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Advice on charging options from Naples to Key West

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benjiejr

Technogeekextraordinaire
Nov 20, 2014
672
480
San Antonio, Texas
Anyone have any idea when this goes live?

+1

Looking at a road trip from San Antonio, TX to Naples, FL to visit family. If I'm that far, what's 5 more hours to Key West, right?! lol I was researching my charging options and it looks like the Marathon Supercharger is just barely out of reach and I would need a little extra charge to make it there. I was looking at this Plantation Supercharger and seems like it's really close to opening but since it isn't I was considering charging on the HPWC at Pinecrest Gardens. That's not ideal since it will take longer, but it looks do-able in the P85D.

Anyone tried a similar trip from the Naples area to Key West? Is this the best option or is there something better? Thanks in advance.

Regards, Ben

Pinecrest Gardens.jpg
 
Only way to do Naples to Key West ... head North to Fort Myers, top off, then head to West Palm Beach (pack lunch ... industrial area with nothing around except a Subway in gas station few block North. THEN head South towards Miami, easy to make it to Marathon. Hwy 1 so slow ...

Several Destination chargers in Key West. Recommend the Marriott.

On way back, HPWC it in Miami mall, shop, dine ... then head back alligator alley (75) or even 41.

OR Naples > Alligator Alley > Miami mall > Marathon.

(When I tried Pinecrest, it was at 15A.)
 
keep in mind that Pinecrest has a CHADEMo too - I am in the area for another few weeks and happy to meet you there to allow you use of it. Jut give me a big heads up if you can :).

Also, I've used the HPWC at pinecrest and it's pretty fast (54mph from what I remember).
I would avoid Miami mall HPWC - it sucks, crowded, and Tesla tries hard to disallow using it.
 
Only way to do Naples to Key West ... head North to Fort Myers, top off, then head to West Palm Beach (pack lunch ... industrial area with nothing around except a Subway in gas station few block North. THEN head South towards Miami, easy to make it to Marathon. Hwy 1 so slow ...

Several Destination chargers in Key West. Recommend the Marriott.

On way back, HPWC it in Miami mall, shop, dine ... then head back alligator alley (75) or even 41.

OR Naples > Alligator Alley > Miami mall > Marathon.

(When I tried Pinecrest, it was at 15A.)

Thanks for the suggestions @GreenT! Wow, that seems like you have to go pretty far out of the way. That might turn my 5 hours into 7 hours or so. It would really stink if I did try the Pinecrest route and find that it charges at 15A. :/

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keep in mind that Pinecrest has a CHADEMo too - I am in the area for another few weeks and happy to meet you there to allow you use of it. Jut give me a big heads up if you can :).

Also, I've used the HPWC at pinecrest and it's pretty fast (54mph from what I remember).
I would avoid Miami mall HPWC - it sucks, crowded, and Tesla tries hard to disallow using it.

Thanks a ton for the generous offer @bhuwan! That's a thought. I've never tried CHAdeMO before. Would be quicker. Looks like it's free. Do you know if I need a certain RFID like ChargePoint? If I do try it, I'd be going heading down to Key West on approximately Tuesday, Oct. 20 and returning north approximately Thursday, Oct. 22.
 
Looking at a road trip from San Antonio, TX to Naples, FL to visit family. If I'm that far, what's 5 more hours to Key West, right?! lol I was researching my charging options and it looks like the Marathon Supercharger is just barely out of reach and I would need a little extra charge to make it there.

Only way to do Naples to Key West ... head North to Fort Myers, top off, then head to West Palm Beach (pack lunch ... industrial area with nothing around except a Subway in gas station few block North. THEN head South towards Miami, easy to make it to Marathon. Hwy 1 so slow ...

