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Supercharger – Goodland, KS

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Cottonwood

Roadster#433, Model S#S37
Feb 27, 2009
5,089
184
Colorado
Called around in Goodland, KS today. Got a very animated response from the clerk at the Holiday Inn Express, "Yes, they have been working on that Tesla thing in the parking lot. We are all very excited."

It just so happens that I have to test fly an airplane after its annual maintenance, and do some recurrent training in the aircraft. A mission based training/test flight to Goodland, KS looks like a nice task for tomorrow! :wink:

With luck, I will have pictures this time tomorrow!

Here is the location: Google Maps: Holiday Inn Express – Goodland, KS
 
195 miles to Denver.

From Goodland to Hayes is 144mi, but to Salina is 238mi. May need to choose a site between them. Ellsworth is 202.

Then the center of KC is 206 more...somewhere in Western KC would obviously be a bit closer.

From what I hear, it's going to be something like below, heading east from Denver. All locations are Google Maps City locations, not predicted Supercharger sites. If true, this would be a nicely spaced set of Superchargers down I-70.

I am a big believer in keeping Superchargers spaced at 90 to 133 miles apart (closer in the mountains) to support 60's, provide cushion for bad weather, allow fast driving, and support quick charges. Having driven recently from Colorado to California and back again, I can tell you from personal experience how very nice it is to have well spaced Superchargers. I think that Tesla knows this well and is placing Superchargers based on this!

  1. Denver, CO - Start
  2. Limon, CO – 89 miles
  3. Goodland, KS – 109 miles
  4. Hays, KS – 144 miles
  5. Salina, KS – 97 miles
  6. Topeka, KS – 111 miles

Denver, CO to Topeka, KS - Google Maps
 
From what I hear, it's going to be something like below, heading east from Denver. All locations are Google Maps City locations, not predicted Supercharger sites. If true, this would be a nicely spaced set of Superchargers down I-70.

I am a big believer in keeping Superchargers spaced at 90 to 133 miles apart (closer in the mountains) to support 60's, provide cushion for bad weather, allow fast driving, and support quick charges. Having driven recently from Colorado to California and back again, I can tell you from personal experience how very nice it is to have well spaced Superchargers. I think that Tesla knows this well and is placing Superchargers based on this!

  1. Denver, CO - Start
  2. Limon, CO – 89 miles
  3. Goodland, KS – 109 miles
  4. Hays, KS – 144 miles
  5. Salina, KS – 97 miles
  6. Topeka, KS – 111 miles

Denver, CO to Topeka, KS - Google Maps
That would be great, might allow for much faster travel and would provide some buffer for cold weather travel as well.
 
Called around in Goodland, KS today. Got a very animated response from the clerk at the Holiday Inn Express, "Yes, they have been working on that Tesla thing in the parking lot. We are all very excited."

It just so happens that I have to test fly an airplane after its annual maintenance, and do some recurrent training in the aircraft. A mission based training/test flight to Goodland, KS looks like a nice task for tomorrow! :wink:

With luck, I will have pictures this time tomorrow!

Here is the location: Google Maps: Holiday Inn Express – Goodland, KS

So many the pictures of the dashboard with 2 KS locations was somewhat accurate. Do we know where the second one is? Great find!
 
The good news is that there does not appear to be a problem getting the HV connection to the transformer, the Holiday Inn Express has a nice lobby, it's a really easy exit off of I-70, and if the Supercharger is down there is a big RV park across the street with a lot of 50-Amp outlets. The bad news is all that you can see done is the utility locates, the planning for the HV Connection to the power line, and it's a 1/2 mile walk to the other side of I-70 to find food.

The staff confirmed that the Supercharger is going in, but had no idea on the schedule... The I-70 corridor from Denver to St Louis may take a while. Hopefully, the pace will pick up!

The location is Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites, Goodland, 2631 Enterprise Rd, Goodland, KS 67735, Google Maps: Goodland Holiday Inn. It's a toss up to put on The Superchargers Tracking Site as a permit or construction phase marker. For those that maintain that site, please use these pictures and info below to make your decision; either way, it should go on the map.


A Google Maps view of I-70 and the Hotel Location:
Goodland-Interstate-2.jpg



The plan view of the site with the HV Power Lines (Poles), Equipment Area, and Charging Stalls shown:
Goodland-Plan.jpg



A Panoramic view from the parking lot:
Goodland-Pano.JPG



A view from west to east showing the planned HV power routing and utility locates:
Goodland-Locates.jpg



Hopefully construction will start in earnest soon...
 
Thanks for these research trips, Cottonwood. As a resident of the island state of Texas any progress in our direction is a good thing.

One question, though - can you see the adjacent Supercharger location from there? I'd forgotten how... wide-open Kansas was!
 
Awesome recon Cottonwood. Thanks! Goodland puts a stake in the ground for the I-70 buildout. We will be heading to Kansas soon!
100 years of my extended family history out there on the prairie in Thomas and Sherman Counties. We've come a long way since rural electrification !
 
The Holiday Inn owner says,.. "in by the end of May", and construction will start "shortly". Power comes from City of Goodland Municipal, and they had a big "job walk" recently.
Good news for my planned trip to Colby June 21. And one would think the whole I-70 line would be underway, else what's the use, right ? Park Meadows to Goodland would be tight in an 85k with 500 lbs of payload and any headwind I think.... Could leave the dog behind, but still 430lbs. ha. Need a plug.
Called City of Limon, and all electrical permits go through Colorado state agency in Denver, DORA. Called them, and no record of a permit for Tesla in Limon. Reliability factor of that call was about 50%, in my opinion though, ...but she tried.... We'll let this story unfold!
 
