ALL the NH Tesla Superchargers--> Friday 22 December 2023

Exactly one week ago today, I took delivery of Sparky, my new Tesla Model Y Long Range.  I’m looking forward to taking her on some long road trips…hopefully out west to Colorado and Las Vegas later this year, when my busy season subsides.  But in the mean time, I’m looking forward to doing some day trips here in New England.  In that spirit, I have decided to travel to each and every Tesla Supercharging station in New Hampshire.  Whoa!  Every single one!  Now that would be quite a feat in California, where there are 391 Supercharging Stations (as of October, 2023, according to a study by Motley Fool), spread out over a large state. 

But here in my home state of New Hampshire, as of December 2023, there are a grand total of 13 Tesla Supercharging stations, most within a 1.5 hour drive of my home, so visiting each one is doable.  The most far-flung is out in North Conway, near the Maine border and north, but even that one is just two hours away.

I’ll track my impressions of each one (recognizing that I am a newbie), noting amenities and anything else that catches my eye.  In the end, I’ll know where I might like to charge up here in the Granite State.  One nice aspect about this is that I have six months of free supercharging that I got as an incentive when I used a friend’s referral code to order my Tesla.  So any charging that I do at these stations will be free over the next six months, pretty cool!

A majority of New Hampshire’s Supercharging stations (eight of thirteen) are along the main North/South Interstate, I-93.  Going from North to South, we have Superchargers in

Lincoln
Thornton
Ashland
Tilton
Concord
Hooksett NB
Hooksett SB
Manchester

I live in Londonderry, NH, just south of Manchester, so I’ll be heading north quite a few times, as I’m planning to visit these stations on separate days.  I’m excited to drive my new car, and this quirky quest will get me out on the road.  Could I visit all thirteen stations in a single day?  I think it would be possible, though that marathon day would end this mission too quickly.  I’m looking forward to the journeys, and drawing this out over the next few months.

I admit that it also appeals to me to make the supercharger stations the destination for each day trip.  This is counter to the (inspired) idea of the Supercharger network, which is to make road trips possible in a Tesla.  If one had to rely only on home chargers, or ‘destination’ chargers at places like hotels, then it would be very difficult to take long road trips.  But with the ubiquitous network of Tesla superchargers, road trips are possible (and even fun to plot out.)  But superchargers are meant to be waypoints, not destinations, as I am making them with this challenge.  I respect, and appreciate the purpose of the superchargers, so to make them the actual destination of each day trip is ironic.  I find that to be appealing.

Ashland--> Saturday 23 December 2023

Today, Sparky and I will start our quest to visit all the NH Superchargers by driving up to Ashland, NH.

From the app:  250kW, 8 superchargers, with food, restrooms, coffee, and wi-fi.

This supercharging station is set squarely in a Dunkin’ Donuts parking lot.  It is very convenient for travelers, just about 2 blocks off of the Interstate.  There were a few other eating options within a block or so of the Dunkin Donuts…I saw a Burger King and a gas station just a short jaunt from the superchargers.  An unexpected surprise was a picturesque cemetery right across the street.  Ashland is a nice little town, sort of on the edge between the White Mountains and the Lakes Region, though I did not explore today.  I picked up a coffee and used the restroom in the Dunks.  I’d feel guilty using a restroom without purchasing something, though am interested what the protocol is with this type of situation (yes, as the app says, a bathroom is available, however it is not public, but instead in a private restaurant.)  Perhaps Dunkin Donuts is willing to let Tesla chargers use the restroom knowing that some (but not all) will purchase something?

All in all a good spot, with the 250kW chargers, though not as flush with shopping/food options as others that I have been to.

Manchester--> Monday 25 December 2023

By far the closest supercharging station to my house is the one in Manchester, NH.  Let’s test out the “24/7” feature of the Tesla superchargers by visiting this one on Christmas day.  My daughter is a nurse, and must work today, so we had our main family celebration yesterday.  This leaves me open to zip to Manchester this morning to give Sparky some holiday juice.  It is a mere 4.2 miles from my house.

From the app:  250kW, 8 superchargers, with food, coffee, and restrooms.

First off, of course it is open, as the Tesla superchargers need no humans to operate on a day-to-day basis.  Drive up, plug in, and let it do its thing. 

While this location is convenient for locals, it feels to me that it is a bit off the beaten track for travelers.  (The small sample of superchargers I have used so far have all been conveniently located just off the highway.)  If someone was traveling north or south on I-93, this supercharger would add at least 10 minutes of round-trip driving, as first you need to take the I-293 spur for a mile or so, and then take busy South Willow Road through a few traffic lights to get to the supercharger.  Not a game breaker, but it’s definitely not what I would call “right off the highway”.  South Willow St is a typical busy urban street, with many food and shopping options, so that could be useful for travelers.

