I was in Red Bluff a few weeks back, it was full when we arrived but a car was pulling out.. then there was a lineup of about five cars pretty quickly.. all lining up in different areas so it created some confusion when / who was next. What I noticed on our Bay Area to Salem /.Bend to Ashland and back drive is that MOST of the SC that we stopped out are on the southbound side of I5, so when on a northbound journey it’s a fair bit of extra time to get to them. Southbound they were very efficient and Shasta and Corning are on the northbound side of I5, but so small I didn’t dare building them into the trip planning. I was pleased that we made if from Ashland, OR to Williams without any need to stop and then 16 minutes of charing in Williams and made it easily all the way back to the peninsula. Seems like regen added a lot more value on the OR to CA southbound run than the northbound journey.
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Holiday travel availability / congestion at CA Superchargers; possible solutions, complaints, comments, discussion
- Thread starter SilverSp33d3r
- Start date
That's a pretty weird statement to make. These are rural freeway exits. The time to get from the NB to the SB side (or vice versa) is literally the amount of time it takes for the grand voyage across the freeway overpass. Twice, if we're being pedantic. In the cases where there aren't even stop lights at the top of the exit ramps, one is required to use the time metric of seconds to quantify the total "extra time" spent getting to/from the chargers.
That's terribly misinformed. Shasta has 20 chargers. While they're only 150kw, one can almost always find an unpaired stall in the 16 across the street.
FWIW, I'd encourage supercharging noobs to allow the trip planner to figure it out for the first few trips. Once you get some actual experience and understanding on how it all works then you can start folding in planner over-rides to improve the experience, whether it be for time efficiency, amenities, etc.
For those looking for useful 411, the 6 permanent 150kW stalls at Corning end up being pretty must obsoleted by the 7 Williams 250kW stalls (which is a comfortable first stop for a good portion of the northbound traffic from the bay) and the 8 250kW stalls at Red Bluff which are only 20 miles north of Corning (and are a decent long-leg from the bay). FWIW, Red Bluff chargers are kinda in a crappy spot for amenities compared to the others.
The inevitably unpaired Shasta 16 also land really nicely at the end of a leg from Williams, AND also make a satisfying long-leg pair from Bend (especially southbound if you start with a full charge). Fred Meyer is great and all, but Klamath is a little inconvenient if weather/wind/kWh permit. Its the better part of 10 min added time vs blowing through on 97.
You know, you could have just said something like “there are TWO separate supercharging locations at Mr. Shasta”. on the in car nav and on the tesla website they show up literally ONTOP of one another. So, yeah, I mistook the one listed as Mr. Shasta with having only 4 SC’s as the only stop while driving and doing route planning. not too many SC’s have two separate sets of SC’s and two separate locations essentially at the same geographic location.
As for Red Bluff northbound route access, if I recall it’s a stop light at the end of the northbound off ramp, then another stop light at the west side of I5, then another light down the ramp which backs up traffic before being able to curve right to get to the SC’s that are at the far back side of the strip mall complex. The restaurant is shuddered as is the coffee shop. I think there were restrooms in the dollar shopping store though, ppl seemed to be going in and out of it from the SC’s. For me, it was a much longer stop that I would have expected. Southbound, I think one would only have to deal with the light that backs up traffic, so one might only need to offramp and curve right (assuming there isn’t a similar light at the end of the off ramp.)
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Finished a round trip from the San Jose area to the Seattle area and back over the long July 4th weekend. Williams and Shasta on the way North, and Corning on the way South. None were very busy - but I wasn't driving on days of max traffic. (Overnight charging in Grants Pass both ways.) I really liked the Williams Supercharger. There are a couple of thoughtfully placed picnic tables.
I do think that Tesla should install a site at Willows. It would split the distance between Williams and Corning. Plus it would be quite convenient for folks who take their Performance cars to Thunderhill raceway.
While only marginally related to CA Superchargers, I saw a post on Facebook that there was quite a line at the Kingman AZ Supercharger over the weekend. Kingman is a key location for travel to/from California along I-40. US Route 93 also goes through Kingman - between Phoenix and Las Vegas.
And I must mention I saw my first Plaid! At the Bellevue WA Supercharger. The fellow had just taken delivery of it a week ago. His first Tesla and his first time Supercharging.
