Supercharger Station With Pull-Through Spots For Cybertruck & EV Trucks (or Towing / Bike Racks! - Spotted at Santa Nella

[HaulingAss]

gas stations are in a different type of area.. most super chargers are in parking lots for other venues stores malls restaurants etc.. they are a convenience to that places customers. Gas stations otoh are the primary draw for a C-Store... they are what bring people into the store to make sales.

Also remember when you compare things a gas pump hose is a hollow tube... it is fairly light.. electrical cable is NOT light.

I find it easier to handle a Supercharger plug than a gas or diesel nozzle, by far. I'm not sure what the pump hose being hollow has to do with anything, it is filled with a liquid that comes out the end. The Supercharger cable is lighter because it's so short. The gas hose has pulleys and springs trying to hold it up, often exactly where you don't want it. If you pull up to a pump on the wrong side, to avoid waiting to fill up at a more popular pump, then you might need two hands to wrestly the hose where it needs to go.

I'm not sure where you are trying to go with this line of thinking.

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[Jhodgesatmb]

I'd like it better if it were a drive through. Backing up a small trailer is one thing, but a large boat or RV would be a challenge (for me at least).

 

[Ogre]

gas stations are in a different type of area.. most super chargers are in parking lots for other venues stores malls restaurants etc.. they are a convenience to that places customers. Gas stations otoh are the primary draw for a C-Store... they are what bring people into the store to make sales.

Also remember when you compare things a gas pump hose is a hollow tube... it is fairly light.. electrical cable is NOT light.

Increasingly, Superchargers are getting dedicated spaces rather than being crammed into the corner of outlet malls and behind hotels. We’ve seen more and more Superchargers with pull through spaces and just much bigger, easier to access Superchargers.

Not sure what “Flexible” hosing has to do with anything. If your truck and trailer is 50+ foot long, you are taking 2+ stalls at the gas station and/ or blocking traffic through the gas station regardless.

 

[Jhodgesatmb]

When I drive my Model 3 Performance on Interstate 90 through the wide open spaces of Eastern Washington on my way through Idaho and into Montona, I skip a lot of Superchargers, not because they are full, but because I don't need to stop. Even when my cruising speed is north of 90! This is the advantage of the reliability (and density) of the Supercharger Network, you don't have to worry the next one might not be working. If one was broken, for any reason, you can see on your screen how many remaining working stalls there are (it treats broken stalls as a stall in use, I believe).

Now, if you are driving a short-range EV, or you turn your long-range EV into a short-range by loading it up with bikes and trailers and the like, then, yes, you are going to have to stop a *lot* more often. And some routes off the beaten paths will not be open to you without jumping through charging hoops. We are still in the very early days, I'm just glad Tesla has done such a good job of covering the country in only one decade in light of the failures of legacy auto and third-party charge networks to step up to the plate! And Supercharger coverage is still accelerating so fewer and fewer people find it an inconvenience as each year passes. I think by 2030, there will be very few special use cases where gasoline will still be at least a little more convenient for extensive rural roaming, the vast majority of people are covered right now.

At least on the routes we have taken to/from the coast to Denver, in the winter, doubling the density or SCs would be a huge benefit. On our 'last' (not most recent) trip to Denver, when we were driving my Lexus RX hybrid, we ran into one situation where gas pumps were needed and not available, so the build-out of SCs is doing pretty well and Tesla is surely to be commended. Another year or two and it should be great.

 

[CyberGus]

Not sure what “Flexible” hosing has to do with anything. If your truck and trailer is 50+ foot long, you are taking 2+ stalls at the gas station and/ or blocking traffic through the gas station regardless.

Usually when pulling large trailers, I seek out truck stops or other venues intended for lengthy vehicles.

Is Tesla making any headway installing megachargers at truck stops? I've not heard any news.

 

[SwampNut]

I'd like it better if it were a drive through. Backing up a small trailer is one thing, but a large boat or RV would be a challenge (for me at least).

Totally agree, and on top of that, a larger trailer would block the space to drive around. It was clearly built with the concept of lower tow ratings for the sedans, not for the CT.

Also, I thought this was a hilarious and smart way to deal with the wait for charging.

 

[cvalue13]

It's where we have to fuel our vehicles.

