Looking at the supercharger map, there are two gaping holes that would seem like they should be a priority to close. It wouldn't take much to do it this year. It's there some reason it won't happen? I'm talking about the 200 mile radius around Memphis, and the West Texas areas. They really look neglected. If tesla can put in speculating in these areas, I would imaging they could cover 95% of the US population within a 150 miles of a supercharger. Might be good advertising.
-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
Ulmo
Active Member
I just looked. You're right. There's a bunch of gaping gaps:
- The main east-west route of the nation, I-80, isn't even served.
- The southernmost route, I-10, only has a few here and there.
- The northernmost route, I-94, also is very incomplete.
I heard Canada is already very well covered with competing charging suppliers; perhaps that's also what happened with I-10, I-80 and I-94. For instance, if one were to look up Chademo, would they find it on those routes? I checked PlugShare, and it has the same gaps in Chademo coverage as Supercharger coverage. Something is very odd about that.
But then, Tesla has a 2016 map with future SuperChargers, and that fills up I-10, I-80 and I-94, but leaves out Canada.
!!!! Canada has quite a few 70 amp / 240V stations. Which is just fine if you're okay with... drive 3 hours, charge 5 hours, drive 3 hours, charge 5 hours.... and so on! It's not practical.
There's a rather large gaping hole in Canada - the ENTIRE TRANSCANADA HIGHWAY - excepting 3 stations in Quebec and some coverage between Calgary and Vancouver.
doofenshmirtz
Member
Cottonwood
Roadster#433, Model S#S37
Two routes that seem to be getting some attention are I-44 from OKC to STL, and I-20 east and west out of DFW. I-15 north out of SLC is also on the map.
Mayhemm
Model S P85+ "Lola"
Drucifer
Active Member
I post this all the time, but it bears repeating here.
I-80 between Chicago/Midwest and NYC/Lower New England is huge - a gap covering an area that connects two very high population areas.
Also this thread I started.
Mid South - If it were up to you.
I-80 between Chicago/Midwest and NYC/Lower New England is huge - a gap covering an area that connects two very high population areas.
Also this thread I started.
Mid South - If it were up to you.
TaoJones
Beyond Driven
Problem: The GSW (Great Supercharger Wasteland) between Tucson and San Antonio along I-10 is particularly egregious, given the broken promises/forecasts to complete that heavily-driven transcontinental corridor in 2015 and 2016. Your Southwestern Region SC team went ZERO FOR EIGHT in 2015, and are ZERO FOR EIGHT so far in 2016 to get that gap closed. It was disappointing last year - it's disgraceful this year - and misleading to boot.
Failed progress aside, that I-10 route is the only way to transit the continent without having to have chains at some point throughout the year. They built I-10 for a reason (see I-40 and I-70 by comparison - especially if you like black ice in November or snow and freezing rain in May).
Solution: With a little luck, given the challenges of closing the I-10 gap (and there are challenges aplenty - nobody said it would be easy), Tesla will ink a deal with one or more of the national truck stop/travel plaza companies. Plenty of real estate at each property, dedicated parking at most locations for cars and RVs (not just big trucks), and all the amenities. While I would prefer to see SCs at the mom and pop truck stops, some of which are known for really good food, these are quarter-million-dollar installations that require a fair amount of electricity that may be out of bounds for a small operation, and that can't yet be completely satisfied by solar. May benefit from the deep pockets of a partnership with a national chain is what I'm saying.
Impact: That said, there's not much along that godforsaken stretch of superhighway from Southern Arizona through New Mexico and into the heart of Texas other than sunshine. But we can't wait 10 years for a solar solution. We need I-10 open year-round ASAP. Hanging a right at Baton Rouge westbound, directly into the tornado country of Oklahoma, ain't great for domestic harmony. Neither is trying to get to San Antonio from Tucson heading directly east. "What do you mean it will take 2 extra days? The map said it would be open last year!" Yeah. Not a fun conversation to have. Doesn't exactly do much for Tesla's reputation, either.
Weakest link in the chain, folks. Weakest link in the chain.
Failed progress aside, that I-10 route is the only way to transit the continent without having to have chains at some point throughout the year. They built I-10 for a reason (see I-40 and I-70 by comparison - especially if you like black ice in November or snow and freezing rain in May).
