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Top 5 ideas on how to alleviate Tesla Supercharger congestion [Poll]

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Tesla Supercharger congestion in Fountain Valley, CA

In a perfect world of shiny, happy, Tesla folks just knowing and practicing good etiquette would alleviate Supercharger congestion. But as we hear at least once every major travel holiday, some locations do experience congestion. To add to my previous post on 5 rules for proper use of the Tesla charging network, here are 5 ideas for how to alleviate Supercharger congestion that Tesla could themselves take.

1 – Supercharger Valet Service

An idea that is not as obvious, but that already been thought of, is to employ attendants at busy locations. This attendant can easily serve as a valet, moving cars when they have reached their desired state of charge. More than that, the attendant can serve as a psychological reminder that ‘hey, these chargers are in demand, so I’d better take only what I need and move along.’ From my understanding, the current model dictates that the attendant not act as a valet, meaning they do not take keys or move cars. Expanding this idea to allow it could certainly help to alleviate any congestion that is caused by users not getting back to move their cars by the time they have reached their desired state of charge.

Below is an example of how Tesla has partnered with Luxe to provide on-demand valet service. Surely this could be something they could also incorporate at Supercharger locations.

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2 – Have Dedicated “Express” Charging Stalls

I certainly can’t take credit for this, as I’ve heard it mentioned on the Tesla forums, but one idea is to dedicate a number of stalls as express stalls. These express stalls would include clear signage that indicates a time limit. 20 minutes, for example, could mean that those who intend a quick charge use those stalls specifically and those who need a quick charge wait in line for the express stalls. This would require an honor system, which certainly has its drawbacks, but again could serve as a psychological reminder that there is a demand for use here and occupying a space longer than you need it may inconvenience others.

3 – Publish Peak Usage Times

Speaking of Tesla’s plethora of data, they could also publish peak days and times for each Supercharger location. Memorial Day Weekend trips to the beach or the lake should go without saying, but certainly it can’t hurt for folks to be able to look up the busiest times for charger locations they plan on using. If you learned that a one hour adjustment to your travel plans would likely avoid a wait for a charger, you may very well adjust. Spreading out use away from peak times could benefit everyone.

Oxnard Supercharger

Tesla Model X charging during off-peak hours at the Oxnard, CA Supercharger

4 – In-navigation Communication

Not to forget Tesla’s incredible OTA software updates and software prowess in general, let us consider in-navigation communication to other owners. That is, once the car knows you are parked very close to a Supercharger, there is an ability for you to answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to the simple question of whether or not the stalls are all in use. If you select ‘Yes’ those currently plugged in will get a notification on their app that says others are waiting to charge. This notification needn’t be any more complex than the one that notifies you that you have enough charge to move on. I’m not even talking about enforcement here, just information that the receiver can choose to use or ignore. I’ve only ever encountered a full 8-stall location once. When I plugged in, there were at least 5 open stalls. When I returned to my car (a reasonable charging time later) all were full. No one was waiting but it goes to show how quickly a wait could have formed. Someone who takes longer to get back to his or her car because the location seemed empty may very well rush right back if they found out it was full.

5 – Build More Superchargers

And last but not least, building more Superchargers is no doubt the most obvious solution. Tesla has done an excellent job of this, with 266 locations open in the United States as of June 1, 2016 and 18 under construction. Many major routes have been enabled, which speaks to the oft-repeated premise that the charging network is meant to enable long distance travel. “Freedom,” as Elon described it in the 2016 shareholders meeting, is the ability to go anywhere and not be tethered to your charging location.

Tesla-Model-S-Supercharger-Map

Real-time Tesla Supercharger monitor at the Hawthorne Design Center in Southern California

What’s less obvious is what I mean by building more. One of Tesla’s many competitive advantages is data. Fleet learning with Autopilot is a great example. We already know that the company has insight on which chargers get the most use. Logic says expand those locations, just as they have in Newark, Delaware. I implore they take it one step further and make use of a precious resource: current owners. Send a quick email to every owner who charged in Cabazon, CA this weekend, for example, and ask where they traveled to and from. Make the email a very easy-to-complete survey and leave an open comments space for location suggestions. It may not be practical to add more stalls at some of the most popular locations, but maybe there is another location along the same travel route that can be built.

Which of these options sounds good to you? Take the poll below to see what others are voting on:

https://twitter.com/ElectricJen/status/738185172277952517

Feature image courtesy of Dennis Pascual via Flickr

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Tesla Cybertruck takes a bump from epic failing Dodge Charger

The Cybertruck seemed unharmed by the charging Charger.

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Credit: Hammer_of_something/Reddit

There comes a time in a driver’s life when one is faced with one’s limitations. For the driver of a Dodge Charger, this time came when he lost control and crashed into a Tesla Cybertruck–an absolute epic fail. 

A video of the rather unfortunate incident was shared on the r/TeslaLounge subreddit.

Charging Charger Fails

As could be seen in the video, which was posted on the subreddit by Model Y owner u/Hammer_of_something, a group of teens in a Dodge Charger decided to do some burnouts at a Tesla Supercharger. Unfortunately, the driver of the Charger failed in his burnout or donut attempt, resulting in the mopar sedan going over a curb and bumping a charging Cybertruck.