As expected, I was the only one charging at 8:00 am on Christmas day.  The chargers are in the parking lot of a standalone restaurant, which in turn is located in the parking lot of a strip mall.  This site has not been kind to restaurants so far, as it has recently hosted restaurants named “British Beer Co” and “Flight Center”.  Now a new franchise restaurant is going in, “Dave’s Hot Chicken.”  I’m a bit surprised that Tesla was able to put in a supercharging station here, as the eight stalls are to the side of the restaurant in a busy parking lot, taking up some prime parking real estate for the restaurant. 

If hot chicken is not your thing, there is a Starbucks and a Five Guys in the strip mall, and Dunkin Donuts and Taco Bell within a block as well.

250kW superchargers are, of course, great, and this one is convenient for me (though generally I expect I will be charging from home, especially once my free supercharging incentive ends, and I have to start paying for superchargers.)  So mostly good impressions here, with the caveat that if you are traveling, and need only stop to charge, I’d aim for any of the chargers north of Manchester, since they will be a much quicker stop.

 

Seabrook--> Sunday 31 December 2023

Today I will head East, rather than North, to visit the supercharging station in Seabrook, NH.

From the app:  150kW, 8 superchargers, with food, wi-fi, shopping, restrooms, and coffee.

This will actually be my first ever visit to a v2 150kW charger.  My understanding is that these chargers are indeed somewhat slower than the newer v3 250kW chargers, but more importantly, you must share a charge with the stall next to you.  If that happens, it is *considerably* slower, basically reducing the charger even further to the equivalent of a 75kW charger.  As of this writing, at the end of 2023, it seems like there are more 250kW stations than the older 150kW, and this should only get better over time, as any new stations being built are using the 250kW chargers.

Nice drive this morning, I used the FSD and as usual, needed to take control a few times.  One thing I wish it did was move out of the fast lane more often, as it seems to hang out in the passing lane, forcing cars behind me to pass on the right.  This happens even if there are no cars in the middle lane so I could have easily moved over.  (Update, as of March 2025, Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) has been vastly improved, using artificial intelligence, and now it rarely needs intervention.)

But this blog is about NH superchargers, and I like this one in Seabrook, at least with respect to amenities.  The station is closest to a Panera bread, but this is in a Walmart plaza, with all sorts of dining alternatives within sight.  I noticed McDonalds, Outback, a burger joint, Jersey Mikes, and Subway.  Then the Walmart and a Dicks Sporting Goods could be useful for travelers heading north, to Maine, on I-95.

As noted above, the only downside is that these are 150kW chargers.  I left my house at 30%, so arrived nice and low, 9%, to this station.  It was not busy, so I did not have to split a charge.  I have to say that in this situation, with a thirsty Sparky and no splitting, I was generally impressed with how quickly the car charged.  I was there for about 20-25 minutes, and I got up to 60%.  I realize it would be frustrating to hit a busy 150kW station on a road trip, as if you need to get a good charge, but have to split the charge, it would knock you off whatever schedule you are hoping to make for the day.  However, it is good to know that under the right circumstances, the charging is reasonably fast.

I don’t often find myself in Seabrook, but this is the one and only NH supercharger for people heading in to Maine along the primary route, I-95.  Trivia question:  How many states border the state of Maine?  Only one, NH, but Massachusetts is only about 20 miles away, and I-95 just clips NH for these 20 miles on the way to Vacationland.  There are stations south, in MA, and north, in ME, but only this one for the short stretch in NH.  If uncrowded, it is a pleasant stop.

Hooksett (SB I-93)--> Monday 1 January 2024

Today is supposed to be a busy travel day, so I headed out at sunrise to one of the shorter trips of my quest, to the SB Hooksett rest area station right off of I-93.

From the app:  150kW, 12 superchargers, with food, coffee, and restrooms.

This supercharger is the first one I have visited that is incorporated into a rest area, in the short section of I-93 between Manchester and Concord, where a toll is charged.  Since this is a rest area, the restrooms here are public, so no guilt in using them.  The restaurant inside is a deli run by The Common Man, which is a local New Hampshire eatery with several popular restaurants in the state.  Nice change of pace from a fast food franchise.  They even had a little Apple Cider Donut shop, a local delicacy, so I had to get a donut, and it was excellent.  I’m not sure if I have ever stopped at this rest area before.

Also at this spot is a “General Store”, and a NH liquor store outlet (I’m not sure who decided putting a liquor store on the highway was a good idea, but there it is.)

I charged up in one of the middle stalls, and Sparky had no friends at this large bank of 12 superchargers.  Super convenient with respect to getting on and off the highway (clearly preferable from that perspective to the Manchester station reviewed last week.)  Only bummer is that they are 150kW.  Otherwise, I liked this station more than I expected!  

Lincoln--> Saturday 6 January 2024

Today’s stop is the northern-most NH Tesla supercharging station along the I-93 stretch, in Lincoln, NH.  We have a big storm predicted for tonight, so I did this drive early today, leaving the house at sunrise.