Ben, assuming you you can trickle charge to 100% while you're in Naples, there's no reason to go north to Fort Myers and backtrack back towards Naples again. There's a Whole Foods right off of I-75 in Pembroke Pines that has an L2 J1772 charger, which is right along the way. The address is:

14956 Pines Boulevard
Pembroke Pines, FL 33027

You wouldn't have to stay long to just pick up a few extra electrons to make the distance. Besides, US1 going down to Key West is not a remote-access highway, so you'll be driving slower. There are many 35-45 mph zones, and top speed I think is 55 (might be 65) so it will be a more efficient trip anyway. I wouldn't be surprised if you could make it without an extra charge, if you start the trip @100%.
 
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There is another HPWC on US1 (South Dixie Highway) at the Pinecrest Village Hall/Police Department. Neither of these are heavily used, nor is the CHAdeMo or HPWC at Pinecrest Gardens heavily used.
These are very convenient places for anybody traveling on US1. About a ten minute walk from the Pinecrest Gardens location is the Wayside Market ( http://www.yelp.com/biz/pinecrest-wayside-market-miam ) whose owner drives a 70D, so is happy to talk Tesla.
 
CHADEMo is free unfortunately I won't be here OCt 20 !

I should be home around this time and have a CHAdeMO adapter if benjiejr wants to use it. As Larry and others have pointed out, there's no transformer at the Plantation site yet and I heard from Kenny (KennyB-FLL) today it might be up to 90 days before it's ready. This is gonna be the longest awaited Supercharger in Tesla's history!
 
Hey Guys,

Just got a pleasant surprise, saw a supercharger across the LA Fitness on University in Davie. It's not open to the public yet but looks ready so shouldn't be too long. It will be great for anyone who works out there, leave the car to charge and go work out, it's literally across the street.

Don't be that guy that leaves their car while a fellow owner needs to charge to get to their destination!!!!
 
Thank you @bhuwan and @Brit4864!

I don't want to bother anyone unnecessarily and I certainly appreciate the offers. I think I can get by without the CHAdeMO adapter, but I will keep you in mind if things change. I won't be at 100% when leaving Naples so I plan to stop at the HPWC at Pinecrest Gardens for maybe an hour and that should get me enough to make it to Marathon. An hour isn't a big deal esp if I grab a bite to eat around there. Hopefully there is something convenient nearby. I need to research that...
 
Thank you @bhuwan and @Brit4864!

I don't want to bother anyone unnecessarily and I certainly appreciate the offers. I think I can get by without the CHAdeMO adapter, but I will keep you in mind if things change. I won't be at 100% when leaving Naples so I plan to stop at the HPWC at Pinecrest Gardens for maybe an hour and that should get me enough to make it to Marathon. An hour isn't a big deal esp if I grab a bite to eat around there. Hopefully there is something convenient nearby. I need to research that...
You might want to use the HPWC at Pinecrest Village Hall/Police Dept instead if you're expecting to have a bite. The US1 location of the Village Hall has a McDonalds, a small mall that has an Italian, a Thai and a couple other eateries all within a minute walk. If you're up for a few minutes walk you can have many more options. Pinecrest Gardens is more pleasurable for a walk, but the only place for a bite (mostly dairy and fruit) is the Wayside Market, a ten minute walk. OTOH, the Wayside Market owner does have a new 70D. I will not be there on Oct 20, otherwise you could charge at my place and have a plethora of options close by.
 
You might want to use the HPWC at Pinecrest Village Hall/Police Dept instead if you're expecting to have a bite. The US1 location of the Village Hall has a McDonalds, a small mall that has an Italian, a Thai and a couple other eateries all within a minute walk. If you're up for a few minutes walk you can have many more options. Pinecrest Gardens is more pleasurable for a walk, but the only place for a bite (mostly dairy and fruit) is the Wayside Market, a ten minute walk. OTOH, the Wayside Market owner does have a new 70D. I will not be there on Oct 20, otherwise you could charge at my place and have a plethora of options close by.

Thank you for this suggestion. Someone else mentioned this place but I couldn't locate it. Is it at the following address?

