Tesla To Build the World's Largest Supercharger With 164 Stalls and Solar Canopy

February 13, 2024

By Kevin Armstrong

Supercharging Record Setting Station Planned

Not a Tesla App

Tesla continues to build its Supercharger network with expansion plans to construct the world's largest Supercharger station. The proposed site, located in Kern County, California, near the intersection of Highway 46 and Interstate 5, is poised to set a new standard in electric vehicle charging infrastructure - with an impressive 164 charging stalls.

Solar Canopies and Pull-Through Stalls

The latest ambitious project extends beyond mere numbers. It introduces a comprehensive design that integrates solar canopies over each parking stall, ensuring that the energy used for charging comes from a renewable source. Moreover, the station will feature 16 pull-through stalls catering to drivers’ towing trailers and embody the essence of a microgrid with Tesla's cutting-edge Megapacks for energy storage. These components will collectively harness and store solar energy, underscoring Tesla's holistic approach to energy management.

Tesla's plan also hints at the potential development of a solar farm nearby, indicated by site plans showing a maintenance gate and a designated area. While this aspect remains confirmed, it showcases Tesla's broader vision for renewable energy integration within its Supercharger network.

Strategically situated close to Lost Hills, the new Supercharger station will serve local and passing EV drivers and signal Tesla's vision for the future of transportation. This location is set to eclipse the current largest Supercharger station at Harris Ranch, also in California, which boasts 98 stalls, highlighting Tesla's rapid network expansion.

Tesla's Kern Country Supercharger in California will be Tesla's biggest, with 164 stations

@MarcoRPi1

Tesla News will be Supercharging Stations

As Cybertruck and the latest Model 3 versions have made their debut, with the updated Model Y off the 2024 agenda and the next-gen vehicle delayed to 2025, Supercharger sites are set to be a focal point this year. Though perhaps lacking the immediate allure of sleek, advanced vehicles, the significance of Supercharger stations surpasses that of the cars themselves.

Tesla is the new ‘gas’ station of the future. The company achieved this by giving all of the competition its charging technology, the North American Charging Standard, and the competition conceding to the King of the EV sector. However, the challenge will now be to build that infrastructure as quickly to keep up with the demand that no Teslas can use these far-superior charging stations.

Tesla's innovation extends beyond charging technology. In Los Angeles, construction is underway for a unique Supercharger station featuring a diner and a drive-in theater, offering a nostalgic 1950s theme complete with rock music and servers on roller skates.

@Tesla Diner exterior looking close to being complete.
Crew working on a Saturday after the heavy rains.
Windows and entryway looking diner shaped! pic.twitter.com/NTLGwnHBG6
— AL Set (@AlSet51241438) February 10, 2024

The U.S. has just over 2,700 active Tesla Superchargers, an increase of more than 700 since October. Worldwide, Tesla has more than 2,400 Superchargers and 55,000 charging stalls.

Tesla Says 12V Power Socket Access Will Not Return With Sentry Mode

October 9, 2024

By Karan Singh

Not a Tesla App

It turns out that the big undocumented change in Tesla update 2024.32 that disables the 12V power and USB ports while Sentry Mode is active is not a bug but an intentional change.

A fan contacted Tesla Service to see if the change was intentional and what the reason behind the change was. Surprisingly, they received a response pretty quickly.

No 12V Power Access

Tesla has decided to restrict 12V power access for safety reasons—namely, to “reduce the likelihood of thermal events” when third-party devices are left powered on without users present. Tesla reached out to the fan in question by phone, and they seemed to be sticking to that line.

It seems that Tesla is resolute that it was due to safety reasons and that the change would not be “fixed” or allowed in a future software update – as this was an intentional change for safety reasons.

Other sources have reported that the change was due to potential misuse of the 12V power access, with people wiring 1200w microwaves and kettles or jury-rigging 240v to 120v adapters, which had apparently been the cause of multiple fires in Tesla vehicles within China.

Workarounds

Thankfully, for those who camp or need to keep their sub-trunk fridges powered while still having security in their vehicles, there is a simple, although inconvenient, workaround. You can enable Camp Mode, then manually lock your car (since Camp Mode turns off walk-away door locking) and turn off climate controls from the app.

While Sentry will NOT be active with this workaround, the car's power sockets remain powered. While this workaround is fine to use occasionally, it’ll be tiresome for those who use a fridge regularly.

We’re still hoping Tesla considers bringing the Cybertruck’s Power Control menu to the rest of its vehicles and is somehow able to limit the max draw from these outlets to prevent dangerous situations.

Join Our Tesla Robotaxi Event Prediction Contest

October 9, 2024

By Karan Singh

Tesla

With the Robotaxi event just a day away, we thought it would be a fun idea to run a contest to predict what Tesla will announce tomorrow evening.

We’ve outlined a list of questions below; simply answer them on our forums or social media (X or Threads), and be entered for a chance to win some great prizes.

The individuals who have the most correct answers will win one of five prizes mentioned below. If more than five people get them all right, a random drawing will be held from the pool of winners.

We’ll reach out to the winners either by email or by DM on social media.

The Questions

Will Tesla let attendees experience Robotaxi at the event?
Will Tesla first start the network with human supervision (ridesharing), or with Robotaxis only?
What year will the network start? When will it become fully autonomous? (if announced)
When will Robotaxi production begin? (if announced)
Will it be Robotaxi or Cybercab?
Which of these Robotaxi Concepts will be the closest to the one announced?
Will Robotaxi include:
1. Front-facing camera?
2. Stainless-steel body?
3. Steer-by-Wire or No Steering Wheel? (if announced)
4. Which current Tesla model has the most similar door-opening mechanism?
5. How many seats will the robotaxi have?
Will the robotaxi include AI5/Hardware 5, HW4 or something completely different?
Where will Tesla’s first Rideshare/Robotaxi location be established?
Will customers be able to purchase a Robotaxi?

Requirements

Please use the template below to answer the questions on social media or in our forums. You can post your answer as a comment to our forums, to our X post, or to our Threads post.

Once you do that, repost or quote post your favorite article from us.

1. Yes

2. Ridesharing

3. 2025/2027

4. 2025

5. Cybercab

6. Dominic's

7. Yes, Yes, SBW, No, 2

8. HW5

9. LA

10. Yes

Prizes

Prizes are generously provided by Enhance and Jowua, makers of some of the best Tesla accessories and amazing Tesla community members. Prizes will be mailed out directly by them. Winners will get to choose their prize from the list below. First place will have the first pick and so on. There will be five winners in total.

S3XY Buttons (including a commander and wiring)
S3XY Knob for Model 3/Y
Tesla Gaming Controller - Multi-Device Wireless Controller (Wireless Charging)
Tesla Gaming Controller - Multi-Device Wireless Controller (Wireless Charging)
Tesla Gaming Controller - Multi-Device Wireless Controller (Wireless Charging)

Disclaimer

This is a Tesla event, and Tesla normally likes to hold their cards close to their chest. If an answer is ambiguous, we’ll go with the best choice decided by our staff. We’ll do our best to be fair. This

With all that said, we wish our entrants the best of luck, and we’ll announce the winners at the end of the week.