Charging in Yosemite at the Ahwahnee Hotel

Larry · Mar 5, 2015

If anyone has charged there yet what's the protocol? Can I do it mysel or do I need the Valet to do it? I'm not staying there but since it's a National Park I believe everything is public so I can charge there. Where exactly is it at the hotel?
Thanks

Bet TSLA · Mar 7, 2015

See this post on the official Tesla forums from January. Looks simple.

cpa · Mar 7, 2015

I charged there a month ago. I pulled up to the entrance and spoke with the concierge. He said, "no problem." They had a cone blocking off the HPWC and the J1772 plug adjacent. I drove over, got out, removed the cone, backed in, plugged in and joined my family for lunch.

I reversed the process when we were done eating.

I think we are better off advising the people in the know that we intend to use the charging system as a courtesy because it is free, after all, and we want them to know that we are patronizing their restaurant or hotel.

Larry · Mar 7, 2015

Sounds like a good idea. I was planning on eating there while charging so I will notify the valet.

Larry · Mar 15, 2015

Bit of a story, this is the only hpwc in the Valley. Went to charge there Thursday around 6pm. Another S was plugged in to the HPWC and another EV was plugged in to the Clipper Creek charger. The S was done charging as the lights were static. I talked to the Bell desk and they had no idea who was plugged in. So I figured they were at dinner and I left a note to call me when they came back. No call, I checked back at 9p and both cars were still plugged in and charged. Bell desk still had no info. The other EV plug at the store was also taken by an S as she saw me waiting at the hpwc-she was also waiting for the hpwc but she managed to plug in to the empty charger at the store and she was good. I had 100 miles left so no big deal to get around the valley but I had to charge to get back to Manteca the next day. Next day at 10 am the S owner leaves me a cheery message that she was done charging and the hpwc was available.
This is a classic example of why this EV thing will be stunted. If people are naive about the process or just plain self absorbed it will frustrate and turn people away from EV. I don't know the answer but if a lot of folks take their S to Yosemite in the next 6 months let's hope everyone is considerate or there will be a lot of pissed off people. All this person had to do was leave a note with her cell so I could text her or better yet move the fu#%#%#ing car when done charging. How hard is that? I did have a text with her and explained the proper etiquette, she just didn't even consider moving her car after she was charged, she was staying at the Ahwahnee and just elected to leave her S parked and plugged in-wow is all I could say to that. Hopefully she learned a lesson. What an idiot!
The guys at the Bell desk were also pretty irritated as they have experienced folks asking them the same questions since the hpwc got put in. He was frustrated as he said "its only early spring and it's already a problem" Yikes!

Lloyd · Mar 15, 2015

Sounds like they need a few more HPWC's. I'm sure that Tesla will provide them if they ask.

TEG · Mar 16, 2015

Larry said:
...better yet move the fu#%#%#ing car when done charging. How hard is that? I did have a text with her and explained the proper etiquette, she just didn't even consider moving her car after she was charged, she was staying at the Ahwahnee and just elected to leave her S parked and plugged in-wow is all I could say to that...

Looking forward to the day that the semi-self driving cars will move themselves to an alternate parking space once they are done charging.

By the way, the hotel desk people's reaction to too much strife over non-charing cars being left parked there could be to remove the charging station altogether. We need to be careful not to blame the hotel staff... They really have no way to enforce it and could turn sour on the whole thing if it causes too much contention.

Larry · Mar 16, 2015

The staff I talked to was already sick of it and the charger just got installed. The summer will be a problem, and youre right, if it's a huge problem they will just pull it out, not worth the trouble for them. Let's hope that doesn't happen.

cpa · Mar 16, 2015

TEG said:
Looking forward to the day that the semi-self driving cars will move themselves to an alternate parking space once they are done charging.

By the way, the hotel desk people's reaction to too much strife over non-charing cars being left parked there could be to remove the charging station altogether. We need to be careful not to blame the hotel staff... They really have no way to enforce it and could turn sour on the whole thing if it causes too much contention.

Yes, shades of grade school when the teacher brings something nice for us all to share and enjoy and a couple of kids use more than they should. So, the teacher removes whatever it was and now everybody loses.

Tuan · Mar 20, 2015

It would be nice if the Tesla app sends a notification - "Your Tesla is done charging, please move your vehicle"

strider · Mar 20, 2015

Tesla could help by making this part of the delivery script, having a nice big section about it in the owner's manual (heck, it could even pop up on the screen when using a new charger since the car knows here it's charged before), and also a nice-looking sign that can be sent with the HPWC to notify owners that they should move their car as soon as it's finished charging, requesting they leave their cell #, etc.

