you in your thinking on this.

 

[Maaz]

Barstow getting an upgrade.

 

[OCRyan]

So let's assume each of the 5 locations mentioned (Harris Ranch, Barstow, Dublin, Rocklin, and Gilroy) gets an extra 8 stalls,

Barstow getting an upgrade.

Looks like eight

 

[Maaz]

Looks like eight

I heard there's two more as well so 20 total after the update.

 

[Lump]

I heard there's two more as well so 20 total after the update.

I took these pictures on May 4th while the crew was working, it was difficult to judge how many stalls were being added at the time & the temp chargers had been moved to the other side but I wasn't sure if they were staying or not.