From the app:  150kW, 6 superchargers, with Food, WiFi, lodging, coffee, and restrooms.

Lincoln is a NH ski resort town, at the base of Loon Mountain.  This supercharger is near an impressive looking condo-hotel resort (RiverWalk at Loon Mountain), with no other food options within eyesight.  That said, it looks like it would just be about two blocks to walk to Main street, with several choices for food.  It looks like the resort has restaurants, but not ideal for travelers (this is my opinion, I admittedly am biased, as I tend to not like hotel restaurants.)  For example, they have an Italian restaurant called “La Vista”.  There is a time and place for a nice Italian sit-down restaurant, but not while you are charging your car on a road trip. 

I did use the bathroom there.  I’m getting over my reluctance to do this, as I imagine that when a site is selected for Tesla superchargers, the ‘host’ should be prepared to allow bathroom use.  While this is a scenic spot for a station, I’d say the amenities are sub-par.  It also is 150kW, only six stalls, and was a bit further off the highway than ideal (3 minutes?  Yes, my expectations are high).

That said, it is a lovely spot, with views of Loon Mountain.  I met some skiers charging there, and we chatted as they were stretching for a day of skiing.

I did notice a bank of suspiciously Tesla-shaped chargers right across from the 150kW chargers, covered up and not currently available.  Perhaps some 250kW chargers are coming?!  That would be great 😊.

Update from the future (March 2025)...according to the Tesla app, Lincoln now has 10 superchargers up to 250kW, so it looks like these new cabinets are open now.  I'll have to check them out.

My original opinion is that I imagine I would not stop here much, opting instead for one of the larger banks of v3 250kW superchargers South along I-93 in Thornton, Ashland, or Tilton.  At this current site in Lincoln, it would only take three cars charging here to force a newcomer to split a charge.  However, given the update above, I'd be fine to stop here if the v3s are working (though the amenities might push me to a different option.)

Tilton--> Saturday 13 January 2024

After a mild winter to date, some storms this week made planning today’s trip a bit tricky.  I ended up taking a late afternoon drive, going to another of the superchargers right off of I-93, this time the one in Tilton, NH.  This is the first of four options north of Concord as one drives north on 93.

From the app:  250kW, 8 superchargers, with Food, WiFi, coffee, and restrooms.

On the plus side, this station has the fast 250kw superchargers, and is very convenient, just about one block off of the Interstate.  If your priority is to charge up quickly and get on your way, this is an excellent choice.  As for amenities, the station is in the parking lot of a small 3-restaurant strip mall, with choices of Thai food, Pizza, or a Dunkin Donuts, with nothing else obvious within walking distance.  Interestingly, the Thai restaurant (Vong’s Thai Cuisine) gets 4.5 stars from my Google search (the day after I was there), so I plan to return and give them a try.  In general, it would be easy to overdo chain restaurants on a Tesla roadtrip, so I think a station with a good local restaurant is a nice thing to find!

This stop has no ambiance to speak of...strip mall sprawl, but with the fast chargers and some interesting food options, I think this is a good place to charge up!

West Lebanon--> Saturday 20 January 2024

On a very cold day (air temp in the teens) I decided to head to the second farthest Supercharger from my house out north and west along I-89, near the Vermont border, in West Lebanon, NH.  

From the app:  150kW, 8 superchargers, plus 250kW, 8 superchargers, with Food, WiFi, shopping, coffee, and restrooms.

One thing I was excited about was the fact that this is, by far, the largest collection of superchargers in the state, with 16 superchargers—this must be a site that started with 8 150kW chargers, that then decided to upgrade with 8 more 250kW chargers.  I was amused when I drove up, because six of the sixteen stalls were taken, and three of the cars were hooked up to the slower 150kW chargers.  I’m surprised that Tesla owners would not know the difference, though as I have reported before, the 150kW chargers are not that slow, so long as you are not sharing a charge with a neighbor.  If there are reasons why one would opt for 150kW when the faster chargers are available, I’d be interested to understand why.

So yes, on the plus side, there are plenty of supercharging stalls here.  That said, I did not find this to be a good site (at all) with respect to food.  The superchargers are in the parking lot of a WalMart plaza, though the WalMart is at least a 5-minute walk as it is on the far side of the lot.  The two closer stores are a Price Chopper grocery store, and a Michaels.  I did not notice any eating options in this plaza.  The road leading to the chargers is typical suburbia, with a number of choices, though these would take 5 minutes (plus) to walk to…Applebees and a local seafood chain (Weathervane) were somewhat close, but not particularly convenient.  These are also both primarily sit-down restaurants, which is not ideal for a quick bite while charging on a roadtrip.

This is an important station for those traveling up to/through Vermont on Interstate 89, as it is the only option for quite a distance.  The closest charger south is all the way down in Hooksett NH, while if you continue on I-89 north into Vermont, the next available stop is up in Montpelier.  Not ridiculous, as West Lebanon is roughly in the middle of this 120-mile stretch, but depending on charge levels, I imagine quite a few people stop here on their I-89 road trips.