Larry · Mar 21, 2015

Tuan said:
It would be nice if the Tesla app sends a notification - "Your Tesla is done charging, please move your vehicle"

That's a big part of the bitch here-it already does that! At least it tells you it's done charging

ecarfan · Dec 10, 2017

Planning a trip to Yosemite next year and have been reviewing the various threads about charging in the park that have been posted in this forum. Just checked Plugshare and the charging options in Yosemite Valley are the same as has been discussed: Tesla 80A HPWC and Clipper Creek J1772 at the Ahwahnee (now the “Majestic”), a J1772 at the Yosemite Village Store which seems to be unreliable but some have reported using it in 2017, and a 110V plug at the Valley Lodge and at the Housekeeping camp which are of course essentially useless to Tesla owners.

So the Ahwahnee remains our best and almost only choice in Yosemite Valley. And with the growing number of Teslas on the road those two chargers are going to be increasingly heavily used. Summertime is going to be a real challenge.

I strongly suggest that every Tesla owner who tries to charge there treat the staff with courtesy and patiently explain that every time someone asks to use their EV chargers to request that they leave a note on the dashboard with their cell number and an estimated time when they expect to be finished charging, and then to please move their car as soon as they are done charging.

If the hotel staff understand that following that procedure will result in less complaints to them maybe they will do as requested.

I never go into Yosemite Valley during the peak summer months, but am hoping to make a trip there in either May or October and will need to use those chargers since I will be towing a trailer.

For those who are not towing, getting a full charge at Groveland or Fish Camp should mean that you won’t have to worry about charging in the valley.

ucmndd · Dec 10, 2017

I think cases like this make a strong argument for keeping the EV charging spaces under the control of the valet, so they can always move the cars and maintain a queue if necessary.

Thankfully for Tesla owners, the Groveland and Fish Camp superchargers have greatly reduced the need for L2 charging in the valley. The “coming in 2018” Merced station will round out the trifecta.

ecarfan · Dec 10, 2017

ucmndd said:
Thankfully for Tesla owners, the Groveland and Fish Camp superchargers have greatly reduced the need for L2 charging in the valley.

True, unless you are an X owner towing a trailer. As I will be next year. In that case, if I want to camp in Yosemite Valley at the Upper Pines Campground I would like a charge to ensure I can get back to Groveland. It’s only a 100 mile round trip, but towing really impacts range, there are significant elevation changes, and the car will lose charge sitting for several days, plus nights are cold.

The Fish Camp to Upper Pines Campground is only about 70 miles, so a bit easier. But I like to maintain a generous safety margin especially when traveling in the mountains where charging options are extremely limited.

McManX · Dec 10, 2017

ecarfan said:
True, unless you are an X owner towing a trailer. As I will be next year. In that case, if I want to camp in Yosemite Valley at the Upper Pines Campground I would like a charge to ensure I can get back to Groveland. It’s only a 100 mile round trip, but towing really impacts range, there are significant elevation changes, and the car will lose charge sitting for several days, plus nights are cold.

The Fish Camp to Upper Pines Campground is only about 70 miles, so a bit easier. But I like to maintain a generous safety margin especially when traveling in the mountains where charging options are extremely limited.

Looking forward to your report towing into Yosemite.
I assume you would drop the trailer at the campsite before going to charge. Getting a trailer into the Ahwahnee would be a disaster. If so this gives some flexibility to change off peak times. I’ve never had a problem getting the ahwahnee charger in the early morning.

ecarfan · Dec 10, 2017

McManX said:
I assume you would drop the trailer at the campsite before going to charge

Definitely. The road to the Ahwahnee is narrow and there is no room to maneuver in that parking lot.

Getting there early in the morning sounds like a good plan. Unless a hotel guest has left their Tesla plugged in overnight...

McManX · Dec 10, 2017

ecarfan said:
Definitely. The road to the Ahwahnee is narrow and there is no room to maneuver in that parking lot.

Getting there early in the morning sounds like a good plan. Unless a hotel guest has left their Tesla plugged in overnight...

Yah hopefully any overnight guest will be nice enough to use the slow charger but you never know.

Need · Dec 11, 2017

I stayed there a few years back in their slow season with a $99 per night rate. Even at their slow season their parking lot is so full it was hard to find parking at night. My guess is that if a guest with Telsa came back in the evening and could not find parking other than the charging space, they will probably just leave the car there overnight.

comanchepilot · Dec 11, 2017

sadly, you cannot charge at the Ahwahnee any longer. . . .

It's called the Majestic Yosemite Hotel now . . .

Charging in Yosemite at the Ahwahnee Hotel

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