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"ICEed" By a Tesla Roadster at Park Meadows SuperCharger

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After a nice drive from Parker to Longmont and back yesterday, I made my way through the Park Meadows shopping center to their four-bay SuperCharger to get a quick charge. When I got there, all of the bays were occupied. The SuperCharger bays at Park Meadows are very close to the food court entrance of the mall, so they are in a pretty convenient and desirable parking location. Three bays had Model S vehicles (with one with its charging completed), while the forth bay was occupied by a blue Tesla Roadster...

This surprised me, since Roadsters cannot use SuperChargers, and there are two HWPC available adjacent to the SuperCharger stalls. Apparently, the Roadster driver just wanted a nice parking space. It is probably worse that a Tesla driver/owner does not seem to know about proper charging behavior. So far, I have not seen any ICE vehicles actually ICEing those bays, probably because mall security seems to patrol the area pretty closely. Luckily, I was not desperate for a charge (although I was pretty low). After waiting about 10 minutes, a Tesla employee from their showroom in the mall came out to give a test drive, and I was able to pull into the bay that their demo vehicle had been using, so it was not a very big deal for me.

I guess my main point here is we need to pay attention and think about what we are doing when it comes to simply parking in a SuperCharger bay. I am afraid this will become a bigger problem as more Teslas are sold over time. It would also be nice if the Tesla mobile app would do a push notification when charging is complete, so people would know that their car was done, and then go out and move it.
 
Here is the Roadster that was parked in the SuperCharger bay yesterday.

2014-04-19 14.25.12.jpg
 
Whoa, keep in mind that for a long time now, the Tesla Store has 'owned' the 7 or so bays under the parking roof in the corner nearest the Mall, and tends to keep them stuffed with Teslas if not for any other reason than to avoid them being ICE'd. Protocol has been to call the Store before you arrive and they will meet you to give you a space.

According to the Store a week ago, the new SC is located in this same strip thus may be used by the Store for parking purposes. Unlike most SCs Lone Tree *does* have a 240v Roadster UMC that you can borrow from the Store to charge up during business hours (the main reason for my call to them). But your Roadster will enjoy only the traditional 'medium-slow' charge rate. :crying:

So, to the OP, the situation you found may simply be business as usual, the result of Lone Tree being a 'Store SC' with Concierge Service!!

Takeaway: LONE TREE: Always Call Ahead.
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So, to the OP, the situation you found may simply be business as usual, the result of Lone Tree being a 'Store SC' with Concierge Service!!

Takeaway: LONE TREE: Always Call Ahead.
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Nothing on Tesla's website suggests this location as a Concierge location.

If this is indeed the case, shouldn't Tesla be responsible for communicating this to owners? Even if it's a placard on the cars to travelers noting to contact the SC for stall availability.
 
Yes, but the Roadster was not plugged in to either of the HPWC that are there. It appeared to simply be parking there, which is wrong, in my opinion.

I actually went inside to talk to the employees in the Tesla Store while my car was charging, and they knew nothing about the Roadster (which means it was not an inventory car). They told me that this SuperCharger location is a test to monitor usage, after which they may open a new location somewhere else in Lone Tree or just stay where it is now.
 
So, to the OP, the situation you found may simply be business as usual, the result of Lone Tree being a 'Store SC' with Concierge Service!!

Takeaway: LONE TREE: Always Call Ahead.
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Of course call ahead if you want to use their 240v charging, whether outlet or EVSE, but one should not have to call ahead to use a supercharger. If the Roadster was parked there to keep the space from being ICEd, at least there should be a large sign on it with the number to call to have it moved. Otherwise it's no different than the space being ICEd.

It seems a better solution to prevent the supercharger spaces from being ICEd would be to post a large "NO parking unless charging-- towing enforced" sign, and enforce it.
 
> They told me that this SuperCharger location is a test to monitor usage, after which they may open a new location somewhere else in Lone Tree or just stay where it is now. [GABerry]

Yes!!, recalling that the SC is technically a 'portable' style install. The location is just too close to a main Mall entry and the food court(!) makes it ICE-City. The location is ideal for the Store since it is just a short walk upstairs. The Store should keep the 7 slots and the SC should really be moved around the corner away from the 2-level parking garage and way out into the huge parking lot. Agreed, TM should post an asterisk on LONE TREE* since it is not a normal SC!!
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Yes, but the Roadster was not plugged in to either of the HPWC that are there. It appeared to simply be parking there, which is wrong, in my opinion.

Although Tesla does make an adapter to charge a Model S from a Roadster HPC, they have never made (I really want one), an HPWC to Roadster adapter. Therefore, it is not possible to charge a Roadster from an HPWC.

Because the HPWC and the MS connector use J1772 signaling, I have considered making a "Y" box from the HPWC feeding an MS connector and a High Amp J1772 plug; Tesla does make a J1772 to Roadster adapter...
 
> Tesla does make a J1772 to Roadster adapter... [Cottonwood]

Credit for that gem goes to Henry Sharp. Maybe you are thinking of the TM dongle: [Roadster HPWC <=> MS] which I used once at Lone Tree, before they ripped them off the wall.
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How about leaving a note saying "I've posted a photo of your embarrassing ass at Teslamotorsclub.com for blocking a charging spot without charging. You should see what people are saying about you... Enjoy your day."

Wow. And how about remembering that you almost certainly wouldn't have a Model S at all if it hadn't been for those Roadster buyers paving the way.....

Or how about pointing out to Tesla that it would have been soooo easy to include a couple of NEMA 14-50 outlets at each SC location to allow Roadster owners to plug in?
 
I actually do respect the original Roadster buyers/owners for keeping Tesla alive and making the Model S possible. On the other hand, there is really no good excuse for parking in a charging spot when you are not charging. It is no different than an ICE parking in front of a gas pump.

There was plenty of available parking within 50-75 yards away of the SuperCharger stalls. It was not a Tesla-owned car, and it was not there to "prevent ICEing" of the SuperCharger stall.

I can't actually believe there is really any serious argument about this.
 
I actually do respect the original Roadster buyers/owners for keeping Tesla alive and making the Model S possible. On the other hand, there is really no good excuse for parking in a charging spot when you are not charging.

Oh, I agree with you completely; I just think that there are plenty of more polite ways to remind a fellow Tesla owner than the note our friend suggested.