As for aesthetics, yuck, tucked away on the side of the grocery story, nothing to see but a brick building.  I realize that seeking beauty at Tesla supercharging stations is unlikely to yield much fruit, but hey, Ashland was nice!  Not sure what the WiFi connection would be, and the bathrooms must be in the Price Chopper?  I availed myself of neither.

Rochester--> Saturday 27 January 2024

Today I headed to the supercharging station in Rochester, NH.  This one is off of NH 16, the main northern road that parallels the NH border with Maine.

From the app:  150kW, 8 superchargers, with food and restrooms.

This rather spartan description seems fitting, as the superchargers are the older, slower, charge-splitting version, and there is not much of interest for a traveler making a pit stop.  The station is in the parking lot of a Hannaford’s supermarket.  The only places to eat visible from the chargers were a McDonalds (across a busy street) and a Taco Bell.  I got a crunchy gordita at Taco Bell, and I was reminded why I have not stepped foot in one in the last 20 years.  It was bland, and low quality.  The flour tortilla stuck to its wrapping, while the ‘crunchy’ hard shell was not particularly crunchy.  I know that there are people out there who love Taco Bell, but it’s a hard pass for me.

I am aware that I tend to be somewhat critical in this blog, but that shouldn’t overshadow the fact that I think very highly of the Tesla supercharging network.  The idea that I can head out to almost anywhere in the US, and count on the fact that I can make quick pit stops along the way is incredible.  The fact that there are so many to choose from makes this possible, so every station, even ones that I might bash in this blog, is helpful.  Would I prefer no station in Rochester as opposed to a station like this one?  Heck no!  And this one serves a need for those heading up Route 16 in New Hampshire.

Still, between the 150kW chargers and the lack of food/shopping choices, I'm likely avoiding this one in the future.

Concord--> Sunday 28 January 2024

                                                                    getting the juice

Today I returned to the string along I-93, heading roughly 30 minutes north to the supercharging station in Concord, NH.  It actually seems to be north of Concord by almost 5 miles, but the Concord city limits stretch far to the north, so this supercharging station is technically in Concord.  That said, this would be a detour if one was passing through Concord off of 93 (perhaps heading east/west on Route 4/202.)  In that case, you’d have to get on I-93 and go out of your way by 5 miles or so to exit 17.  But this is nicely placed for travel along I-93.

From the app:  250kW, 12 superchargers, with shopping, coffee, and restrooms.

Gotta love the twelve v3 (fast) superchargers and ease off the highway.  This station is in a pleasant spot, with a nicely forested area behind the chargers.  This is in a shopping plaza, right behind a NH liquor store.  Fast food choices include Jersey Mikes and Wendy’s, not too far away and in the plaza complex.  There is also a Market Basket grocery store.

One thing I have not talked about yet in this blog is how uncrowded the NH Tesla supercharging stations have been, at least when I have visited.  This is one benefit of how ubiquitous they are.  Imagine the impact on road trips if Tesla only had half, or a third, of the stations that they have.  (This may have been reality some number of years ago, but now we have almost 2,000 stations in the US, with more being built every year.)  Not only would trip planning become more difficult, but the stations would be much more crowded.  Doing a road trip would be terrible if you had to worry about waiting for a charger at each stop.  That has most certainly not been the case for me in this quest…I have yet to visit a station where even half of the stalls have been taken.  Today, in Concord, there was one other person charging, so 10 empty spots once Sparky plugged in.  It will be interesting to see if things fill up at busier travel times, like leaf peeping season, but I sense that the NH stations are generally uncrowded.

Concord gets a thumbs-up.  9 down, only 4 to go!

North Conway--> Saturday 3 February 2024

Today I ventured to the furthest supercharger from my house, north and east (near the Maine border) in North Conway, NH.  This route mostly is not on an interstate, so the 108 miles took a bit over two hours to get there.  Moreso than any of my other trips on this quest, today resembled more closely what a typical leg might be like on a longer roadtrip, at least with respect to time (two hours) if not mileage.  I left my home with a charge of 75%, and arrived at the station with 25% remaining.  Two hours on an interstate, driving 75-80 mph, would have drained more battery.

From the app:  250kW, 8 superchargers, with food, shopping, and restrooms.

The superchargers are in a Hannaford Supermarkets parking lot.  While people flock to North Conway for food and shopping, this supercharger site had no places to eat within eyesight of the stalls, other than the supermarket.  I did notice an Applebees and a Chipotle close to the turn into Hannaford, but there is not much that would be a quick/easy walk from the chargers.  I did use the restroom in the store.  From a standpoint of amenities at the supercharger site, this was pretty ordinary.

Once again I was by myself here, no other Teslas came to charge during my visit.  This was true despite the fact that the town was bustling.  I’m impressed that Tesla installed these 250 kW chargers in a bit of an out-of-the-way spot.

