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More Teslas on the Road Meant Hours-Long Supercharger Lines over Thanksgiving

53 points by tomohawk 7y ago

ChrisClark 7y ago
Yeah, we need a few more years (or more!) before DC fast chargers are mainstream. We need other companies to build them too.
- clouddrover 7y ago
  Other companies are building them but they're building CCS chargers. Tesla's still using its proprietary plug in North America. Tesla should switch their cars and chargers to CCS (and allow other EVs to use them) to broaden the charging infrastructure for all drivers.
  - londons_explore 7y ago
    Current CCS specs are lacking - a 200 Amp limit on DC charging means most EV's can only charge at ~60 kilowatts. The connector is unwieldy and large. The standard doesn't provide the ability for cars to put power into the grid (something that EV makers really want to do because then they can cash in on the lucrative reactive spinning reserve/frequency control market). The connector also doesn't have any way to measure voltage drop across the high current pins, so a bit of dirt could easily cause the whole thing to melt into a gooey mess. I can completely see why Tesla is holding off switching specs until CCS improves or another standard comes to take its place.
    - Reason077 7y ago
      > ”Current CCS specs are lacking - a 200 Amp limit” There is no 200 Amp limit in the modern 150-350 kW CCS chargers being deployed by networks like Ionity and Electrify America. Tesla, of course, already uses CCS in Europe. A Model 3 can charge at over 190 kW on European CCS chargers. A Porsche Taycan (800V), 270 kW.
      - clouddrover 7y ago
        And here's a demonstration of a Tesla Model 3 charging on an Ionity CCS charger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPrVZtzAqX4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPrVZtzAqX4 Gets up to 499 amps.
    - salawat 7y ago
      Hold up. >reactive spinning reserve/frequency control market What is this? Because if it has anything to do with utilizing software installed at the factory in order to control the fleet of cars as some sort of distributed self metering battery grid to the financial benefit of the EV manufacturer instead of the end customer, I'm calling B.S. It'd be like Smart TV's, but worse.
    - clouddrover 7y ago
      > Current CCS specs are lacking - a 200 Amp limit on DC charging I think your information is out of date. There are 500 amp CCS DC chargers. It's how they get to maximum outputs of 350 kW and 400 kW. > The standard doesn't provide the ability for cars to put power into the grid It's coming: https://www.electrive.com/2019/01/24/charin-bidirectional-charging-with-ccs-standard-by-2025/ https://www.electrive.com/2019/01/24/charin-bidirectional-ch... > Tesla is holding off switching specs until CCS improves Tesla is using CCS plugs in Europe: https://insideevs.com/news/343728/most-tesla-superchargers-now-retrofitted-with-ccs-plugs-in-europe-video/ https://insideevs.com/news/343728/most-tesla-superchargers-n...
    - llukas 7y ago
      Wiki says 80kw for combo 1 connector and 350kw for combo 2 [1]. Why do you bring up ability to put power into the grid? In case of supercharging along the route it would be never the case. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combined_Charging_System https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combined_Charging_System
      - Reason077 7y ago
        No, both the Combo 1 (North America) and Combo 2 (Europe and rest of world) plugs support 350kW. The 80A limitation you’re referring to was in the CCS 1.0 specification, now superseded by CCS 2.0.
toomuchtodo 7y ago
> Really, all these long lines show is how our recharging infrastructure is woefully behind the demand for electric vehicles. Initiatives like Electrify America are a solid start, but even its 5,000 chargers won't come close to matching the convenience promised by a gas station. What we need is a massive national investment—public, private, or a combination thereof—to create a fast-charging network to rival the pipes, trucks, and pumps that make 87 octane flow like water for most folks. Tesla has already invested $400 million in their network, and continues to expand it (Electrify America was part of a settlement VW had to agree to as part of Dieselgate, hence why they can't be VW branded). It's clear legacy automakers aren't interested in making the investment, nor state or national governments. Lots of Superchargers under construction in California (where these queues were): https://supercharge.info/map https://supercharge.info/map
- reitzensteinm 7y ago
  Does Tesla continue to expand it relative to the number of Teslas sold? I was under the impression that the stalls per vehicle count has been getting much worse ever since the Model 3 launch. Although to do the calculations correctly, you'd want to normalize for charge times which have improved with M3 + V3. Cutting free lifetime supercharger access has probably reduced the day to day load on the network, but isn't going to do anything at all to help with peak use around holidays.
  - hndamien 7y ago
