Elon’s Diner for Superchargers?

[ajdelange]

Haven't seen anything like that. Can you point me?

 

[rr6013]

These things are very expensive and, as with everything else electric, the station has to be designed for peak demand - not average. That's one of the big challenges with the charging network. Most of the time most of the stalls sit idle but at time of peak demand you need to get a car that is finished charging out of the stall ASAP to make it available for the next guy. The only way I can see to do this with the current level of technology is to have someone move it when it is finished. That's why they have idle fees (which are turned off when the station is less than half full). You don't want that someone to be you. I've done it enough times to know that with certainty. Thus it seems an attendant will be required, at least during peak hours. Obviously his minimum tasks are to get your car out of the stall, park it somewhere and communicate to you (could be done through the app) where he took it so you can find it. Augmenting this to full valet means that you don't find it. He brings it to you at the door.

Yes, it will be interesting to see how Tesla handles this.

I get a Carvana tower image from this logistical description?

Elon love a machine, robotics over estrogen or testosterone. I can see this going vertical, robotic and autonomous so fast.

Elon’s Diner is atop the stack with penthouse views and you’ll love Elon’s, go there often and leave full - you and your car!

 

[Cyberman]

Hello all? it’s been a long while, but all is good. Our son started back at work today after a long bout with a very aggressive cancer and my God if only I could of shared the excitement in his eyes with all of you and not to mention the tears of joy my wife and I were holding back because it was amazing, just an amazing feeling of happiness ?. Chemo is no FN joke for anyone! Better times ahead son! We love you Kiddo very much! Hope your having a wonderful day.

Now, back to what my son and I have been enjoying talking about during his chemo for over a year. Hunting, fishing, Cybertruck and of course, anything remotely technological ?.

ajdelange, crissa, would it be possible to have CT or any Tesla vehicle “couple to” or “link to” robo snake charger when arriving to restaurant?

This could increase speed and efficiency and when CT or other Tesla model is done charging, snake will “uncouple” without assistance and then, like some manufactures use autonomous robots to deliver parts to station to station , could it be possible to autonomously, take CT to a numbered parking stall ?‍? Seems very possible. Might be some way to manage this musical car dance. Right? I’m no software dude or math guy.

Im ready for your tough love.?

Cybr on, thanks for sharing such an amazing milestone of good news! Congrats, and many more like it.
Your idea sounds like the future of charging, or at least something that'll be available on a limited basis. A lot of older folks would rather not get out of their vehicle to recharge if it's an option, so why not? Anyone with limited mobility is going to want it too. I say yes.

 

[CyberMoose]

These things are very expensive and, as with everything else electric, the station has to be designed for peak demand - not average. That's one of the big challenges with the charging network. Most of the time most of the stalls sit idle but at time of peak demand you need to get a car that is finished charging out of the stall ASAP to make it available for the next guy. The only way I can see to do this with the current level of technology is to have someone move it when it is finished. That's why they have idle fees (which are turned off when the station is less than half full). You don't want that someone to be you. I've done it enough times to know that with certainty. Thus it seems an attendant will be required, at least during peak hours. Obviously his minimum tasks are to get your car out of the stall, park it somewhere and communicate to you (could be done through the app) where he took it so you can find it. Augmenting this to full valet means that you don't find it. He brings it to you at the door.

Yes, it will be interesting to see how Tesla handles this.

I don't think it will be that urgent to move your vehicle. I think putting time limits long enough for you to eat even if your vehicle is charged, or having another system in place to give people at least enough time for a casual meal would do just fine.

I've driven past lots of superchargers, the smaller stations are often idle as you say and quite busy during peak hours. This would definitely be an issue to put a diner specifically for a supercharger next to a supercharging station with around 15 stalls or less. The Diner that's been mentioned is for a supercharging station project that is estimated to have over 60 stalls (62 is what i read). Maybe for these large stations, your car could actually communicate with the superchargers to find one that's free. If you pulled up and every supercharger was already taken, with 62 different drivers, i'm sure it wouldn't take more than a few minutes before someone is likely to finish their meal and leave.

I don't think we would have enough Tesla cars on the road to really conjest such a huge supercharger for quite a while. By the time we do there will certainly be way more superchargers and way more third party chargers located all over the place. At that point if I drove up to a supercharger that was completely full with more people waiting, I'd go to another; just like if I see the line at a Costo gas station all the way out on the street, i'll go to the next gas station.

 

[ajdelange]

There is a reason there are 62 stalls and that is because they are needed - at least some of the time. There is also a reason they impose the idle fees. There are horror stories about some of the stations in California and Tesla has even taken extreme measures like bringing in a flatbed with megapacks and extra terminals to alleviate the congestion. Thus I am quite certain that there will be times when the queue will have to be managed somehow. Tesla has the tools to manage better than they do now as they know who is heading towards a super charger, what his state of charge is and what the state of charge of each car in a station is. This all could be displayed at an attendants console. In fact they should be able to come up with algorithms to help the attendant manage his station.

 

[CyberMoose]

There is a reason there are 62 stalls and that is because they are needed - at least some of the time. There is also a reason they impose the idle fees. There are horror stories about some of the stations in California and Tesla has even taken extreme measures like bringing in a flatbed with megapacks and extra terminals to alleviate the congestion. Thus I am quite certain that there will be times when the queue will have to be managed somehow. Tesla has the tools to manage better than they do now as they know who is heading towards a super charger, what his state of charge is and what the state of charge of each car in a station is. This all could be displayed at an attendants console. In fact they should be able to come up with algorithms to help the attendant manage his station.