Ironically, the Dodge Charger seemed to have been parked at a Supercharger stall before its driver decided to perform the failed stunt. This suggests that the vehicle was likely ICE-ing a charging stall before it had its epic fail moment. Amusingly enough, the subreddit member noted that the Cybertruck did not seem like it took any damage at all despite its bump. The Charger, however, seemed like it ran into some trouble after crashing into the truck.

Alleged Aftermath

As per the the r/TeslaLounge subreddit member, the Cybertruck owner came rushing out to his vehicle after the Dodge Charger crashed into it. The Model Y owner then sent over the full video of the incident, which clearly showed the Charger attempting a burnout, failing, and bumping into the Cybertruck. The Cybertruck owner likely appreciated the video, in part because it showed the driver of the Dodge Charger absolutely freaking out after the incident.

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The Cybertruck is not an impregnable vehicle, but it can take bumps pretty well thanks to its thick stainless steel body. Based on this video, it appears that the Cybertruck can even take bumps from a charging Charger, all while chilling and charging at a Supercharger. As for the teens in the Dodge, they likely had to provide a long explanation to authorities after the incident, since the cops were called to the location.

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Anti-Elon Musk group crushes Tesla Model 3 with Sherman tank–with unexpected results

Ironically enough, the group’s video ended up highlighting something very positive for Tesla.

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Credit: Led By Donkeys/X

Anti-Elon Musk protesters and critics tend to show their disdain for the CEO in various ways, but a recent video from political action group Led By Donkeys definitely takes the cake when it comes to creativity.

Ironially enough, the group’s video also ended up highlighting something very positive for Tesla.

Tank vs. Tesla

In its video, Led By Donkeys featured Ken Turner, a 98-year-old veteran who served in the British army during World War II. The veteran stated that Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, is “using his immense power to support the far-right in Europe, and his money comes from Tesla cars.” 

He also noted that he had a message for the Tesla CEO: “We’ve crushed fascism before and we’ll crush it again.” To emphasize his point, the veteran proceeded to drive a Sherman tank over a blue Tesla Model 3 sedan, which, of course, had a plate that read “Fascism.” 

The heavy tank crushed the Model 3’s glass roof and windows, much to the delight of Led By Donkeys’ commenters on its official YouTube channel. But at the end of it all, the aftermath of the anti-Elon Musk demonstration ended up showcasing something positive for the electric vehicle maker.

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Tesla Model 3 Tanks the Tank?

As could be seen from the wreckage of the Tesla Model 3 after its Sherman encounter, only the glass roof and windows of the all-electric sedan were crushed. Looking at the wreckage of the Model 3, it seemed like its doors could still be opened, and everything on its lower section looked intact.

Considering that a standard M4 Sherman weighs about 66,800 to 84,000 pounds, the Model 3 actually weathered the tank’s assault really well. Granted, the vehicle’s suspension height before the political action group’s demonstration suggests that the Model 3’s high voltage battery had been removed beforehand. But even if it hadn’t been taken off, it seemed like the vehicle’s battery would have survived the heavy ordeal without much incident.

This was highlighted in comments from users on social media platform X, many of whom noted that a person in the Model 3 could very well have survived the ordeal with the Sherman. And that, ultimately, just speaks to the safety of Tesla’s vehicles. There is a reason why Teslas consistently rank among the safest cars on the road, after all.

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Tesla Model 3 driver is using FSD to travel to Mt. Everest Base Camp

The ambitious, nearly 4,000-kilometer (2,485-mile) Tesla FSD journey is being livestreamed on Chinese social media.

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Credit: Douyin 老高懂电车

Count on Tesla drivers in China to push Full Self Driving (FSD) as far as it could go. As could be seen in videos posted on Chinese social media, a brave Model 3 owner is currently going on an epic journey from Henan Province to the base camp of Mt. Everest on FSD.

Recent posts from the Model 3 driver suggest that the ambitious destination may be within reach.

Epic FSD Journey

As noted by Tesla owner-enthusiast Aaron Li, the journey from Henan Province to the base camp of Mt. Everest spans almost 4,000 kilometers (2,485 miles). The journey itself is epic, with stunning vistas and roads that require some drivers to bring oxygen canisters with them. The fact that it is being done using FSD makes it extra impressive. 

Based on the videos that have been recently shared, the Model 3 running FSD seems to be nearing the Everest Base Camp. There seems to be a good chance that the Tesla Model 3 may reach its destination this Friday.

Previous Everest Trips

This is not the first time that a Tesla has driven to Mt. Everest’s base camp.  That would be a Model 3 that was driven in September 2020. That vehicle, which went on a long 5,500 km (3,400-mile) journey, was manually driven to its destination. 

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In April 2021, Tesla China announced that it has completed the buildout of 11 Supercharger stations in the picturesque route from Chengdu to Tingri. This route would allow drivers to reach the base camp of Mt. Everest. Sure enough, in July 2022, Tesla China shared a video of two Teslas—a Model X and Model Y—reaching the Everest base camp without any issues. Numerous other Tesla drivers have since taken on the long, picturesque journey.

Check out this Tesla Model Y’s journey to the Mt. Everest base camp in the video below.

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