Solution: With a little luck, given the challenges of closing the I-10 gap (and there are challenges aplenty - nobody said it would be easy), Tesla will ink a deal with one or more of the national truck stop/travel plaza companies. Plenty of real estate at each property, dedicated parking at most locations for cars and RVs (not just big trucks), and all the amenities. While I would prefer to see SCs at the mom and pop truck stops, some of which are known for really good food, these are quarter-million-dollar installations that require a fair amount of electricity that may be out of bounds for a small operation, and that can't yet be completely satisfied by solar. May benefit from the deep pockets of a partnership with a national chain is what I'm saying.
Impact: That said, there's not much along that godforsaken stretch of superhighway from Southern Arizona through New Mexico and into the heart of Texas other than sunshine. But we can't wait 10 years for a solar solution. We need I-10 open year-round ASAP. Hanging a right at Baton Rouge westbound, directly into the tornado country of Oklahoma, ain't great for domestic harmony. Neither is trying to get to San Antonio from Tucson heading directly east. "What do you mean it will take 2 extra days? The map said it would be open last year!" Yeah. Not a fun conversation to have. Doesn't exactly do much for Tesla's reputation, either.
Weakest link in the chain, folks. Weakest link in the chain.
That sucks about I-10. Hopefully this year.
Truck stops make sense for some reasons. I'm a little leery however. I haven't been to a lot of truck stops, but the ones that I have been to are a little bit dirty and intimidating. Some have reputations for prostitution. I'd prefer the SC to be near fast casual restaurant /strip mall /grocery type areas. I guess in some places, there might not be great choices as far as placement.
Truck stops make sense for some reasons. I'm a little leery however. I haven't been to a lot of truck stops, but the ones that I have been to are a little bit dirty and intimidating. Some have reputations for prostitution. I'd prefer the SC to be near fast casual restaurant /strip mall /grocery type areas. I guess in some places, there might not be great choices as far as placement.
TaoJones
Beyond Driven
A fair point. Especially when traveling with friends or family, I checked TripAdvisor or similar before visiting truck stops/travel centers in certain areas. Most of the time, there were few/no worries. Sometimes there were pleasant surprises on the other end of the spectrum as well - great food, great staff, great amenities - way beyond what you'd expect at a truck stop - and go figure, they were quite busy. One time, though, I was traveling with a friend, and the recent reviews were just flat out *bad* for *all* the truck stops nearish the SC, so the solution there was to just get a room at a decent hotel rather than to take the risk. But that was 1 time out of 36,000 miles of traveling last year. The other dozens of (truck stops/travel plazas/hotels/motels/AirBnB/VRBO/1 county park and 1 YMCA) accommodations were just fine.
Then there's practicality - there's just not a lot of anything along I-10 between Tucson and San Antonio. Take Van Horn, Texas or Ranger, Texas for example. Sure, there are a few gas stations and motels, but that's. about. it. from a traveling perspective, anyway. Hence the truck stop/travel plaza idea - if anything, to just get it done.
Not to pick on Quartzsite, but the Quartzsite, Arizona SC is back behind a fast food joint in the dark. An often-dirty fast food joint that looks closed when it is open. With real tumbleweeds. I'd much rather a brightly-lit travel plaza than that.
But again, your point is well-taken. There has to be a modicum of security, lest Barstow happen again. But the SC at Barstow is alongside a typically-full parking lot adjacent to a hotel. At least truck stops/travel centers have people coming and going - and usually the car/RV areas are right up front, as there are often families involved who want to eat or to use the facilities.
Time will tell - again, it would be shocking if Tesla closed that I-10 gap this year or even next at this rate. But making a deal with a national/regional truck stop/travel plaza chain and/or with a couple of mom-and-pops if they can manage it would maybe save time. And it's a given that every SC visitor is worth $10-$12, so there's that as well.
vdiv
Chief Grump
Yeah the expectations are high and the patience is low 
Tesla is filling the other type of "holes" by adding supercharging stalls to overused locations such as the Rest Area in Newark, DE. In addition it appears that there are some applications for permits that have not been issued to start construction, apparently it is not as straightforward and easy process as Tesla has made it appear. Also the destination network, though not as glamorous or capable, has grown tremendously.
To me every supercharger station is a small miracle and makes me extremely grateful that we have them.