I do think that Tesla should install a site at Willows. It would split the distance between Williams and Corning. Plus it would be quite convenient for folks who take their Performance cars to Thunderhill raceway.
While only marginally related to CA Superchargers, I saw a post on Facebook that there was quite a line at the Kingman AZ Supercharger over the weekend. Kingman is a key location for travel to/from California along I-40. US Route 93 also goes through Kingman - between Phoenix and Las Vegas.
And I must mention I saw my first Plaid! At the Bellevue WA Supercharger. The fellow had just taken delivery of it a week ago. His first Tesla and his first time Supercharging.
Based on my visual estimate I would say 30 million. One for every person of driving age.
roblab
Active Member
Someone did. And some others (those who hit Kettleman at 4PM) didn't. I understand we all can't drive in the middle of the night, but it sure helps to try to head out at some other time than the rest of the herd.
Here is a collection of links I found to the US Dept of Energy Alternate Fuel Data Center Alternative Fuels Data Center: Maps and Data
You may need to combine info from 2 different data sets, I have not found that exact data in a pre-generated plot
> Note entire site seems data friendly, ease to view their pregenerated images or download data in spreadsheet
* Electric Vehicle Registrations by State Alternative Fuels Data Center: Maps and Data - Electric Vehicle Registrations by State
* Last updated June 2021
* US Plug-in Electric Vehicle Sales by Model Alternative Fuels Data Center: Maps and Data - U.S. Plug-in Electric Vehicle Sales by Model
* Last updated Jan 2020
* Has data for years 2011-2019
* US Hybrid Electric Vehicle Sales by Model Alternative Fuels Data Center: Maps and Data - U.S. HEV Sales by Model
* Last updated Jan 2020
* Has data for years 1999-2019
* note there are over 100 other data sets, covering all type of alternate fuels, transportation infrastructure, etc.
In September, I got my MS LR (first EV) and I've been make monthly trips between San Jose and Los Angeles. Going southbound, I usually charge at Bakersfield (Stockdale Highway) or Bakersfield (Copus Road). Going northbound, I've charged at Kettleman City and Firebaugh. Usually, these Superchargers are deserted as I'm charging very late night (i.e. 10pm). However, Firebaugh was a pretty busy this past Sunday evening.
Years back, I've seen crazy lines at Superchargers for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Should I expect the same for this year? Or have things gotten better? Thanks!
Years back, I've seen crazy lines at Superchargers for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Should I expect the same for this year? Or have things gotten better? Thanks!
Thanks! Yeah, I was surprised how busy Copus Road and Firebaugh was this past Sunday afternoon and evening. I will plan accordingly.
Also due to recent build-outs, US-101 might be a viable (if longer) alternative to/from SoCal. Something to keep in mind if the Grapevine closes (which caused the craziness at the San Luis Obispo Supercharger in Christmas 2019).
Bruce.
cpa
Active Member
Right-o, Bruce. I seem to recall that there was another incident (perhaps a fire) that mucked things up too.
If I recalled, it was like 75% full. Sunday, October 24th around 7PM or so? Long line for females (my gf) to just pee at the McDonalds; short line for the guys.
Just extrapolating from that experience, I'm sure Firebaugh will be full during peak holiday travel days.
Luckily for me, if Grapevine closes, I can easily stay longer in Los Angeles until it clears up. Or just delay my trip (from San Jose) until it clears up. During the winter, I keep a close eye on weather reports on Grapevine before heading out.
cpa
Active Member
Hmmm...the Harris Ranch parking lot isn't that big, and it's mostly back-in stalls. I have pictures of almost every Supercharger site I've been to (including Harris Ranch), and this isn't any of them...head-in stalls in what looks like a shopping center parking lot where you face a street and palm trees.
Also, that hardly qualifies as a "HUGE line of Teslas". Click-bait video title!
Bruce.
PS. Thanks to @cpa for waving me off the day after Christmas 2019, so I didn't get stuck at San Luis Obispo or Mojave trying to get into SoCal. That was not a trip I needed to take, so I ended up stopping in Gustine for a nice hearty breakfast, turned around and came home.
PPS. For people doing their first Tesla road trips this holiday season, I'll just say it pays to get on the road early (or very late). Also take your time, and be willing to change your plans if necessary.
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