    They now have a mobile charge station with a bunch of chargers on it that will help with peak times. https://www.tesmanian.com/blogs/tesmanian-blog/tesla-mobile-superchargers-megapacks https://www.tesmanian.com/blogs/tesmanian-blog/tesla-mobile-...
tutus 7y ago
This major city, east coast HN driver had zero supercharger lines going to and from the Midwest. Maybe the author should have put “In California” in the title?
- torpfactory 7y ago
  Similar story here: drove up I5 from Portland to Seattle to Leavenworth and back to Portland. Traveling Fri through Sun. No lines.
  - abawany 7y ago
    I was very pleasantly surprised to run into a Supercharger station in Leavenworth while walking about.
- CodeWriter23 7y ago
  California appears to be the sample of what full electrification implies.
  - ec109685 7y ago
    Given Tesla charges for use of Super Chargers now and the cost of electricity dominates build out cost, they should be able to build out enough infrastructure in a cost neutral way to stay ahead of the curve.
    - cjhopman 7y ago
      Huh. Strange then that they aren't accelerating the construction of chargers.
      - ec109685 7y ago
        They only have so much capital and probably spending on new factorise instead.
  - derision 7y ago
tomohawk 7y ago
In addition to more stations, they need better batteries with better range. A gas powered vehicle can go SF to LA without a fillup. Since the EVs need more frequent fillups, it puts more strain on the stations.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
- lemoncucumber 7y ago
  And it's a double whammy since not only do they need more frequent fill-ups, but the fill-ups take way longer compared to pumping a tank of gas (even with fast charging). It seems like a major hurdle to true mass market EV adoption.
  - ec109685 7y ago
    How often do you folks make a 400 mile trip to LA? I did a 250 mile trip from Bay Area to Central Valley. Stopped for 20 minutes on way back in Coalinga to add 80 miles of range at 400 miles of charging per hour.
    - tomohawk 7y ago
      I get down to 100 miles of range in my non-EV, and I fill'er up. Having a reserve is important. Spending 20 minutes for 80 miles seems ludicrous given that doesn't even meet my minimum reserve requirement and is very expensive in terms of time. Even with the advertised new chargers they're rolling out, they provide 80 miles of range for a 5 minute charge. Progress for sure, but the non-EV bar is much higher. Gas powered cars get 500+ miles of range with a 5 minute fillup. And the range is not dependent on other variables such as battery age or ambient temperature. What's the EV range at 5F (-15C) - a pretty common temp in the winter? What if the batteries are 5 years old? A gas powered car is going to need far fewer fillups per week than an EV, and be far more flexible - its one less thing you have to think about and plan for. Those extra fillups required by EVs require more stations to be built - including at your home and place of work.
proee 7y ago
Hopefully future EVs will support rapid charging. If you could top your battery to 80% in 5 minutes that would be a game changer for EV stations. At that point, you could integrate them into a more traditional "gas station" style service.
economyballoon 7y ago
Maybe its a trick by TESLA to force the owners to buy solar roofs and powerwalls. This lets the economy grow. Just a little bit.
akersten 7y ago
I think recharging is a transitory solution anyway. The real game changer will be automated battery swaps. Imagine stopping at the charging station and having the entire battery pulled out and replaced with a charged one, pit-stop style. It completely neutralizes the #1 complaint about how long batteries take to charge, since there should always be a supply ready-to-go at the station. This would be an automated, underground mechanism - you wouldn't even have to leave your car. It will be faster than filling up a tank with gas.
- clouddrover 7y ago
  Nio has implemented battery swapping in China: https://www.topgear.com/car-news/big-reads/power-shift-battery-swapping-our-way-across-china https://www.topgear.com/car-news/big-reads/power-shift-batte... I don't see it catching on. It's too much logistical hassle. Battery packs can't be delivered as easily as fuel or electrons.
  - bamboozled 7y ago
    They’re not really delivered though, they’d be swapped and charged onsite ?
    - chii 7y ago
      And then you'd have people who would try to rort the system by swapping a bad set of batteries with a good set from the station, and then sell it for a profit.
      - martyvis 7y ago
        Why? If the modus operandi is to swap batteries instead of charging then you are effectively leasing the batteries and just buying the charge on them.
        nopriorarrests 7y ago
        it's not convinient to fully disable charging at home, a lot of folks will revolt. and if you have people charging their cars at night, you always have a chance of swapping a worn out battery for a good one.
macjohnmcc 7y ago
Mophie needs to make a battery case for the Tesla's!
silencio 7y ago