Good trip, and this would definitely be a handy supercharger site for those traveling up into Maine, or NH ski country, using back roads and away from the main interstates!

  

Merideth--> Saturday 10 February 2024

Today was an outlier for a February day in New Hampshire.  It was a lovely day for a drive, temps remarkably reaching 60 degrees.  Today’s destination is my final visit to a station away from I-93, in Merideth, NH.  As mentioned in the introduction, Merideth is actually somewhat close to I-93, perhaps 10-15 minutes away, but with so many options right off of I-93, nobody would seek this one out as a pitstop when traveling along I-93.  Merideth is a nice little town in the lakes region, and in fact is on the shore of NH’s largest lake, Lake Winnipesaukee.  It tends to be a bit congested, as several roads that go around the lake funnel through here, but it is a fun place to visit.

From the app:  250kW, 6 superchargers, with coffee and restrooms.

As has been common this winter, I was the only person charging at this station.  It is in the parking lot of a Circle K convenience store, with no restaurants in the lot.  That said, there is a fancy butcher shop out back, so I grabbed some maple bourbon steak tips to grill up at home, and while they were expensive, they were delicious.  Good thing I saved money with my free supercharging!

Interesting to me that there are only six stalls, though since they are v3 250kW stalls, there is no concern about splitting a charge.

Due to the sparse choices for food and shopping, I grade this a bit lower than average, but as I mentioned before, even a substandard Tesla charging station is valuable, so I’m happy to have visited.  Remarkably, I have only two more stations to visit and I will have hit them all!

  

Hooksett (I-93 NB)--> Monday 26 February 2024

I got a late start today, so decided to do the closer/easier of my two remaining supercharger stops.  Today my wife joined me as we visited the NB Hooksett rest area station right off of I-93.

From the app:  150kW, 10 superchargers, with food, coffee, and restrooms.

Not surprisingly, this was mostly a clone of the SB Hooksett rest area station reviewed previously.  However, one neat little difference is that at this northbound station, there is a separate shack for the apple cider donuts, and we were able to watch them make a fresh batch of donuts.  We got two hot donuts right after they were made, and they were delicious.

This was by far the busiest station I have visited on my quest here in NH.  It is a holiday weekend, plus MA and NY schools are on vacation.  When we first pulled up, five of the ten stalls were occupied.  Since these were 150kW chargers, I knew that whatever stall I pulled in to, I would be splitting the charge with one of the other cars.  I did not have an urgent need to charge, so I skipped it while we went and got the donuts.  After, there were only 3 cars charging, so I went and hooked up for a quick charge.  Obviously if I was on a road trip and needed to charge, I would have done so, but today I was over 50%, so easily could have skipped it.

As a rest area, there are lots of bathrooms here.  Also, as with the SB stop, they have a general store and a Common Man to-go restaurant, so the amenities are good—my wife and I agree this rest stop is nicer than most others we have visited in our travels. 

Thornton--> Saturday 9 March 2024

Today rounds out my mini-quest to visit all thirteen of the NH Supercharging stations.  I did not plan it this way, but as it turns out, today’s supercharger in Thornton, NH had some unique features to it.  It was a few miles off of I-93, along a bit of a serpentine drive of back roads, ending with a pothole-blemished road leading to a ritzy-seeming resort community called Owls Nest, complete with a golf course, sweeping mountain vistas, and nice-looking homes.  The superchargers were down by some pickleball courts, and if only I knew how to play and had a companion in the car, we could have enjoyed some half-priced pickleball while Sparky got charged up.  Check out the fun “Welcome Tesla Visitors” sign by the superchargers.

From the app:  250kW, 8 superchargers, with food, lodging, and restrooms.  How could they forget pickleball and a driving range?!  😊

I walked across a long parking lot to their resort restaurant, open on this chilly March afternoon, and used their bathroom.  Sit-down dining was available there, which is unhelpful for a road-tripper looking for a quick bite, but could be a nice thing if one knew about it and planned a meal there after a day on the slopes, or after a hike.

For me, looking to find interesting supercharger sites as a day-trip destination, it was a delightful place to spend half an hour.  This was similar to the Lincoln supercharging site in that it was at a resort…though a bit further off the beaten path.  It makes me wonder what would lead a resort to decide to host a supercharging station.  I guess you get people to stop by who might not otherwise, but their offer to give 15% off of your meal if you agree to a real estate pitch seems rather hopeful.  I’m glad they are hosting a supercharger, and hope that it works out for them!  I’m afraid the only things they got from me was urine, and this mostly positive review on a blog that I expect nobody to read 😊.

