Improvement ideas for Superchargers - and who to contact?

[The_Kilt]

I have completed a few longer runs over the past few months, and used Superchargers during the trips, and thought of a few ideas for improving the stations. been at a few at tesla showrooms, hotels, random colleges/restuarants:

1. Include Air/Water machines (normal at petrol stations, which i now dont like visiting anymore)
2. Windscreen wash equipment (sponge and squeegy)
3. Alternative to 2. maybe have a cleaning team there?
4. Free wifi?

Now the question is who can we contact to suggest ideas like this? For the chargers at service stations, restuarants etc its generally OK as there is other stuff to do around the area, but i went to the one at Camborne in Cornwall and there is nothing nice around there. Some scabby industrial estates and retail outlets with nowhere to get a decent coffee. as we are spending more time at these stations it would be better to have more available.

 

[GRiLLA]

There's a nice enough little Coffee shop in the building just by Cambourne, but it's only open during the week. Nimbus Kitchen · FibreHub, Trevenson Ln, Redruth TR15 3GF, United Kingdom

I don't think Tesla really ask for feedback from customers, maybe post at them on X (Twitter). I doubt they will respond though.

I can't disagree with your ideas, would be more convenient for me, but also none of them would really make be use a SuperCharger more so I'm not sure where the business case would be. I would mention that very occasionally if the Tesla rangers aren't busy visiting peoples homes they set up shop at SuperChargers and check peoples tyres etc.

 

[Rob_S]

You will probably get the following response

“Hi, we have received your feedback and already offer access to all of these wonderful services. 1. Any legacy petrol station can accommodate you (bonus: you get to laugh as they spend £80 to fill their tanks). 2. We gave you windscreen wipers. Elon thinks they are too heavy and has diverted aligned resource to other areas like rockets to mars, but we keep sneaking them into the assembly line…you’re welcome. 3. Sure, are you available to clean people’s cars for free? If not then please use any of the Polish car washes (note: you will need to carry cash as they are mostly money laundering centres). 4. Sure (note: software updates only)”

 

[init6]

1. Who pays for them?
2. Who pays for them?
3. Who pays for them?
4. Who pays for it?

 

[The_Kilt]

There's a nice enough little Coffee shop in the building just by Cambourne, but it's only open during the week. Nimbus Kitchen · FibreHub, Trevenson Ln, Redruth TR15 3GF, United Kingdom

I don't think Tesla really ask for feedback from customers, maybe post at them on X (Twitter). I doubt they will respond though.

I can't disagree with your ideas, would be more convenient for me, but also none of them would really make be use a SuperCharger more so I'm not sure where the business case would be. I would mention that very occasionally if the Tesla rangers aren't busy visiting peoples homes they set up shop at SuperChargers and check peoples tyres etc.

See we were there on the sunday and it sucked. Not much and didnt fany visiting poundland or McD's!

1. Who pays for them?
2. Who pays for them?
3. Who pays for them?
4. Who pays for it?

the intention was for all of this to be paid for, no different to what happens at a petrol station. In amny years time, when / if electric is the norm, where can we get the tyres inflated, sreenwash filled up etc? the carging stations will be the new petrol stations so the same resources should be consdered. I do most of it at home, but on the long journeys it doesnt make sense making seperate stops/trips to sort these things out. One simple stop would be better. The car was fiflthy over this weekend due to the weather, could have done with a quick clean by some "car clean/clesn money" outlet.

 

[GRiLLA]

See we were there on the sunday and it sucked. Not much and didnt fany visiting poundland or McD's!


the intention was for all of this to be paid for, no different to what happens at a petrol station. In amny years time, when / if electric is the norm, where can we get the tyres inflated, sreenwash filled up etc? the carging stations will be the new petrol stations so the same resources should be consdered. I do most of it at home, but on the long journeys it doesnt make sense making seperate stops/trips to sort these things out. One simple stop would be better. The car was fiflthy over this weekend due to the weather, could have done with a quick clean by some "car clean/clesn money" outlet.

You should try the Electric Forecourts by Gridserve at Braintree, Norwich or Gatwick, a vision of a future where charging stations are equal or better than petrol stations. Give it 10 years and they will be commonplace. Gridserve Electric Forecourt: we try the UK's first bespoke EV charging location - pictures | Auto Express

The issues is really that EV charging is typically an unstaffed operation which made sense when the volume was low, but at some point they will get collocated with other types of staffed retail. I imagine there will be a choice, either self-service charging in a car park or go to a site more like a petrol stations where you can buy wild bean coffee, a warmed up sausage roll and a bag of sweets. Those places can afford to provide a tyre pump, bucket of screen wash etc.

 

[yessuz]

the ONLY thing which I think, really is missing, the roof/shelter above charging bays. As in petrol stations you have shed/shelter to cover from the rain, and in SCs you are exposed to all rain and other elements while plugging/unplugging.

it might be 15 seconds, maybe, but when it proper monsoon type of rain, then it's not fun and giggles.

They do have some of them done properly, like for example Riom, near Clermont-Ferrand in France

it is not necessary to have solar panels (but really, why not?), but it is significantly better than just plain open SC under the rain and no where to hide

However, since more and more petrol stations have some sort of chargers net to the pumps, all the OPs mentioned facilities are there... just not the roof.