I meant: the “comparisons” seemingly saying “supercharger stations won’t be any different than gas stations” when it comes to charging/refueling with a trailer

maybe I was misunderstanding the comparison

 

[Greshnab]

I find it easier to handle a Supercharger plug than a gas or diesel nozzle, by far. I'm not sure what the pump hose being hollow has to do with anything, it is filled with a liquid that comes out the end. The Supercharger cable is lighter because it's so short. The gas hose has pulleys and springs trying to hold it up, often exactly where you don't want it. If you pull up to a pump on the wrong side, to avoid waiting to fill up at a more popular pump, then you might need two hands to wrestly the hose where it needs to go.

I'm not sure where you are trying to go with this line of thinking.

the weight per foot is higher for charging cables.. which is why they are so short.. and why they can't just put superlong cables on em like they do gas pumps.... sorry if i was unclear.

 

[SwampNut]

the weight per foot is higher for charging cables.. which is why they are so short.. and why they can't just put superlong cables on em like they do gas pumps.... sorry if i was unclear.

Apparently you haven't seen the super long cables on EV-GO and Blink chargers?

Tesla can do short cables because they set a standard for the charge port location.

 

[cvalue13]

Apparently you haven't seen the super long cables on EV-GO and Blink chargers?

super long cables on L3 DC @ +/- 250kWh?

I’s suspect

 

[HaulingAss]

the weight per foot is higher for charging cables.. which is why they are so short.. and why they can't just put superlong cables on em like they do gas pumps.... sorry if i was unclear.

Yes, gas pump hose is hollow, but it's filled with a liquid, not air. The short length of supercharging cables is due to cost efficiencies, reducing the motive for people to steal them and because they only need to be as long as they need to be. It's called optimizing the design to the needs of the application.

But my real question is what is the significance of the point you are attempting to make here (about the weight of the cable).

 

[SwampNut]

super long cables on L3 DC @ +/- 250kWh?

I’s suspect

Yes, they are 350k, heavy as hell, and really hard to bend. It sucks. Along with the clown-like and stupid CCS connector, they suck to use.

 

[HaulingAss]

Yes, they are 350k, heavy as hell, and really hard to bend. It sucks. Along with the clown-like and stupid CCS connector, they suck to use.

I don't like the noxious fumes or the way it drips on your car if you don't wait for it to completely drain and the way they usually make your hands smell bad after using one.

And then there is the age old question - to top-off or not? Is it really full or is the auto-shutoff overly sensitive on this particular pump? Truth be told, I can deal with these minor inconvenieces and health risks, I just don't like how much the stuff costs, where the money goes, where it came from and how it was refined, and what happens to it as you consume it.

Sometimes it helps to take a step back and question what you are complaining about.

 

[SwampNut]

I don't like the noxious fumes or the way it drips on your car if you don't wait for it to completely drain and the way they usually make your hands smell bad after using one.

Me too. I always hold the nozzle at arm's length, and let it drip dry. I also find that the recycled electrons that Tesla uses are smelly and kind of off color. I don't like it. I'd think for 35 cents a kilowatt, they could give us brand new electrons.

 

[Tinker71]

The mainstream media has made sure that anyone who has never travelled long distances in a Tesla just assumes that full Superchargers are a real problem, including cars ICEing Superchargers. In five years I don't recall seeing a single ICE car in a Supercharger stall and, if there was one, it wouldn't matter anyway, because there were always plenty of other unused stalls. I'm sure the lines shown in the media are real in some areas and and certain points in the growth of the Supercharger Network, it's just that long lines don't happen as often as they make it seem. I still haven't seen a single Supercharger line.

If you listen to MSM, you will assume Supercharging probably involves a lot of long lines to get charged up and maybe even fisticuffs, LOL! Kind of like MSM makes it seem like Tesla's catch on fire more often than gasoline cars. The "news" has gone from informing people what was going on around them, to misinforming them by focusing on things that rarely happen and making them seem common.

Chargers at work are the key in my opinion. People in apartments don't have have great options but to use the superchargers. Chargers at work will also let people take advantage of the solar power spike we will inevitably see in the next several years.

Tesla will sell a crap load of level 2 chargers now that their plug is going to be the defector standard. It is just plain better.

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