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Charging at Tesla service centers

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I was driving in Newport Beach, CA this weekend and I noticed a Tesla Service Center (Costa Mesa) near the highway. In front of the service center there is an area with some parking spots and I noticed they had about 4 charging stations set up there (like a supercharger station) My question is can you use these chargers during service center business hours or is it exclusively for cars that are being serviced at that center?

I have read posts that when you drop of your S for service they usually charge up your battery before you get it back, so I wasn't sure if these chargers out front are for employees to use only on serviced cars or not.

Also, would these chargers be the same as the supercharging stations or 80A?

Thanks!
 
(Roadster experience, but still ...) In the past, when I've been traveling and needed to rely on charging at a service center, I've called ahead to make sure they can accommodate me. Cars in for service generally come first, but I've never known them to not be willing to charge a customer's car if they don't need to use it.

I've charged at Newport, Los Angeles, Seattle, Fremont (multiple times!), Menlo, and I'm sure plenty of other places I'm forgetting. And everyone has always been very nice.

Most service centers don't have supercharging capability, but that will likely be changing.

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And stores! I've charged at stores. Like Santana Row.
 
The Tesla Showroom at the Scottsdale Mall (AZ) has several HPWC chargers in the nearest mall parking lot. When they are doing a ride and drive event (once a month) they need the chargers all day, but they can be used all night and almost any other time. I like to walk in and say "Hi" to Gavin and the crew, tell them I'd like to charge a while and all is cool. Some of the local MS owners pull in there while they shop and dine at the mall. They used to have nothing but Roadster chargers, but have added 3 or 4 HPWCs last time I was there.

I would recommend walking in, visiting, getting permission if during the day. At night (like parking there and walking to a hotel) there is no problem at all
 
A have asked about San Rafael, they said 24 hours open to use! I might have considered the 2nd charger had I know this- it would have saved > 20 hours of charging or more so far! cant wait for that norcal 101 SC


..except at the factory, I think the big row of HPWC + 1772s is for service cars although they didn't mind that I plugged in when I parked there (was a while before SC's) + that lot is locked at night
 
As I posted yesterday on the Truckee Supercharger thread, the Rocklin Service Center is about to start a remodel of their showroom and service center, and one of the staff told me last weekend that they are planning to have several HPWC's outside of their gated area (where they store cars overnight) so that customers can charge after hours. I suspect that this is a plan going forward for other Service Centers as they remodel and expand, at least where the layout of the facility permits. Not a supercharger, but better than nothing. The Rocklin service center is only 20 minutes away from the Roseville Supercharger, but it is directly on I-80 (visible from the highway), and they told me that because they have the space they are trying to convince management to put a few supercharger stalls in as well, since the I-80 corridor is heavily traveled (Bay area to Lake Tahoe and back). Having a couple of stalls in Rocklin would take the pressure off of Roseville.

I think what we're going to see in the future is Service Centers putting in HPWCs and even a few supercharger stalls when layout and zoning permits. Because it's on Tesla's property, I would assume that permitting is much more streamlined.
 
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The San Diego Service center lets you charge at any open spot outside. I think I saw a few chargers inside for the cars they are working on.

I stayed in a hotel near UTC, and had talked to the nice people at the UTC show room. I had cleared it with them and planned to do a nice 100% range charge there overnight. When I went over to charge after dinner, the HPWC's were occupied with locked cars and the 14-50 just threw error codes on my UMC. Luckily, my son suggested Uber car service, I drove over to the San Diego Service center near Miramar road, plugged in, set the Service Center an e-mail as their sign requested and took an Uber car to my hotel that evening and back to pick the car up in the morning. I sent an e-mail to the show room and they had an electrician fix the 14-50 a couple of days later.

It was a no brainer making it to Yuma the next day, the HPWC's (8 of them) at the San Diego Service Center worked great, and the Uber car service is perfect for dropping off and picking up your Tesla from the hotel!

Most Service Centers and Show Rooms have HPWC's; that is yet another reason to have dual chargers!
 
I stayed in a hotel near UTC, and had talked to the nice people at the UTC show room. I had cleared it with them and planned to do a nice 100% range charge there overnight. When I went over to charge after dinner, the HPWC's were occupied with locked cars and the 14-50 just threw error codes on my UMC. Luckily, my son suggested Uber car service, I drove over to the San Diego Service center near Miramar road, plugged in, set the Service Center an e-mail as their sign requested and took an Uber car to my hotel that evening and back to pick the car up in the morning. I sent an e-mail to the show room and they had an electrician fix the 14-50 a couple of days later.

It was a no brainer making it to Yuma the next day, the HPWC's (8 of them) at the San Diego Service Center worked great, and the Uber car service is perfect for dropping off and picking up your Tesla from the hotel!

Most Service Centers and Show Rooms have HPWC's; that is yet another reason to have dual chargers!
Yeah, a while back I was at UTC and a Tesla employee saw me drive in and waited while I took a regular spot further down. I walked back and chatted with him a bit - he said that pretty much only the first HPWC spot is available for owners to charge. Everytime I've been there since, that spot has been occupied by an owner. As such, it is tough to rely on the UTC location for a charge.

I too have used Uber around here. Fantastic service.
 
That's great to know! I haven't been by the North Scottsdale Service Center to see if they have any HPWC's outside. It's nice to know there will be options to charge a little bit outside of my garage. Phoenix's closest supercharger is in Buckeye which is about 30 miles away from where I live and mostly of out of the way unless I am heading to LA or San Diego. I was planning on getting dual chargers on my X, but having these HPWC's available at the mall and service center affirms my decision to get them for quick, spontaneous charges.
 
Before depending upon charging at a service center, I'd either call ahead or arrive during business hours. The chargers in the Atlanta service center are outside, but when I arrived about half an hour before closing, they were all occupied. They pleasantly accommodated me and shuffled cars around but I would not expect to arrive and find them full empty. Its a little different than superchargers because the charging is longer.
 
I was driving in Newport Beach, CA this weekend and I noticed a Tesla Service Center (Costa Mesa) near the highway. In front of the service center there is an area with some parking spots and I noticed they had about 4 charging stations set up there (like a supercharger station) My question is can you use these chargers during service center business hours or is it exclusively for cars that are being serviced at that center?

I have read posts that when you drop of your S for service they usually charge up your battery before you get it back, so I wasn't sure if these chargers out front are for employees to use only on serviced cars or not.

Also, would these chargers be the same as the supercharging stations or 80A?

Thanks!

I was very intrigued by the OP since there is mention of 4 charging stations in the parking lot of the Costa Mesa Service Center. I've been to that service center many times (as recently as a couple of weeks ago) and I knew that there is only 1 HPWC and 1 Roadster HPC.

Well, I just passed by again, and the OP is correct because there is actually a NEW Costa Mesa service center that seems very much ready to go and it has the 4 HPWC on the outside. The new service center is a couple of blocks down the road from the old one. The HPWC are the same as at the old service center, 208V, 80 amp. So bring your dual chargers if you have them.
 

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I had no idea that was a new service center! I noticed another Tesla building down the street which must have been the older service center. My reconnaissance was strictly from the highway on-ramps (73N to the 55) so I couldn't stare for a long time LOL.