Charging along US 395 on the Eastern Sierra.
(Now if we could get some souped-up charging stations here in California along US395 and through the Sierra!)
I just returned a few weeks ago from a trip through CA in which the last few days was a drive down the portion from US395 from Susanville to Cramer Junction.
I had charged up while staying with friends at Lake Almanor.
I first stopped at the Susanville RV park, just to evaluate the place. They were not crowded and accepted $5 for one hour of 14-50.
I stayed my first night at
Cedar House Sport Hotel in Truckee. This is on I80, not 395, but it is a very nice hotel. They have a
HPWC set to deliver 65A, and two 30A Clippercreek J1772. They have been getting several Tesla guests per week. This location will soon have competition from the Tesla SC at Donner Summit.
Next day I drove down the W. side of Lake Tahoe and charged on J1772 at the Casino at South Lake Tahoe while having lunch. I drove back down to 395 and
that night I stayed and charged at
Meadowcliff Lodge & RV Resort, about 10 miles south of Topaz Lake back in CA. I rented both the room and the RV spot with 14-50, which was 75 yards from my motel room.
The next night I stayed and charged on a 14-50 recently installed at
Independence Inn in Independence, CA. This is a very modest motel, with small rooms, but the owner had done a nice job of remodeling it. His 14-50 fills a very significant gap, because there is no motel charging at Bridgeport or Lee Vining and the RV park at Lee Vining was completely full.
I made it to Independence with 40+ rated miles, but going the other way would be tough with the elevation gain.
I had lunch in Lee Vining at the well-known
Whoa Nellie Deli at the Mobile Gas Station. The manager said they were thinking about installing EV charging. I took her card and after I returned home I sent her an email with links to all the information about EV charging, including Tesla's initiative to subsidize the installation of
HPWCs at good public locations. I am hopeful they will go for it, as their location would provide a gateway into Yosemite from the East.
On my last day, while I stopping for lunch in Ridgecrest, I stopped at the Mariott Springhills Suites. This location had been rumored as a future site of a SC, but the manager knew nothing. I did my last charge of the trip at the Barstow SC.