I'm not disagreeing that there could be times when these stations get full. It's just my opinion that if Tesla is going through the trouble to make a great supercharger station with a diner and other activities, they probably realize that people don't want to run out of the diner, through a parking lot to their supercharger, unplug to move their vehicle right in the middle of their meal.

Also lets say that it is peak hours and lots of people would rather wait for a supercharger than charge anywhere else. You leave in the middle of a meal with your family to quickly move your vehicle. You move out, someone else takes your spot and suddenly there are no available parking spots because the place is so busy. it's possible they could put a full size parking lot next to this station but it's not like it's impossible for other people to use those parking spots even if they aren't going to the super charger. They could just be going to the diner or doing another activity in the area. Now you might have to leave to find public parking before you return to a cold meal.

It would be great if Tesla could show the attendant how busy the station is going to become and it would also be great if Tesla could inform you through your vehicle that you may experience long wait times at the charger you are driving towards. I don't have a Tesla but I remember there was a discussion before Tesla possibly adding third party chargers to it's naviation, i don't know if it has done that but your car could warn you about this and then give you options of other superchargers or just level 3 third party chargers in the area if you don't need a big charge to make it home or to a different charger.

 

[ajdelange]

I'm not disagreeing that there could be times when these stations get full. It's just my opinion that if Tesla is going through the trouble to make a great supercharger station with a diner and other activities, they probably realize that people don't want to run out of the diner, through a parking lot to their supercharger, unplug to move their vehicle right in the middle of their meal.

I am sure they do realize that and that's why I am sure they are going to do something to manage this potential problem if only during peak hours. I've suggested a couple of things but realize that Tesla's solution may be entirely different.

Also lets say that it is peak hours and lots of people would rather wait for a supercharger than charge anywhere else. ... not like it's impossible for other people to use those parking spots even if they aren't going to the super charger. They could just be going to the diner or doing another activity in the area.

That sort of situation is easily managed. Clearly if the average charge takes less time than the average meal there has to be parking for the charged cars. And, if they want to allow people into the diner who are not charging, for them too. Upon entering the compound you take a ticket. When you charge the terminal informs the main computer that you have done so and there is no parking fee. If you don't charge but eat at the restaurant they run your ticket through a card reader and you get a discount. When you leave you put your ticket in the reader and it charges 0, a discounted fee or a full (and exorbitant) fee depending on what you did. Very like many urban and suburban office buildings.

I don't have a Tesla but I remember there was a discussion before Tesla possibly adding third party chargers to it's naviation, i don't know if it has done that but your car could warn you about this and then give you options of other superchargers or just level 3 third party chargers in the area if you don't need a big charge to make it home or to a different charger.

Yes, they do that now but I don't think the third party ones are really an option (except in desperation) because many of them are in paid parking garages or hotels and virtually all of them are J1772 many less than 10 kW. The occasional ChaDeMo appears but they are 50 kW and require a $500 adapter.

 

[CyberMoose]

That sort of situation is easily managed. Clearly if the average charge takes less time than the average meal there has to be parking for the charged cars. And, if they want to allow people into the diner who are not charging, for them too. Upon entering the compound you take a ticket. When you charge the terminal informs the main computer that you have done so and there is no parking fee. If you don't charge but eat at the restaurant they run your ticket through a card reader and you get a discount. When you leave you put your ticket in the reader and it charges 0, a discounted fee or a full (and exorbitant) fee depending on what you did. Very like many urban and suburban office buildings.

That's basically what I was implying. I'm very used to paying for parking when i'm in a city and I don't really care if i'm parking at a mall parking lot of some parking garage that's intended for something else. If i'm able to park my car there when I need parking and I just need to pay a fee, I do.

I'm also not trying to say that people should be given all the time in the world to eat a meal, relax, chat with friends while there are lots of people waiting for chargers. I just don't think the $1.00 per minute that Tesla lists on their website as idle fees when a station is full should be applied where there is a diner specifically put there by Tesla or a partner of Tesla for the supercharger. A little wiggle room would definitely make people happy when they are getting food. Right now Tesla says that if you move within 5 minutes, it doesn't charge you. Maybe for stations that are built like that one that we are talking to, make it 10-15 minutes that you can disconnect before being charged or put it at like $5 for the first 15 minutes and then regular idle fees.

I completely understand when Tesla puts Superchargers around malls or fast food places for convenience. you have a little bit of time to do something and make it back to your car. But if Tesla itself is looking into offering something that is going to take longer than it takes to charge your vehicle, they shouldn't expect people to leave in the middle of a meal.

It also makes it more complicated for the diner as well. if it's a place that's for 62 charging stalls, they probably expect a large amount of people during peak hours, then you have people constantly walking in and out of the diner to move their vehicles.

 

[Crissa]

That's what 50kW urban chargers or shared-pool chargers are for: They allow more cars to plug in at once.

-Crissa

 

[Cybr on]

Cybr on, thanks for sharing such an amazing milestone of good news! Congrats, and many more like it.
Your idea sounds like the future of charging, or at least something that'll be available on a limited basis. A lot of older folks would rather not get out of their vehicle to recharge if it's an option, so why not? Anyone with limited mobility is going to want it too. I say yes.

Thank you! ?

 

[Cybr on]

Well yes but those are in my opinion, er, rather obscene. Seriously though the problem with them is that they get their charge from on board batteries which means they have to spend more time in their charging dock than they can spend servicing (see what I mean) cars. This is because batteries can be discharged faster than they can charge. This was being experimented with over a year ago (for taxis somewhere in Europe). So possible? Yes. Probable? No, IMO.

Thank you. ?