this definitely feels like a quirk of the route. kettleman city is right in the middle of the la-sf drive along the 5. it's also basically like one of two stops that has more than just some fast food restaurants, and a good place for kids to run around. breaking up the monotony of the ~400mi drive stopping at the halfway point because the range is likely just short of the destination (and i assume even shorter if there was traffic due to snow, plus range reduction in cold, plus the elevation through the tejon pass), plus all the other stops along the 5 being much smaller or more inconvenient... i'd be much more curious about how to handle this kind of demand in usage. i drive a gas car and the gas station lines on this route can be atrocious too, but people are done in a matter of minutes so it makes no real dent on travel time.
- digikata 7y ago
  I imagine a semi trailer rigged with a battery, grid connection, and a set of chargers for seasonal surges. Maybe even a deployable solar panel array, but I suspect the PV panel would be too constrained to be much more than a show piece.
  - djrogers 7y ago
    You mean like this? https://cleantechnica.com/2019/11/28/tesla-rolls-out-literally-100-car-portable-superchargers-for-holiday-carmageddon/ https://cleantechnica.com/2019/11/28/tesla-rolls-out-literal...
    - digikata 7y ago
      Hey now I can claim to think like Elon Musk!
      - m463 7y ago
        Too bad your idea that traveled back in time wasn't "A giant solar dish powered by a space x laser in space"
- m463 7y ago
ben174 7y ago
This is largely due to the crazy free-supercharging giveaways Elon has been giving away like candy. I see so many Tesla drivers using superchargers as their primary charing spot. Hanging out in their car playing Cuphead or shopping at the target, and topping their battery to 100% taking 1+ hours to do so. For people like me who charge at home, I just want to quickly jump into a spot and get 90 miles range to get me home. Should take 15-20 minutes max to get my battery there, but waiting line sucks.
- m463 7y ago
  Nobody is driving out to kettleman city because they get free charging. That said, "free" anything brings out outlier behavior that even the most nominal charge would prevent. (the $10 copay for doctor visits is the same thing)
  - alistairSH 7y ago
    They aren't driving out to Kettleman for free charging. But, they are stopping there en route because free charging is available. With gas stations, that doesn't happen - you just stop wherever you want. If there's a line, you go to the next station.
Animats 7y ago
So some bigger charging stations are needed in some inter-city locations. Not that hard. That's the Madonna Inn, by the way, a famous sex hotel since the 1950s. Maybe they could offer a deal where you get valet charging with a short stay. This is a serious charging station, in Shenzhen.[1] 637 chargers. [1] https://thedriven.io/2019/05/24/worlds-largest-charging-station-in-shenzhen-powers-all-electric-taxi-fleet/ https://thedriven.io/2019/05/24/worlds-largest-charging-stat...
- kevin_thibedeau 7y ago
  Not that hard. Unless there is no physical space to add more capacity.
  - cjhopman 7y ago
    But it costs money. And Tesla has been greatly reducing their investment in supercharger infrastructure even as they sell more cars per year.
- djrogers 7y ago
  > That's the Madonna Inn, by the way, a famous sex hotel since the 1950s Not sure what you were trying to say here, but the implication is that this is a dingy, sleazebag motel, only trafficked by hookers and pimps. For the record, that's absolutely untrue.
  - ld00d 7y ago
    It's a pretty fun hotel with theme rooms and a really cool cave bathroom.
- alistairSH 7y ago
  Yikes, I hope that Shenzhen is not the future. That's a LOT of real estate to dedicate to charging cars. High speed rail between the major cities, with decent transport links out to the smaller areas makes so much more sense (if done correctly, which CA and the US in general has proven incapable of doing).
aidenn0 7y ago
Could someone rent a trailerable generator bring a large CNG or diesel tank, and set up a temporary charging station on busy days like Thanksgiving and Labor day? Quick googling found e.g. a CAT generator[1] that has output sufficient for charging 20 cars (150kW per 2 cars in a Tesla supercharger station). Sure it's not green, but if it's one stop once or twice a year, surely that's better than driving a gas car year round? 1: https://www.cat.com/en_US/products/new/power-systems/electric-power/mobile-generator-sets/1000001247.html https://www.cat.com/en_US/products/new/power-systems/electri...
- lykr0n 7y ago
  This is the first time I can remember stuff like this happening. I assume this is the kind of thing nobody is really thinking about until it happens. I think this is how the popup charger at Burning Man worked.
omgwtfbyobbq 7y ago
I think Kettleman already has 10+ V3 Superchargers. I suppose that explains why there can be 50+ cars in line without getting the hours-long wait times of SLO. https://electrek.co/2019/11/13/tesla-upgrading-largest-supercharger-station-v3-technology/ https://electrek.co/2019/11/13/tesla-upgrading-largest-super... To be fair, hours-long wait times can happen on normal weekdays too (SJC for instance) when there are a bunch of locals using them. Surprisingly (not really), the same issues that apply to food, gas, and rest stops on holidays also apply to Superchargers.