Tesla is filling the other type of "holes" by adding supercharging stalls to overused locations such as the Rest Area in Newark, DE. In addition it appears that there are some applications for permits that have not been issued to start construction, apparently it is not as straightforward and easy process as Tesla has made it appear. Also the destination network, though not as glamorous or capable, has grown tremendously.
To me every supercharger station is a small miracle and makes me extremely grateful that we have them.
I got used to using truck stops due to running diesel cars for many years - most of the well known "name brand" ones are pretty nice, with a lot more to choose from than a gas station. Commercial drivers for the most part are professionals & decent people who don't want to stop at a filthy place either. Also, most truck stops have space for a supercharger and existing high-current power feed, so they would be perfect for supercharging.
Also, I vote for filling in the gap around Memphis - this would help me out as well; and the SCs in Huntsville & Birmingham (AL) - I will have to do a lot of planning just to get around the fact that these are not there yet (even though shown in the 2015 map).
There are two almost opposing issues with the Supercharger network.
It needs to enable road trips which mans 'coverage'. Every major road connecting cities needs to be considered and covered. Looking at a map is a great way to look at this issue.
It needs to serve Tesla drivers where they drive. This sounds plain and simple but it actually conflicts with the first requirement. Most of the time people drive around their home town and maybe neighboring cities. Longer road trips are rare. Looking at a map is misleading here.
Tesla has been trying to find a balance between these two. There are many Superchargers around the Los Angeles area which seems counter productive looking at the map. But since there are thousands of Model S owners and lots of traffic is going up and down between San Diego, LA and San Francisco and several routes, Tesla tried to enable this huge amount of Model S traffic by putting many Superchargers in what seems like overkill when just looking at a map. 9 out of 10 of the busiest freeways are all in California and 7 of them are in the LA area. On top of that Tesla is selling the most cars in California. With that in mind it becomes a little more clear why the Supercharger density isn't equal looking at the map.
Filling the gaps all across the country is very important because that's what people look for. They look at the map and see if they can visit their in-laws doing a road trip. They might only do it once a year if at all, but that's how many people think. It's a sales argument. When it comes to actual traffic, all those connecting Superchargers are deserted. I have driven across the country many times and for the most part I was the only one, or maybe one or two others where there. When I drive around California the Superchargers are during the day always near capacity (which means you are sharing a charger with someone and have to wait longer).
Building out the Supercharger network is a difficult balance between having enough to serve where Teslas actually drive and completing the network across the nations. There are limited resources for how many Tesla can build. What is more damaging to Tesla's image? Hundreds of frustrated owners waiting in line at Superchargers on the busiest freeways in the nation or a handful people venting that there is a gap in the network?
It needs to enable road trips which mans 'coverage'. Every major road connecting cities needs to be considered and covered. Looking at a map is a great way to look at this issue.
It needs to serve Tesla drivers where they drive. This sounds plain and simple but it actually conflicts with the first requirement. Most of the time people drive around their home town and maybe neighboring cities. Longer road trips are rare. Looking at a map is misleading here.
Tesla has been trying to find a balance between these two. There are many Superchargers around the Los Angeles area which seems counter productive looking at the map. But since there are thousands of Model S owners and lots of traffic is going up and down between San Diego, LA and San Francisco and several routes, Tesla tried to enable this huge amount of Model S traffic by putting many Superchargers in what seems like overkill when just looking at a map. 9 out of 10 of the busiest freeways are all in California and 7 of them are in the LA area. On top of that Tesla is selling the most cars in California. With that in mind it becomes a little more clear why the Supercharger density isn't equal looking at the map.
Filling the gaps all across the country is very important because that's what people look for. They look at the map and see if they can visit their in-laws doing a road trip. They might only do it once a year if at all, but that's how many people think. It's a sales argument. When it comes to actual traffic, all those connecting Superchargers are deserted. I have driven across the country many times and for the most part I was the only one, or maybe one or two others where there. When I drive around California the Superchargers are during the day always near capacity (which means you are sharing a charger with someone and have to wait longer).
Building out the Supercharger network is a difficult balance between having enough to serve where Teslas actually drive and completing the network across the nations. There are limited resources for how many Tesla can build. What is more damaging to Tesla's image? Hundreds of frustrated owners waiting in line at Superchargers on the busiest freeways in the nation or a handful people venting that there is a gap in the network?
