Tesla Charging Station Ups and Downs.

Let's see: research electric cars, purchase expensive all electric Tesla and pay for it based on an understanding that condo Association will allow installation of a charging station at parking spot, requiring 300 feet of wire to be run through the common space of the parking garage, go through almost 3 months of nail-biting suspense waiting to see if condo association board will approve request to install the charging station in the common area (never before done in building), finally get approval and move forward with an electrician who begins installing charging station this week, and who is then stopped today by an inspector.

Electrician scrambles and figures out yet another way to tap into the building's electric source, with inspector observing.

Inspector seems happy with new plan and gives the go-ahead, but then notices Tesla charging station does not have an Underwriters Laboratory (UL) approval sticker on it and tells electrician that there is no way he'll sign off on the job without that sticker.

And that's where we are at end of day on April 1, 2010. I have a beautiful new all-electric car, with no way to charge it!

So, tomorrow we'll have to deal with Tesla and try to get a UL approved sticker so that the electrician can complete the job before the weekend. If he is successful, the charging station could be fully operational on Monday.

My electrician needed me to move my car in order for him to do some additional work late this afternoon, so I hopped in the Tesla and and drove down the coast, through the beach towns of Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, and on down to the stunningly beautiful Palos Verdes Peninsula.

The drive along the coast, high above the ocean on a road that follows along the cliffs, is called one of the finest drives in the United States, high atop the list of things to do in Southern California. A seaside "yellow brick road" traces the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island, and this afternoon was a stunningly beautiful sunny cool day -- perfect for the drive.

I've had the Tesla for two full days now, and have well over half my charge still in reserve -- so I'm not desperate to recharge the car, yet. However, I'll take it to the dealer tomorrow and plug it in while I'm at the gym (which is just a few blocks away).

Fingers crossed that the inspector will allow things to move forward tomorrow with the installation so that power can be turned on this coming Monday.

Wish me luck!


Note: photo taken as I stopped along the cliffs above Palos Verdes to look down on the Pacific Ocean.

VIdeo is down the cliff to the ocean, panning back to the Tesla.

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