53 points by tomohawk 7y ago

Yeah, we need a few more years (or more!) before DC fast chargers are mainstream. We need other companies to build them too.

clouddrover 7y ago
Other companies are building them but they're building CCS chargers. Tesla's still using its proprietary plug in North America. Tesla should switch their cars and chargers to CCS (and allow other EVs to use them) to broaden the charging infrastructure for all drivers.
- londons_explore 7y ago
  Current CCS specs are lacking - a 200 Amp limit on DC charging means most EV's can only charge at ~60 kilowatts. The connector is unwieldy and large. The standard doesn't provide the ability for cars to put power into the grid (something that EV makers really want to do because then they can cash in on the lucrative reactive spinning reserve/frequency control market). The connector also doesn't have any way to measure voltage drop across the high current pins, so a bit of dirt could easily cause the whole thing to melt into a gooey mess. I can completely see why Tesla is holding off switching specs until CCS improves or another standard comes to take its place.
  - Reason077 7y ago
    > ”Current CCS specs are lacking - a 200 Amp limit” There is no 200 Amp limit in the modern 150-350 kW CCS chargers being deployed by networks like Ionity and Electrify America. Tesla, of course, already uses CCS in Europe. A Model 3 can charge at over 190 kW on European CCS chargers. A Porsche Taycan (800V), 270 kW.
    - clouddrover 7y ago
      And here's a demonstration of a Tesla Model 3 charging on an Ionity CCS charger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPrVZtzAqX4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPrVZtzAqX4 Gets up to 499 amps.
  - salawat 7y ago
    Hold up. >reactive spinning reserve/frequency control market What is this? Because if it has anything to do with utilizing software installed at the factory in order to control the fleet of cars as some sort of distributed self metering battery grid to the financial benefit of the EV manufacturer instead of the end customer, I'm calling B.S. It'd be like Smart TV's, but worse.
  - clouddrover 7y ago
    > Current CCS specs are lacking - a 200 Amp limit on DC charging I think your information is out of date. There are 500 amp CCS DC chargers. It's how they get to maximum outputs of 350 kW and 400 kW. > The standard doesn't provide the ability for cars to put power into the grid It's coming: https://www.electrive.com/2019/01/24/charin-bidirectional-charging-with-ccs-standard-by-2025/ https://www.electrive.com/2019/01/24/charin-bidirectional-ch... > Tesla is holding off switching specs until CCS improves Tesla is using CCS plugs in Europe: https://insideevs.com/news/343728/most-tesla-superchargers-now-retrofitted-with-ccs-plugs-in-europe-video/ https://insideevs.com/news/343728/most-tesla-superchargers-n...
  - llukas 7y ago
    Wiki says 80kw for combo 1 connector and 350kw for combo 2 [1]. Why do you bring up ability to put power into the grid? In case of supercharging along the route it would be never the case. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combined_Charging_System https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combined_Charging_System
    - Reason077 7y ago
      No, both the Combo 1 (North America) and Combo 2 (Europe and rest of world) plugs support 350kW. The 80A limitation you’re referring to was in the CCS 1.0 specification, now superseded by CCS 2.0.