End-of-Quest ruminations

I’m glad I did this.  Over the past three months or so, it was a fun set of day trips to take in my new car, and I certainly now know where I might want to charge up as I travel around my home state.  Next month, in April, I plan to do my first ‘serious’ road trip, driving 6200 miles round-trip from NH to Las Vegas, with stops in Colorado (both legs) to visit family.  It will be interesting to see how the robust supercharging network along the interstate differs from the NH supercharging stations.  My guess is that I will not encounter many 'resort’ type supercharging stations (like in Lincoln and Thornton), and that in general there will be more food options, but we will have to see.  I’m also expecting to encounter busier stations, perhaps even needing to wait for a charger, or certainly being forced to share a charge at a 150kW charger.

I have to hand it to Tesla, for having the vision to build this robust supercharging network in a short amount of time.  15 years ago, there were no Tesla supercharging stations.  The stations are nothing short of genius.  The chargers themselves are cool looking, futuristic, and break away from the ‘gas station’ model in so many ways.  No people are needed to ‘run’ the stations.  No payment mechanism is needed…the station recognizes your Tesla, and charges your account.  No readouts at the ‘pump’…all that info is available, but in your car, not displayed on the charger.  The charging is FAST, my trip out west will have mostly 20-30 minute charging times.  And most brilliant of all is the idea that this robust supercharger network enables Teslas to be viable vehicles to take on road trips…without the superchargers, this car would only be useful for day trips close to home.   As it stands, with the many hundreds of supercharger stations, a Tesla owner can have confidence to head out almost anywhere in the continental US without even thinking about where they will need to charge up…they can plug the destination in the trip planner, and the Tesla recommends where to stop.  (And unlike other EVs, the Tesla route planning logic is excellent, with generally accurate predictions as to how far you can make it given your current state of charge.)

Update in March 2025...the saga continues!

Hello from the future!  It is now March 2025, so I have owned Sparky for about 15 months now.  I love it…It is, hands down, the most fun vehicle I have ever owned.  Setting aside my views on co-President Musk, the cars and infrastructure put in place by Tesla are nothing short of brilliant.  For instance, it is amazing to see how spotty and poor the network is for non-Tesla EVs (getting better, but still bulky, time-consuming to start charges, and far less reliable than the Tesla superchargers.)

I have been on two major roadtrips since I signed off on this “All the NH Tesla Superchargers” blog, and they both went beautifully.  Last April I traveled round trip from NH to Las Vegas, 6200 miles in 17 days, including 8 *full* days of driving and 9 days visiting friends and family in Colorado and Las Vegas.  The car performed flawlessly, and I had no troubles charging and traveling long distances on this trip.  I also did a round-trip from NH to Folley Beach, SC later in the summer, and again loved the experience.  For me, not only is a road-trip doable in Sparky, it is a ton of fun.  Plotting out the route and optimizing the charging, so that I could go long distances to efficiently get to my destination, was a blast.  In fact, I am planning a repeat trip to Las Vegas next month, exactly one year removed from my last trip there.

But all that is fodder for a different blog.  Tesla remained busy over the past year here in New Hampshire, opening a whopping five new supercharging stations in Southern NH.  The total number of stations here in the Granite State has increased from the 13 I reviewed last year, to now 18 in total.  Naturally, I am compelled to go visit these new locations, and stay current with my goal to have visited ALL the NH Supercharging stations.  More new locations are planned as well, but my quest for now is to visit the five new ones that have been opened in the past year.

 

Epsom--> Monday 10 March 2025

First up in the mini-quest to visit the new NH superchargers was a trip to Epsom, NH.  My wife and I bought our first house in Epsom, so it was fun to return.  Epsom is in the middle of the State, East of Concord, and off of the major interstates.  It is known locally as having a major traffic circle, where two numbered state highways intersect with each other.  The Tesla supercharging station is in a prime spot, on the south-eastern quadrant of the traffic circle.  This is actually another advantage to Tesla superchargers over the non-Tesla charging stations…the superchargers tend to be placed in convenient spots, while the non-Tesla chargers are much more likely to be off the beaten path.

From the app:  250 kW, 8 superchargers, with food and restrooms.

The chargers are in the parking lot of a gas station, with a McDonalds a short walk away down the busy road without needing to cross the street.  This does not sound too exciting, but I was delighted to see a huge deli counter in the gas station, housing another Common Man Roadside site.  I grabbed a sandwich to take home for lunch, and enjoyed it.  This is a perfect spot to pick up food if one was wandering through Epsom on a road trip.  (You may recall that Common Man Roadside is also available at the two Hooksett rest area superchargers on I-93).

The v3 superchargers are always nice to see, although something I have learned in the last year is that the old v2, 150 kW chargers are not as slow as one might think as compared to the v3, 250 kW chargers.  The reason is that Sparky’s “charging curve” only allows speeds over 150 kW when the battery is less than about 35% charged.  Once the charge gets to that state, then it does not matter if I am at a 150 kW or 250 kW station…they both charge at slower than 150 kW.  So yes, I do get higher speeds at a v3 charger for the first part of the charge, if I pull in with the state of charge under 35%, but since they are equally fast after getting to 35%, the difference is not as dramatic as the difference in the max speeds of 150 and 250.  All that said, I still strive to find v3 chargers on road trips because the v2 chargers split the charge if you are charging next to another car, while the v3 chargers never split the charge.

