Tesla Supercharger Station: Making EV Charging Entertaining
While electric car charging is getting faster and more convenient with every passing day, it’s still not quite as convenient as filling up a gasoline car. Even the fastest chargers require about 15 to 30 minutes to fill up an EV even to 80 percent, and slower chargers can take a lot longer. Because of that, EV drivers prefer charging stations that have access to nearby amenities such as food and shopping that make it easier to wait while their EV fills up.
Food, Fun, and 32 Superchargers
Now, Tesla, which operates the largest and most reliable network of Level 3 chargers in the country, is taking things a step further – by creating a charging experience that is both high-tech and nostalgic at the same time. It has just received planning approval from the city of Los Angeles to open an old-school drive-in theater and drive-in on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles.
In fact, Tesla announced its intention to open such a facility all the way back in 2018. “Gonna put an old school drive-in, roller skates & rock restaurant at one of the new Tesla Supercharger locations in LA,” tweeted Elon Musk, the company’s CEO. The company has mentioned the high-concept charging station idea during investor calls, and in 2022, submitted the necessary paperwork to the city of Los Angeles, along with detailed drawings.
While we don’t yet know when the Supercharger drive-in and diner will be completed, city records show that the plan Tesla submitted was approved on July 18, 2023. The drawings show a two-story structure that has two separate curved movie screens, a restaurant with plenty of exterior parking, and a total of 32 supercharging stations. There is indoor and outdoor seating spread across both levels.
Tesla: Smart Charging and Smart Business
It’s all part of Tesla’s plan to make its charging stations destinations for its customer base, a large concentration of which are in southern California. And Tesla’s customer base will also soon include other brands including drivers of vehicles from Ford, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Rivian, Volvo, and others, who have announced they will adopt the Tesla charging standard as well as the company’s NACS charging port in the next two years. Offering interesting and engaging charging experiences will help Tesla attract a greater share of charging revenue – and offer the brand the opportunity to market its EVs and ecosystem to drivers of other electric vehicles.
At the moment, Tesla already has the largest network of Level 3 fast chargers in the U.S., with over 12,000 points across the country. J.D. Power also ranked Tesla’s Superchargers as the most reliable, with the highest level of customer satisfaction. In general, the company’s chargers don’t seem to suffer from some of the reliability issues that have affected other companies’ charging networks.