toomuchtodo 7y ago

> Really, all these long lines show is how our recharging infrastructure is woefully behind the demand for electric vehicles. Initiatives like Electrify America are a solid start, but even its 5,000 chargers won't come close to matching the convenience promised by a gas station. What we need is a massive national investment—public, private, or a combination thereof—to create a fast-charging network to rival the pipes, trucks, and pumps that make 87 octane flow like water for most folks. Tesla has already invested $400 million in their network, and continues to expand it (Electrify America was part of a settlement VW had to agree to as part of Dieselgate, hence why they can't be VW branded). It's clear legacy automakers aren't interested in making the investment, nor state or national governments. Lots of Superchargers under construction in California (where these queues were): https://supercharge.info/map https://supercharge.info/map

reitzensteinm 7y ago
Does Tesla continue to expand it relative to the number of Teslas sold? I was under the impression that the stalls per vehicle count has been getting much worse ever since the Model 3 launch. Although to do the calculations correctly, you'd want to normalize for charge times which have improved with M3 + V3. Cutting free lifetime supercharger access has probably reduced the day to day load on the network, but isn't going to do anything at all to help with peak use around holidays.
- hndamien 7y ago
  They now have a mobile charge station with a bunch of chargers on it that will help with peak times. https://www.tesmanian.com/blogs/tesmanian-blog/tesla-mobile-superchargers-megapacks https://www.tesmanian.com/blogs/tesmanian-blog/tesla-mobile-...

tutus 7y ago

This major city, east coast HN driver had zero supercharger lines going to and from the Midwest. Maybe the author should have put “In California” in the title?

torpfactory 7y ago
Similar story here: drove up I5 from Portland to Seattle to Leavenworth and back to Portland. Traveling Fri through Sun. No lines.
- abawany 7y ago
  I was very pleasantly surprised to run into a Supercharger station in Leavenworth while walking about.
CodeWriter23 7y ago
California appears to be the sample of what full electrification implies.
- ec109685 7y ago
  Given Tesla charges for use of Super Chargers now and the cost of electricity dominates build out cost, they should be able to build out enough infrastructure in a cost neutral way to stay ahead of the curve.
  - cjhopman 7y ago
    Huh. Strange then that they aren't accelerating the construction of chargers.
    - ec109685 7y ago
      They only have so much capital and probably spending on new factorise instead.
- derision 7y ago

tomohawk 7y ago

In addition to more stations, they need better batteries with better range. A gas powered vehicle can go SF to LA without a fillup. Since the EVs need more frequent fillups, it puts more strain on the stations.