The Holiday Inn owner says,.. "in by the end of May", and construction will start "shortly". Power comes from City of Goodland Municipal, and they had a big "job walk" recently.
Good news for my planned trip to Colby June 21. And one would think the whole I-70 line would be underway, else what's the use, right ? Park Meadows to Goodland would be tight in an 85k with 500 lbs of payload and any headwind I think.... Could leave the dog behind, but still 430lbs. ha. Need a plug.
Called City of Limon, and all electrical permits go through Colorado state agency in Denver, DORA. Called them, and no record of a permit for Tesla in Limon. Reliability factor of that call was about 50%, in my opinion though, ...but she tried.... We'll let this story unfold!

Nice research!

I looked into the route from Lone Tree to Goodland. See Goodland, KS to Park Meadows - Google Maps. If you take the back roads, it's 15 miles shorter and only 6 minutes extra according to Google Maps. At 187 total miles, going east with the prevailing wind and downhill is probably pretty easy. Going west against the prevailing wind and uphill might be a little more sporting.

It all comes down to the fact that 200 or so mile spacing between Superchargers is doable, but takes planning and good technique. 100 or so mile spacing makes driving an MS cross-country a fun, fast, no-brainer experience. See Watching for I-70 Superchargers from Denver to St. Louis - Page 3 for rumors I have heard that say we will will be getting the fun spacing.
 
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Yes, I was looking at that. Thanks. CO86 through Franktown/Elizabeth to Limon is actually pretty nice two lane. 60mph is more enjoyable than racing 18 whelelers in my book, especially with human conversation and the dog onboard. Trip back we would like to go north our of Goodland to St. Francis, where my great uncle had the Ford dealership in the 1930's and 40's, and the cousins want to see the car.. Then might have to find a 50-amp somewhere out on the prairie east of Denver, with the slight elevation gain, etc... In summer, it'll be fine.
 
Don't know if you've been to Western Kansas @nwdiver, but this location is actually pretty nice, in a relative sense especially for being next to an interstate freeway. Goodland is the largest spot for 100 miles either direction. And TMC also has to work with businesses with enough property to most likely lease it free. These business owners are forward-thinking, and we can support their risks with our business and our thanks....
Why does Tesla keep placing SCs away from EVERYTHING?! If this is really the location this is worse than the spot they picked in Gallop:cursing:
 
Why does Tesla keep placing SCs away from EVERYTHING?! If this is really the location this is worse than the spot they picked in Gallop:cursing:

Goodland and Gallup by themselves are pretty remote, but if you look at Goodland as a waystation on I-70 and Gallup on I-40, they are well placed as part of a chain of Superchargers every 90-130 miles that make cross-country travel, easy, pleasant, fast, and worry-free.

I have driven the Gallup, Holbrook, Flagstaff, Kingman stretch across I-40, and it is amazing to drive a little over the 75 MPH speed limit, knowing your only limit is speed limit enforcement, that there is a Supercharger in your near future, and that it charges so fast that speeding up your driving will actually get there faster. :wink:
 
I understand that there will be SCs in very rural cities but it's frustrating when the SC is at a hotel and the closest thing to eat is half a mile away. I don't doubt it can be difficult to cite a SC in some areas and obviously if it's down to no SC or an SC nowhere near anything I pick option 2.... Stopping in Flagstaff and Gallup you have to walk a while to get a bite. If the SC is at the Holiday in Express the closest thing to eat is 0.4 miles away... yay. I guess I need to get used to the fact that sometimes I'll need to stop to get food before I stop to charge :mad:

These business owners are forward-thinking, and we can support their risks with our business and our thanks....

What risk? doesn't Tesla pay for everything?
 
I understand that there will be SCs in very rural cities but it's frustrating when the SC is at a hotel and the closest thing to eat is half a mile away. I don't doubt it can be difficult to cite a SC in some areas and obviously if it's down to no SC or an SC nowhere near anything I pick option 2.... Stopping in Flagstaff and Gallup you have to walk a while to get a bite. If the SC is at the Holiday in Express the closest thing to eat is 0.4 miles away... yay. I guess I need to get used to the fact that sometimes I'll need to stop to get food before I stop to charge :mad:

Flagstaff isn't so bad. There are a couple of restaurants within a 5-10 minute walk. Gallup is the worst that I have seen. OTOH, I have found all of the hotel sites very welcoming to Tesla owners using their lobby, often with free WiFi. Another approach that I have used is to stop before the charge and pick up food and/or snacks that I bring to the Supercharger. Once again, the hotels have been very open to me bringing my own food into their lobby.

While having 6 adjacent restaurants/coffee shops in the immediate area, I'm just happy to have chargers, and will make do.
 
What risk? doesn't Tesla pay for everything?[/QUOTE]

Of course we don't know the details of TMC deals with property owners, but you'd think they sell the idea that Tesla owners would bring something to their establishment. The placement of two tons of equipment, and excavating for high voltage is not every day business for folks, especially in the middle of Kansas. Hotels, whether or not with full restaurants, are about the only 24/7 option, having restrooms perhaps trumping food on the priority list .:scared:... And believe me, this spot is probably the most nicest and most freeway convenient place to park your car in Sherman County.
 
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