(I will report on the new v4 chargers soon, as two of the new supercharging stations in NH are v4s.)

All in all, this is a great stop, with the Common Man Roadside serving good local food, convenience at the traffic circle, and v3 chargers.

  

Seabrook--New Zealand Road--> Thursday 13 March 2025

Today I headed to the Seacoast, to the new v4 superchargers that have been installed in “Seabrook, NH – New Zealand Road”.  The v2s that I reviewed last year are still at a different site in Seabrook, and this new station is only about one mile away.  That said, the new station has a very different feel than the older station…the v2s are in a Walmart Plaza with lots of places to choose from for a quick bite.  By contrast, the new v4s are in the parking lot of The Brook, a NH casino.  Until today, I have never ventured into one of NH’s casinos.  But for you, dear readers, I had to check it out.

From the app:  325 kW, 12 superchargers, with food and restrooms.  325 kW implies it is a v4!

This was my first ever visit to a v4 supercharger.  My understanding is that the v4s are (currently) most appealing to the non-Tesla EVs that have access, with an adapter, to Tesla superchargers.  They have much longer cables, and some of the non-Tesla EVs have thirsty batteries that can use the extra power.  Since Sparky currently has a max charge rate of 250, this extra power is not of use for me…basically the time spent charging would be the same at a v3 and a v4, at least for Sparky.  I’m sure that over time, there will be more cars on the road that will see a meaningful difference with the v4s.  The cables are thicker than on the v3s, so they are a bit more clumsy to use, but not as bad as CCS chargers used by most non-Teslas.

The v4 supercharging cabinets are a departure from the design of the v2 and v3 chargers, which are hard to tell apart from each other.  The v4 cabinets are taller, white, and do not have the cool-looking (to me) oval hole carved out of the middle.  Like v3s, the v4s are independently powered, so you do not have to worry about splitting a charge, even if you are charging next to another EV.

As the app suggests, food and restrooms are available here, but only in the casino.  I wandered through the casino, found the restrooms in a far corner, and looked around for food options.  In my opinion, the casino restaurants are not well suited for a road tripper looking for a quick bite.  I did see that there was a Chinese food restaurant, with a takeout counter, but it was closed when I was there.

One thing I thought was very interesting was that the Tesla superchargers are taking up prime real estate in the parking lot, basically directly to the right of the main entrance, just a short walk to the casino.  That seems like an odd choice to me, I would have expected the superchargers to be in a far-flung corner of the parking lot.  I also noticed a bank of level-2 "destination" chargers (like what one uses at home, or overnight at a hotel), so that is a cool option for people planning to spend some time in the casino…you could hook up to one of those, and get a slow, free charge.

So all in all, while the amenities are not ideal, this is a great option just down the road from the old v2s in Seabrook.  Kudos to “The Brook” for supporting EVs!

Salem--> Sunday 16 March 2025

Today I ventured south, near the border with Massachusetts, to the new v3 supercharging station in Salem, NH.  This now replaces Manchester as the southern-most Tesla charging station that is off I-93 in New Hampshire.  I had an unexpected memory triggered when I arrived.  The superchargers are set up in the parking lot of the Rockingham Park Mall in Salem.  While this mall is still mostly populated, the supercharger is on one side of the mall, where the anchor store that used to be there (Sears) was closed down and locked up in 2018, so the parking lot has an abandoned feel.  This triggered a memory because the last time I was here, I got my first Covid vaccine (March 2021), where the national guard set up shop in the old Sears department store to administer the vaccine.  That was a surreal day, set in this abandoned store, creating an almost apocalyptic tone as we waited for our long-anticipated vaccine. 

From the app: 250 kW, 12 superchargers, with shopping, food, and restrooms.

Amenity wise, I think this would be a great spot for a road trip stop, even though it appears to be a bit like a ghost town right by the chargers.  If you look at the Mall and then head to the left from the chargers, you’ll find an entrance to the Mall in the corner.  

                                Head to the glassed entrance on the far-left side of this picture

When I was there, that part of the parking lot, next to the open entrance, had more cars and activity.  From that entrance, after climbing a flight of stairs, I found myself in the Mall food court, which is perfect for picking up a quick meal.  Restrooms are also right there at the top of the stairs.  From the food court you can wander around and shop to your heart’s content, if that is your idea of how to soak up some time while charging.  All in all, this is a great spot for a supercharger, and as has been my experience with most NH superchargers, it was not at all busy the afternoon I visited.  Unlike the next supercharger north along I-93, in Manchester, this one in Salem is convenient and just off the highway.  I give it a big thumbs up!