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
lemoncucumber 7y ago
And it's a double whammy since not only do they need more frequent fill-ups, but the fill-ups take way longer compared to pumping a tank of gas (even with fast charging). It seems like a major hurdle to true mass market EV adoption.
- ec109685 7y ago
  How often do you folks make a 400 mile trip to LA? I did a 250 mile trip from Bay Area to Central Valley. Stopped for 20 minutes on way back in Coalinga to add 80 miles of range at 400 miles of charging per hour.
  - tomohawk 7y ago
    I get down to 100 miles of range in my non-EV, and I fill'er up. Having a reserve is important. Spending 20 minutes for 80 miles seems ludicrous given that doesn't even meet my minimum reserve requirement and is very expensive in terms of time. Even with the advertised new chargers they're rolling out, they provide 80 miles of range for a 5 minute charge. Progress for sure, but the non-EV bar is much higher. Gas powered cars get 500+ miles of range with a 5 minute fillup. And the range is not dependent on other variables such as battery age or ambient temperature. What's the EV range at 5F (-15C) - a pretty common temp in the winter? What if the batteries are 5 years old? A gas powered car is going to need far fewer fillups per week than an EV, and be far more flexible - its one less thing you have to think about and plan for. Those extra fillups required by EVs require more stations to be built - including at your home and place of work.

proee 7y ago

Hopefully future EVs will support rapid charging. If you could top your battery to 80% in 5 minutes that would be a game changer for EV stations. At that point, you could integrate them into a more traditional "gas station" style service.

economyballoon 7y ago

Maybe its a trick by TESLA to force the owners to buy solar roofs and powerwalls. This lets the economy grow. Just a little bit.

akersten 7y ago

I think recharging is a transitory solution anyway. The real game changer will be automated battery swaps. Imagine stopping at the charging station and having the entire battery pulled out and replaced with a charged one, pit-stop style. It completely neutralizes the #1 complaint about how long batteries take to charge, since there should always be a supply ready-to-go at the station. This would be an automated, underground mechanism - you wouldn't even have to leave your car. It will be faster than filling up a tank with gas.

clouddrover 7y ago
Nio has implemented battery swapping in China: https://www.topgear.com/car-news/big-reads/power-shift-battery-swapping-our-way-across-china https://www.topgear.com/car-news/big-reads/power-shift-batte... I don't see it catching on. It's too much logistical hassle. Battery packs can't be delivered as easily as fuel or electrons.
- bamboozled 7y ago
  They’re not really delivered though, they’d be swapped and charged onsite ?
  - chii 7y ago
    And then you'd have people who would try to rort the system by swapping a bad set of batteries with a good set from the station, and then sell it for a profit.
    - martyvis 7y ago
      Why? If the modus operandi is to swap batteries instead of charging then you are effectively leasing the batteries and just buying the charge on them.
      - nopriorarrests 7y ago
        it's not convinient to fully disable charging at home, a lot of folks will revolt. and if you have people charging their cars at night, you always have a chance of swapping a worn out battery for a good one.

macjohnmcc 7y ago

Mophie needs to make a battery case for the Tesla's!

silencio 7y ago

this definitely feels like a quirk of the route. kettleman city is right in the middle of the la-sf drive along the 5. it's also basically like one of two stops that has more than just some fast food restaurants, and a good place for kids to run around. breaking up the monotony of the ~400mi drive stopping at the halfway point because the range is likely just short of the destination (and i assume even shorter if there was traffic due to snow, plus range reduction in cold, plus the elevation through the tejon pass), plus all the other stops along the 5 being much smaller or more inconvenient... i'd be much more curious about how to handle this kind of demand in usage. i drive a gas car and the gas station lines on this route can be atrocious too, but people are done in a matter of minutes so it makes no real dent on travel time.

