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Red Deer, Alberta gets a SC! But what is it for?

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scottm

Legacy account
Jun 13, 2014
3,070
2,387
Canada
Picture worth a thousand words.

[FONT=&quot][/FONT]Here you go:
duh.jpg


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Do I just phone a tow truck, do I need to get a ticket on a windshield first?

What's the protocol to get access to one of these stalls with my model S and this is what I face?
 
Call Tesla first. They should call the hotel manager to do something.

From their web site, this is the Ownership phone number:

Toll free: (877) 79-TESLA or (877) 798-3752

This is not an urgency for me, I was given the heads-up from a colleague scouting the spot on my behalf.
Because it's an observation with no dire immediate consequences, I decided to start with email.

Contacted Tesla by email, asking for the protocol to deal with this situation, got an immediate response:

Thank you for bringing this to my attention.
I will be in touch with the Supercharger team and find out what resources you can use to help if this ever happens to you again.
Thank you for your continued support. Really appreciate ..


Also, I contacted hotel general manager by email to find out what they're prepared to do in this situtation.
 
This is not an urgency for me, I was given the heads-up from a colleague scouting the spot on my behalf.
Because it's an observation with no dire immediate consequences, I decided to start with email.

Contacted Tesla by email, asking for the protocol to deal with this situation, got an immediate response:

Thank you for bringing this to my attention.
I will be in touch with the Supercharger team and find out what resources you can use to help if this ever happens to you again.
Thank you for your continued support. Really appreciate ..


Also, I contacted hotel general manager by email to find out what they're prepared to do in this situtation.

Thanks for championing this. I was thinking of doing a road trip up there - seems like I might have to use SCH! Maybe I'll stay at the hotel and raise merry hell if I can't get to the super chargers.
 
Hotel initial response:

Good afternoon Mr. M,

Thank you for your message regarding the Tesla Supercharging Stations in our parking lot. We are also very excited to have these new stations available for our guests in our parking lot. There are signs at each of the stations that specify that these stalls are for Tesla charging needs however there are times when the hotel is very busy (as we are today) that parking space at the hotel is limited and we are going to find these stalls full. The set up that has been provided by Tesla does have one station that is in a corner where even if a car is parked in the Tesla space, a car parked behind this car would still be able to have access to the charger. This is still not ideal as your car wouldn’t be in a proper space while charging but could be an option if needed.

As these stations are new to us and to Red Deer we haven’t as yet come across this issue however we will monitor and may revisit what options we may have going forward. If you have any questions or if there is anything else that I can do for you at this time, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Have a great day.

Warm Regards,

L F
Director of Sales & Marketing
Sheraton Red Deer Hotel
 
That's a lame response from the hotel. Did you explain to them that if the stalls are full, this could potentially inhibit someone from getting home?

Not specifically that. Here's what I emailed to the hotel:

Hi,
I couldn’t find an email contact on your web site for the general manager of the hotel, please forward this to the correct party on my behalf.

I drive a Tesla car that needs recharging and I look forward to using the newly installed Superchargers at your hotel. The first in Alberta! My wife and I choose hotels to stay based on available car charging facilities as our number one criteria. Or, if passing through, we usually dine at a nearby restaurant while charging up on a trip. We like to reward the places who have braved the decision to install chargers by doing business there., becoming our preferred merchant as a way of saying ‘thanks’. I think you’ll gain this similar kind of loyalty from the EV driving community.

Sheraton Red Deer is the landmark we will definitely be looking for in our travels. We are planning a group event that will happen soon, and are thinking to have it in Red Deer. But if I were to show up at your hotel and face this scene with my car needing a charge, what would happen next?

It has me worried. I look forward to your reply!
 
The supercharger team is [email protected] Please forward them all this info....

The hotel manager does not appear to quite get it yet. Ugh!

-m

Ya, I agree. .... "our parking lot" and "parking space at the hotel is limited and we are going to find these stalls full"
as hotel response is a bit too "meh, it can happen".

I think that's a wrong attitude.

I will forward a link to this thread to the tesla email you suggested. Update, this has been done.
 
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But funny.

ah so making fun of pickup drivers like that is socially acceptable and politically correct (unlike drivers of , say, certain other vehicles)? that's interesting.

lets keep that in mind for future reference, then :)

The supercharger team is [email protected] Please forward them all this info....

The hotel manager does not appear to quite get it yet. Ugh!

-m

to be fair, if you were in her position, what could you do that was reasonable? they only have so many stallls available, will they reject or neglect their own customers for a vehicle that, in ALberta of all places, is still near non existent?
 
...

to be fair, if you were in her position, what could you do that was reasonable? they only have so many stalls available, will they reject or neglect their own customers for a vehicle that, in ALberta of all places, is still near non existent?

The lease may allow two of the spaces to be ICEd. For example, with the notorious "General Parking 2-hour limit" signs. However, it would be surprising and disappointing if the hotel wasn't supposed to reserve at least two places for Supercharging at all times.

If the lot is often full and the Sheraton intends to let anyone block charging, then both parties never should have signed the lease. Considering the size of the lot and the normal number of hotel guests, the Residence Inn in Silverthorne, CO may have been mistaken to lease eight spaces for Tesla Supercharging. Yet, once ICEing became a problem they honored their end of the deal by installing additional signs and putting two cones in each spot (except in the two "General Parking" ones.) This no doubt inconveniences some Residence Inn guests who have to park farther away, but so be it.