Sainsburys to Install Superchargers?

[phje]

Popped into Sainsburys Calcot, just off the M4, for some lunch

P85 in the car park on NL pates (very nice, the touch screen is a stupidly/awesomely big as people say)

Order in the cafe and find a table

Then notice the Tesla badge on a guys fleece a few tables over and start listening in

At least two American's, didn't catch the Tesla fleece guys accent and two English (one with a Sainsburys ID badge)


Comments I picked out

List of top 50 stores
Comments on 'enough power?'
Exeter motorway
Bristol motorway
12 projects - some testing and working, some testing and not sure on (?), some conceptual
There are many plug in hybrids (here/in England?) that could benefit while shopping [Can any other EVs use the supercharger plug yet?]

[mids]

Interesting. Tesla previously stated that they'd have their supercharger network rolled out in England by the time the RHD cars were launched but that hasn't really happened. They have a few but they seem to be behind their original plan, maybe because of this bk they dropped when negotiating with Ecotricity

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-an...

Sainsburys already have quite a few stores with EV charging points (my local store has 10 bays for 32A charging) so maybe a tie in with Tesla would make sense.

phje said:

Can any other EVs use the supercharger plug yet?

Nope they are Tesla only but Teslas can use the other charging points and a few have been seen charging for long periods due to their large battery. LEAF owners are in a right tizz about it ( example).

[phje]

mids said:

Interesting. Tesla previously stated that they'd have their supercharger network rolled out in England by the time the RHD cars were launched but that hasn't really happened. They have a few but they seem to be behind their original plan, maybe because of this bk they dropped when negotiating with Ecotricity

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-an...

Sainsburys already have quite a few stores with EV charging points (my local store has 10 bays for 32A charging) so maybe a tie in with Tesla would make sense.

Ahh I wasn't aware of that

mids said:

phje said:

Can any other EVs use the supercharger plug yet?

Nope they are Tesla only but Teslas can use the other charging points and a few have been seen charging for long periods due to their large battery. LEAF owners are in a right tizz about it ( example).

I didn't think so, but maybe something is coming from the recent announcement of free patent licensing.

[slippery]

How many chargers do these supercharging stations have? It's all very well quoting an impressive charging time (30 minute coffee break etc), but if Teslas really take off, there will surely be queues in some of the more popular locations.

[TransverseTight]

slippery said:

How many chargers do these supercharging stations have? It's all very well quoting an impressive charging time (30 minute coffee break etc), but if Teslas really take off, there will surely be queues in some of the more popular locations.

Not really. You'll be better off charging at home overnight than waiting around half an hour just to get £5 worth of free leccy. However if you were going there anyway... a free top up is free... forever. As more Telsa's get sold they'll put in more chargers. The business model is based on a known infrastructure cost and long term rate on renewable energy deal. If you get the base model 60kWh you have to pay £2,000 extra to get "free" electric for life.

[slippery]

I was very interested and would obviously charge overnight, but one of my most regular jourmeys is a round trip of 220 mostly motorway miles, which I think is probably on the ragged edge of the Real life range in such conditions. A big traffic jam, or diversion, could see me in difficulty. Shame really.

[DSLiverpool]

slippery said:

I was very interested and would obviously charge overnight, but one of my most regular jourmeys is a round trip of 220 mostly motorway miles, which I think is probably on the ragged edge of the Real life range in such conditions. A big traffic jam, or diversion, could see me in difficulty. Shame really.

Briefcase Gen in the boot ?

[slippery]

DSLiverpool said:

Briefcase Gen in the boot ?

I just bought an i8 instead.

[TransverseTight]

DSLiverpool said:

Briefcase Gen in the boot ?

At typical output of 2kW it might take all day to get enough charge to get you home.

I'm pretty sure the queues will only ever be as big as they are now. I pretty much expect to maintain a ratio of cars on the road in a region to number of superchargers.

Whether region means Europe, UK or South East. I';m sure they'll be loooking at usage patterns as they roll out. And either add more bays at existing sites and create new sites giving more flexibilty on where to stop.

Regarding the OP... it would be interesting for s supermarket to get on board. I never tend to fill up at notorway service service becuase it's about £5 a tank more. Just take 10 litres to get me home if range anxiety is creeping in (yes with petrol). On my regular journey I know places that are just off the motorway.. Tesco at J4 M42 and the Morrisons just off the A34 near Oxford. I could do with finding somewhere closer to the bottom of the A34/M3.

I've already checked ready for when I get the i3 and there's fast charges at Chievely and one going in at Warwick services. I could do with one right at the top of the A34 where it meets the M40 as that's eactly half way and likely where ther battery will be empty.