digikata 7y ago
I imagine a semi trailer rigged with a battery, grid connection, and a set of chargers for seasonal surges. Maybe even a deployable solar panel array, but I suspect the PV panel would be too constrained to be much more than a show piece.
- djrogers 7y ago
  You mean like this? https://cleantechnica.com/2019/11/28/tesla-rolls-out-literally-100-car-portable-superchargers-for-holiday-carmageddon/ https://cleantechnica.com/2019/11/28/tesla-rolls-out-literal...
  - digikata 7y ago
    Hey now I can claim to think like Elon Musk!
    - m463 7y ago
      Too bad your idea that traveled back in time wasn't "A giant solar dish powered by a space x laser in space"
m463 7y ago

ben174 7y ago

This is largely due to the crazy free-supercharging giveaways Elon has been giving away like candy. I see so many Tesla drivers using superchargers as their primary charing spot. Hanging out in their car playing Cuphead or shopping at the target, and topping their battery to 100% taking 1+ hours to do so. For people like me who charge at home, I just want to quickly jump into a spot and get 90 miles range to get me home. Should take 15-20 minutes max to get my battery there, but waiting line sucks.

m463 7y ago
Nobody is driving out to kettleman city because they get free charging. That said, "free" anything brings out outlier behavior that even the most nominal charge would prevent. (the $10 copay for doctor visits is the same thing)
- alistairSH 7y ago
  They aren't driving out to Kettleman for free charging. But, they are stopping there en route because free charging is available. With gas stations, that doesn't happen - you just stop wherever you want. If there's a line, you go to the next station.

Animats 7y ago

So some bigger charging stations are needed in some inter-city locations. Not that hard. That's the Madonna Inn, by the way, a famous sex hotel since the 1950s. Maybe they could offer a deal where you get valet charging with a short stay. This is a serious charging station, in Shenzhen.[1] 637 chargers. [1] https://thedriven.io/2019/05/24/worlds-largest-charging-station-in-shenzhen-powers-all-electric-taxi-fleet/ https://thedriven.io/2019/05/24/worlds-largest-charging-stat...

kevin_thibedeau 7y ago
Not that hard. Unless there is no physical space to add more capacity.
- cjhopman 7y ago
  But it costs money. And Tesla has been greatly reducing their investment in supercharger infrastructure even as they sell more cars per year.
djrogers 7y ago
> That's the Madonna Inn, by the way, a famous sex hotel since the 1950s Not sure what you were trying to say here, but the implication is that this is a dingy, sleazebag motel, only trafficked by hookers and pimps. For the record, that's absolutely untrue.
- ld00d 7y ago
  It's a pretty fun hotel with theme rooms and a really cool cave bathroom.
alistairSH 7y ago
Yikes, I hope that Shenzhen is not the future. That's a LOT of real estate to dedicate to charging cars. High speed rail between the major cities, with decent transport links out to the smaller areas makes so much more sense (if done correctly, which CA and the US in general has proven incapable of doing).

aidenn0 7y ago

Could someone rent a trailerable generator bring a large CNG or diesel tank, and set up a temporary charging station on busy days like Thanksgiving and Labor day? Quick googling found e.g. a CAT generator[1] that has output sufficient for charging 20 cars (150kW per 2 cars in a Tesla supercharger station). Sure it's not green, but if it's one stop once or twice a year, surely that's better than driving a gas car year round? 1: https://www.cat.com/en_US/products/new/power-systems/electric-power/mobile-generator-sets/1000001247.html https://www.cat.com/en_US/products/new/power-systems/electri...

lykr0n 7y ago
This is the first time I can remember stuff like this happening. I assume this is the kind of thing nobody is really thinking about until it happens. I think this is how the popup charger at Burning Man worked.

omgwtfbyobbq 7y ago

I think Kettleman already has 10+ V3 Superchargers. I suppose that explains why there can be 50+ cars in line without getting the hours-long wait times of SLO. https://electrek.co/2019/11/13/tesla-upgrading-largest-supercharger-station-v3-technology/ https://electrek.co/2019/11/13/tesla-upgrading-largest-super... To be fair, hours-long wait times can happen on normal weekdays too (SJC for instance) when there are a bunch of locals using them. Surprisingly (not really), the same issues that apply to food, gas, and rest stops on holidays also apply to Superchargers.