Dover--> Friday 21 March 2025

 

Next up on the mini-quest to hit all of the new NH superchargers was a stop in Dover, NH.  This is an area of New Hampshire that I do not get to very often, a bit inland from the Seacoast, but on the eastern side of the state, up north a bit from my home.  On the “Find us” page on the Tesla site, it is actually a bit hard to see that there is a supercharger here, as the red icon is ‘hidden’ behind a grey icon for a destination charger at the Garrison Hotel, right in the same area.  It is off of State Highway 16, which is a busy road heading up north from Portsmouth along the border with Maine.

From the app: 250 kW, 12 superchargers, with food (beverage) and restrooms.

The superchargers are located in a lot that is in the middle of a triangle formed by the hotel, a Dunkin’ Donuts, and a CVS pharmacy.  So the amenities are a bit limited, but the CVS would have snacks, and Dunkin has Dunkin goodies.  Two other vehicles were charging up, so again, my experience was uncrowded.  As usual, I am happy to see more infrastructure in the state, and 250 kW chargers are perfect for Sparky, so all in all, this is a solid addition to the NH supercharging network.

 

Portsmouth--> Wednesday 26 March 2025

And just like that, my side-quest to visit the five new NH supercharging stations is complete!  Today I journeyed east to Portsmouth, NH, to charge up at the new v4 supercharging cabinets arranged in the back of a gas station/convenience store.  I note several positives and one big negative with this site.

From the app: 325 kW, 8 superchargers, with food and restrooms.

I love the v4s (equal to my love for v3s, at least for now), and as usual, my experience was not crowded, with only one other Tesla charging while I was there.  Another positive is that similar to Epsom, and to the Hooksett superchargers, a nice Common Man Roadside counter dominated the convenience store, so good local food, perfect for a road trip, is available here.

The big negative, from a road tripping perspective, is that this supercharger is not convenient to the Interstate.  Instead, it is situated on Route 1, a busy suburban highway, and over 3 miles from the nearest exit to I-95.  This is not at all convenient for people heading up to Maine on the interstate.  On the map it appears to be close to the interstate, but the exits are over three miles away in either direction, with lots of stop lights and local traffic.  I recognize that locals, and others travelling on Route 1 may find this to be convenient, but it is not convenient as a pitstop along the interstate for travelers heading to/from Maine. 

Tesla deserves high marks, in general, for placement of their supercharging stations close to the interstate (and this differentiates Tesla from non-Tesla charging stations like Electrify America, which are much more likely to be located well off the Interstate.)  It is great that Tesla added a site in Portsmouth, but a shame that it is not more convenient to the interstate.

Still, with the solid amenities and new v4s, this is a great addition, and a nice place to wrap up my quest to visit ALL the NH superchargers! 

The end. Again. For now.--> 28 March 2025

So now New Hampshire has 18 Tesla supercharging stations, up from the 13 I originally reviewed in this blog back in December 2023-March 2024.  This is consistent with the continued growth nationwide.  The US now has over 2500 supercharging stations, up from less than 2000 stations as of December 2023.  And since the new stations are all installed with v3 or v4 chargers, the availability of these faster chargers is increasing, and it is becoming easier and easier to avoid the slower, charge-splitting v2 superchargers.  This makes it increasingly easier to venture on long EV road trips, at least in a Tesla.

For what it is worth, these are things that are important to me on road trips, and maybe explains why my reports in this blog are focused on the perspective of whether or not they are good stops for road trippers.

I prefer to drive in daylight, so I tend to leave early, shortly after breakfast, and drive until the early evening.  This also allows me to look for a good place for dinner, and get a good night of sleep.

I generally am trying to get to my destination efficiently, as opposed to stopping and smelling the roses along the way.  For this reason, I travel on interstates, and do not stray off route to sight-see or do other fun activities.  (I completely understand and respect others who prefer to have stops and adventures while on the road.)  But for me, if I am going to drive 2000 miles from NH to CO in three days, I need to focus on making my time on the road as efficient as possible.

This is particularly true in the Tesla.  While I must stop every 125-175 miles or so to charge up, I make sure that I spend this time judiciously.  This includes:

+  Jumping out of the car and immediately plugging in when I arrive at a super charger
+  Using the rest room and walking around to stretch my legs
+  Grabbing food or snacks while charging, so as not to waste time stopping for food away from a charger
+  Tidying up the car if possible, emptying trash and cleaning the windshield
+  Shooting off update texts to family and friends
+  Plotting out the course to the next supercharger, and only staying at the current supercharger long enough to get enough juice to make it to the next stop.

With these objectives in mind, I actually feel quite "busy" to get all of this done in the 15-25 minutes I spend at each supercharger.  In some cases, the car is juiced up enough to continue before I have done all of these tasks.  This is very different from the perception that some people have about road tripping in an EV.  They imagine that it is terrible, with all the forced charging stops, and imagined idle time in the car, being bored and just waiting for the charge to finish.  That is not AT ALL my experience.  I look forward to the charging stops when I'm driving, and stay busy at each and every stop.

So, I'm signing off for now in March 2025, but will keep updating as more superchargers are built in New Hampshire!