 

[pgkevet]

I always carry cleaning stuff and a thermos on any decent journey. Wi-fi should be s no-brainer if only so Tesla can keep track of their charging kit via starlink with enough spare bandwidth for customers. But they want you to buy phone upgrades so where is the incentive?

 

[boombap]

Tesla is rolling out WiFi to superchargers - though it doesn’t seem to be a huge priority here yet. I think I’ve experienced it at maybe two supercharger sites in the UK to date and spotted a Starlink squarial antenna things on a pole by the cabinets at one of them (I forget which supercharger it was).

I think for the rest the chance is basically zero, even a bucket and a squeegee would be filthy and gross within a day so without a regular cleaning team visit it’d be as useless as not having it. Not to mention people will steal anything not nailed down.

I often use my battery powered pump at a supercharger as the seasons change to avoid the petrol stations (I have on occasion even cleaned the whole car with waterless wash if alone and on a long stop at a supercharger). Don’t see the need for water, maybe screen wash at a push but I can deal with buying a bottle of that a year at the supermarket.

 

[bradtem]

While all of these have been suggested many times before, I think Tesla resists anything that needs maintenance.
The one on your list that doesn't need maintenance actually comes with a cost benefit for Tesla. Not free wifi, but wifi for those who have premium connectivity, both if there is no cellular in the area, or just to save Tesla the cost of the cellular fees for you to watch Netflix while charging. Not that free wifi for all to do that wouldn't be bad.

But since I can indeed get air and water and windshield cleaner at gas stations (sometimes for a fee) the thing I want most, not seen at most SC, is picnic tables, ideally with some shade/rain protection. While I normally will pick an SC with a tolerable restaurant walking distance from it, that's not always easy, and in that case the best plan is to get takeout to eat while charging, and for that picnic tables for the win. Otherwise I have to carry a table and chairs to avoid eating in the car.

The general rule is you should never spend time at the SC while charging. You should be able to go eat or shop near it. But eating takeout is a reasonable choice if there is a place to do that. Needs heat in cold places, too.

 

[spdpsba]

Needs heat in cold places, too.

And may be something like this too - st Julian en Genevois - France/Switzerland border.

 

[spdpsba]

See we were there on the sunday and it sucked. Not much and didnt fany visiting poundland or McD's!

I am sorry, though Nimbus is closed on Sunday that place has more options than some other SCs in Europe. A Costa is just opposite to Camborne SC if you do not prefer McD or domino’s or subway or farm foods.

 

[bradtem]

And may be something like this too - st Julian en Genevois - France/Switzerland border.

Is that a Tesla facility, or just a bar near the supercharger (of which there usually is one at most superchargers.) Tesla built a custom Tesla lounge at a couple of superchargers in the USA, but didn't go further with it. It's a building with a coffee bar, vending machines, lounge areas, picnic tables, with a door code you get told when you click on it in the car. It's nice as far as it goes, and you would rather have this than a charger in the middle of nothing but I would rather not have this be what they spend money on, because it's the wrong idea. You don't want to wait at a supercharger, you want to do something you already needed to do, like eat. That charger with the lounge is huge, and has another huge one about 400 yards away which is the one I go to because it has in-and-out burger, but the charger itself is just a parking lot.

 

[init6]

it has in-and-out burger,

Now you're talking

 

[init6]

the intention was for all of this to be paid for, no different to what happens at a petrol station.

Most petrol station make their money by getting people to buy things in their shop. Petrol is in effect a loss leader to get them spending money on other things.
Without a shop these additional facilities would just be a cost that has to be borne by the consumer (coz Tesla ain't going to do it).

I think what you're really arguing for is placement of Superchargers in better locations with more facilities rather than the reverse.

 

[GRiLLA]

Most petrol station make their money by getting people to buy things in their shop. Petrol is in effect a loss leader to get them spending money on other things.
Without a shop these additional facilities would just be a cost that has to be borne by the consumer (coz Tesla ain't going to do it).

I think what you're really arguing for is placement of Superchargers in better locations with more facilities rather than the reverse.

Petrol is absolutely not a loss leader for petrol stations, but why not also sell people from a Costa machine, sausage rolls you've heated all day, double-sized chocolate bars and a dizzy array of cigarettes and vapes. Better still make the route to the till a chicane so they have to stand next to oversized packets of crisps. I guess if you know you are selling fossil fuels that are ruining the planet for future generations it's easy to also go for coronary heart disease for this generation.

 

[init6]

37p per £100 of fuel doesn't sound too great to me.
I know Supermarket stations make more profit, but guess where they are located?

When did you last use a petrol station (moot point perhaps) that only sold fuel?

 

[father_of_6]

While we're making these requests, I'd also like a personal masseuse at each Supercharger, a charcuterie board, and a 30 piece orchestra.

 

[yessuz]

While we're making these requests, I'd also like a personal masseuse at each Supercharger, a charcuterie board, and a 30 piece orchestra.

since I am writing this down (before passing it to muskovite) can you please elaborate a bit more - the massage you require is just a conventional one or happy ending one?

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Tesla is not going to be interested in your ideas. Tesla tries to spend as little as possible and your ideas add cost.

Tesla operates electricity pumps. Tesla makes agreements with companies to host the pumps. The hosts provide the amenities.