Use Your Supercharger Votes To Assist Nationwide Parks!

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Lately, Tesla opened up Supercharging to much more automobiles by including assist for GM automobiles. Which means that much more EV drivers can now take part in Supercharger Voting! When Tesla does this, they offer every consumer 5 votes to make use of on a map of potential future areas. Whereas areas alongside main interstate highways and in main metro areas are getting plenty of votes, a few of the extra rural stations don’t appear to be getting plenty of love.

On this article, I’m going to counsel some methods readers can vote for Superchargers that might profit journey by EV to nationwide parks, together with the 5 areas I’ve chosen. I’ll additionally counsel some locations to ask Tesla to incorporate within the subsequent spherical of voting!

Nationwide Parks With A Close by Location You Can Vote For

One of many first hints I did was search for markers on Tesla’s map which are close to or on the best way to nationwide parks. It wasn’t that arduous to seek out them!

First, I voted for Gardiner, Montana and Cody, Wyoming. These stations are each close to Yellowstone Nationwide Park, and would put Superchargers on three sides of the park. There’s already one in West Yellowstone, Montana, however sadly it’s not a V3, so non-Tesla automobiles can’t use it. Opening up two extra routes into the park and serving to Cody, Wyoming have one thing greater than a seller charger could be all-around implausible.

One other place that might use some charging love is Furnace Creek in Loss of life Valley Nationwide Park. I do know this is able to be a taxing place to get a cost (it will get to nearly 130 levels throughout some summers), however getting a brief cost to climb out of the deep beneath sea degree basin could be very helpful. No person desires to get caught in Loss of life Valley with out air-con, proper? I simply hope that Tesla places a photo voltaic shade and possibly some misters or huge outside followers there! An indoor charging station with AC may be good for the automobiles.

For my fourth vote, I picked Munising, Michigan. Whereas not referred to as a nationwide park, the close by Pictured Rocks Nationwide Lakeshore is simply one other sort of nationwide park, and is run by the Nationwide Park Service. Having close by charging would vastly assist vacationers each to there and to Isle Royale. You’ll nonetheless need to go to Isle Royale by boat, although.

For my final vote, I selected Scorching Springs, Arkansas. After I traveled to Scorching Springs Nationwide Park earlier this yr, I relied on Franklin’s Charging, which was nice. However, they solely have two stalls. Through the busy season, extra stalls within the space shall be wanted, so it is smart to vote for that one. If Tesla does go for this, I’d positively suggest utilizing Franklin’s first, because it’s an ideal native small enterprise and it has native NACS ports!

With my votes exhausted, there have been a few runners up that I’d suggest individuals contemplate should you don’t like every of the above. A Supercharger in Ruidoso or Roswell, New Mexico would assist drivers get to White Sands Nationwide Park. Pinetop-Lakeside, Arizona (close to Present Low) could be one other good spot to get extra stalls, as that might help with entry to a number of NPS properties within the area. Taos, New Mexico would even be an ideal spot, aiding entry to the Rio Grande Gorge (a part of a nationwide monument run by the Bureau of Land Administration) and Nice Sand Dunes Nationwide Park in Colorado.

Do you may have some areas that you simply suppose could be higher for EV drivers headed to nationwide parks? You should definitely tell us about them within the feedback or on social media.

My Ideas For The Subsequent Spherical

On prime of having the ability to vote, Tesla additionally supplies a hyperlink to a suggestion field you need to use to counsel areas for future voting rounds or just for Tesla to decide on with out voting (it’s not likely a democracy).

My largest charging disappointment for nationwide parks is that it’s nonetheless powerful to get to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in an EV. Many unloaded EVs could make it out and in of there through a ChargePoint station in Kanab, Utah, however EVs with much less vary and EVs towing campers and different trailers would nonetheless wrestle, particularly if coming from the east or from Flagstaff! So, I advised that Tesla contemplate Jacob Lake, Arizona for a Supercharger station.

Close by, a station can also be wanted at Cameron, Arizona. That is good for not solely attending to the North Rim from the South Rim or Flagstaff, but in addition for individuals attempting to go between the Grand Canyon and different parks like Canyonlands and Arches Nationwide Parks. Tesla has a station at Kayenta, however including one in Cameron or Tuba Metropolis and including one at Jacob Lake would just about full issues for the area.

One other place that might use some love is the route into Yellowstone Nationwide Park from the south. Jackson, Wyoming could be an ideal place to start out, as this is able to additionally serve Grand Teton Nationwide Park. Afton, Wyoming would even be nice, as this is able to allow individuals to get to Jackson from Bear Lake, Utah.

One other nationwide park that might use an electrical enhance is Mesa Verde in southwest Colorado. Cortez, Colorado is in the course of a giant charging useless zone. With individuals utilizing electrical automobiles (particularly vans) to tow and to energy campsites, it will make plenty of sense to have a Supercharger there. So, I advised that one, too.

Lastly, the Blue Ridge Parkway might use plenty of love. It’s exhausting to counsel precise areas, however we have now to remember that the terrain the highway goes on means additional energy consumption, particularly if towing. When individuals wrestle to get from attraction to attraction and campsite to campsite, it makes it a extra worrying expertise than it ought to be. Additionally, having the ability to deliver energy alongside to the no-hookups campsites alongside the Parkway is nice, too!

Whether or not you agree with all of my options for voting and for suggesting extra locations, remember to unfold the phrase that voting is occurring! Getting enter from EV drivers might help Tesla get it proper for all of us.

Featured picture: a screenshot from Tesla’s Supercharger Voting web site.