12645 Pinecrest Parkway
Pinecrest, Florida 33156

If so, that's actually closer to the highway and more direct for me!

Thanks again everyone!

Regards, Ben
 
I've driven Naples to Key West three times. Since the Marathon Supercharger is in it is easy. Do a range charge in Naples. Then drive 41 to 997 to Homestead. Then on to the Marathon Supercharger. The trip will be less than 200 miles. Keep your speed at the speed limit all the way and you will make it no problem.

Enjoy the Keys.

Roland
 
Thank you for this suggestion. Someone else mentioned this place but I couldn't locate it. Is it at the following address?

12645 Pinecrest Parkway
Pinecrest, Florida 33156

If so, that's actually closer to the highway and more direct for me!

Thanks again everyone!

Regards, Ben
Yes, that is the address. It is on US1 (Pinecrest Parkway is the name for US1 within Pinecrest. Driving US1 South you'll make a U-turn just beside a McDonalds which is nearly sharing the same driveway. There is a sign saying Pinecrest Police department. The location is marked on the Tesla nav as a destination charger, but as usual gives slightly odd instructions. The reality is simpler.

This thread is about the Pinecrest installation and has a few photos. BTW, the ICEing does no longer happen IME.
Village of Pinecrest (South of Miami) Installing 2 Tesla HPWCs
 
I've driven Naples to Key West three times. Since the Marathon Supercharger is in it is easy. Do a range charge in Naples. Then drive 41 to 997 to Homestead. Then on to the Marathon Supercharger. The trip will be less than 200 miles. Keep your speed at the speed limit all the way and you will make it no problem.

Keep your speed at the speed limit... what's the fun in that? :p

On a more serious note: if you do that, what kind of reserve do you see when arriving? And what kind of load (weight in pounds) are you carrying in the car? I've found a significant difference in energy consumption when it's just me, versus when it's the whole family plus a ton of bags.
 
It's not fun to drive the speed limit except in the Keys. The view is great and the traffic on the Overseas Highway is traveling about 40 mph. You'll get great range at the slower Keys speed.

We had two adults and a couple of carry on bags in the car. Windows and roof open.

I always start out slowly and increase speed as we get closer to our destination.
 
Just wanted to comment on this thread and say how awesome it is to hear stories like this. I helped get the two HPWCs installed in Pinecrest and it always makes me happy when I see that our work has helped people use and embrace their electric vehicles. Hope your trip goes smoothly!!
 
Just wanted to comment on this thread and say how awesome it is to hear stories like this. I helped get the two HPWCs installed in Pinecrest and it always makes me happy when I see that our work has helped people use and embrace their electric vehicles. Hope your trip goes smoothly!!

Truly appreciate your efforts! Having these HPWCs available are the reason why I'm adding the trip to Key West on to this already long road trip! Thank you kindly.
 
Just wanted to comment on this thread and say how awesome it is to hear stories like this. I helped get the two HPWCs installed in Pinecrest and it always makes me happy when I see that our work has helped people use and embrace their electric vehicles. Hope your trip goes smoothly!!

Truly appreciate your efforts! Having these HPWCs available are the reason why I'm adding the trip to Key West on to this already long road trip! Thank you kindly.

Hi Ben,

Echoing what Ethan expressed, our club funded the HPWC at the Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center when you reach Key West. We gave Tesla permission to list it as part of the Tesla Destination Charging Program.

Have a safe and enjoyable trip to the Sunshine State.

Larry
 
FWIW: whenever I stay at a hotel my car usually draws a buzz from the doormen to the desk to the manager and I always make it a point to talk up the benefits of installing not only a Tesla HPWC but a generic J1772 that other EVs can use. Many hotels have installed both.
from what I understand the hotels need to hear requests from many EV drivers in order for them to justify the installation of these units, so please in your travels take a minute or two to grab a managers ear and either thank him for having a charger or letting him know that installing a charger will attract many more "affluent" Tesla owners to their properties.