Electric vehicles are becoming more and more popular.
But finding places to charge them has been an issue for some potential electric car buyers.
That isn’t a problem in Clearwater for Tesla owners.
Tesla is currently the top-selling electric car in the U.S., and the Clearwater Travel Plaza recently installed a supercharge station for Tesla vehicles.
“The idea came from customers to have the supercharge station. They told our managers they’d like to have one and it progressed from there,” says Travel Plaza VP Wendy Johnson
Tesla contacted the Travel Plaza and asked if they would be interested in having a site for the supercharger. It was installed two weeks ago.
“They’re looking at expanding their network in Minnesota,” says Johnson.
The station is not only a convenience for travellers. It’s also a time-saver and money saver.
“The supercharger can completely charge a car in 45 minutes,” says Johnson. “It would take eight hours overnight to charge it at home.”
There are stations to charge eight vehicles at a time. Johnson says since it was installed, they routinely see cars charging there.
“Sometimes it’s just for 20 minutes, then they get back on the road,” says Johnson. “Or they can let it charge while they come in and grab some lunch or dinner.”
Charging the Tesla for 20 minutes is the equivalent of filling a regular vehicle with half a tank of gas.
But it costs a whole lot less. There is no cost to use the supercharger station. Tesla drivers can use it for free. It’s a benefit for drivers because it’s right near the Interstate. It’s a benefit for Tesla because they sell more vehicles. And it’s a benefit for the Travel Plaza because customers waiting for their cars to charge will usually buy something.
And the Tesla navigation system will tell drivers exactly where their next charging station is located.
But Johnson says it’s not just for out-of-town drivers passing through.
“Anyone local with a Tesla can stop here in the morning and charge faster than at home, for free,” she says. “It’s faster and they don’t have to use their own electricity.”
The supercharge station is located at the side of the Travel Plaza building towards the truck center, behind a tan-colored divider.
It’s available 24 hours a day.
“It’s another service we provide to our customers,” says Johnson.
