Tesla wants to build 'mega supercharging' stops that sell food and coffee
Two Model S vehicles charge-up at one of Tesla's many Supercharging locations.Flickr/Robert Nordqvist
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Tesla wants to take the tedium out of the charging experience by turning its stops into convenience stores.
Tesla owners already have it pretty good when it comes to juicing up their vehicles. Customers can drive to one of the companies' many Supercharger stations and be back on the road in just 30 minutes. Most electric-car owners need to set aside at least an hour, making an overnight charge in the garage the best option.
Still, 30 minutes is a long time for anyone who is used to the convenience of a gas station. That's why the company wants to build new Superchargers near restaurants and coffee shops: to make it a little easier to bide the time.
Tesla first said it wanted to make Supercharger stations more like traditional restrooms on its second-quarter earnings call.
"We should see some immediate relief even for S and X customers on some of the key supercharge locations whilst we [experiment] with... mega supercharging location, like really big supercharging location with a bunch of amenities," Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on the call, courtesy of Seeking Alpha.
"So we're going to unveil the first of those relatively soon. And I think we'll get a sense for just sort of how cool it can be to have a great place to – if you've been driving for three, four hours – stop, have great restrooms, great food, amenities, hang out and for half an hour and then be on your way," he continued.
Musk is still committed to the idea he described in early August.
Tesla CTO JB Straubel told attendees at food-tech conference FSTEC that it's trying to attach convenience stores to plug-in centers, GrubStreet reported. The company is already working with restaurants to make the vision a reality.
Tesla would not build the amenities, but would work with hotels, restaurants, and shopping areas to turn Supercharger station into enjoyable stopping gaps.
It's unclear when we could see the first Tesla convenience store, but a nicer charging experience certainly helps the case for buying an electric car.
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