Can Tesla do for the filling station what it’s already done for the car?
The EV maker has received permission from Los Angeles to build a giant Supercharger station on the city’s west side, according to Teslarati. The hub wouldn’t just be for charging EVs, though; it will also feature an old-school diner and a drive-in movie theater.
It’s been over two years since Tesla CEO Elon Musk posted to X (then known as Twitter) about wanting to build a “major” Supercharger station with “50’s diner & 100 best movie clips playing too” in Santa Monica. Tesla submitted the application for the project in November of last year and received approval (and a permit) from the City of Los Angeles on July 18, according to the website. The initial grading inspection was completed and approved earlier this month, meaning that the project, which will now be located in West Hollywood, can now move forward.
The station, which documents suggest will be called the Diner and Drive-In Movie Supercharger, will reportedly feature 32 Supercharger stalls. More exciting, though, is that it’ll also be home to a retro-style diner with various food options and roof-top seating, as well as two movie theater screens that will show a selection of clips from famous movies. If you’re wondering why they’ll show clips instead of full movies, it’s because a Supercharger can add 200 miles of range in just 15 minutes. It’s unclear what the hub will look like, but the company’s 2023 Investor Day presentation included a rendering of a Supercharger station (pictured up top) that would seem to match the description.
Over the last couple of years, it’s become clear that Tesla is determined to build out its own Supercharger network both in the U.S. and abroad. The company currently has 17,000 charging stalls across close to 2,000 stations in America, according to Yahoo! Finance. This year has seen the company strike deals with multiple rival automakers, including Ford, that will allow their EVs to use 12,000 of its chargers.
Tesla isn’t the only automaker working on building out its own charging network. Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Rivian have also announced plans for hubs of their own. Last month, Porsche—whose Taycan outsold the 911 in 2021—opened a charging station in the German city of Bingen am Rhein that includes a luxury waiting lounge.