Premium electric car manufacturer Tesla is installing a row of eight proprietary superchargers at Huntsville Place Mall. The chargers, which are only compatible with Tesla electric vehicles, will be free of charge for Tesla owners with Tesla footing the bill for the electricity costs.
Alan Peters, one of the mall’s owners, says that Tesla approached them about the chargers and they’re happy to provide the service to mall shoppers. “Tesla was looking for a spot (to add to their network) and they wanted to install eight chargers. As Tesla becomes more popular, they’ll be busy.”
Peters says he himself has ordered Tesla’s new Model 3, what the company calls its “most affordable car yet” with a list price of $35,000 USD. Earlier this year, Tesla announced that almost 400,000 people had already pre-ordered the vehicle worldwide. “I think it will make (electric car ownership) available to a lot more people,” says Peters. “It’s just a matter of time.”
Tesla owners can find supercharger locations via an onboard touchscreen, which also lists the amenities available at each location. That could prove to be a good thing for the mall. The superchargers require about 30 minutes to charge a Tesla to 80 per cent – a 270 kilometre range according to the company’s website – leaving owners with time on their hands to grab a coffee or browse the stores. The next-closest Tesla superchargers are in Barrie.
Effort Trust had previously applied for an Electric Vehicle Chargers Ontario (EVCO) grant to install public electric vehicle chargers at the mall – with the charge typically provided for a fee to the driver. Peters says they will apply again if the program is opened for a second round. The nearby Tim Hortons on Highway 60 was recently announced as a location for the province’s network of chargers. (Read the story on Doppler here.)
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Brian, those are some pretty weak arguments.
What is the issue with Tesla footing the bill and serving their owners? Their charging network facilities the ease of free long distance travel for them. This is a huge initiative on their part!
Yes, there are no additional fees to access Superchargers for Model S and X owners, but the cost to do so is baked into the price if these vehicle.
It’s also a well known fact to prospective Model 3 owners that charging at these locations will probably carry an additional cost or will be optional extra to their cars.
Seems contradictory that as you say a “minuscule” amount of electric vehicles will create a “huge” energy bill.
These incentives and rebates are what’s needed to kick-start people’s interest to consider purchasing an electric vehicle, they won’t last forever. In the meantime, we get the ball rolling on building a robust charging network in this province.
Elites? Please.
I wonder for how long Tesla will be providing “free” energy to car owners?
Also, I wonder why the Province is using our tax dollars to subsidize electric car owners with effectively “free fuel”?
Neither one of these initiatives can work if there is anything more than a minuscule number of electric cars as the energy bill will rapidly become huge and why should all the rest of the Province be paying these folks’ fuel bills for their cars? What if one does not even own a car… you will still be paying these elites to drive on your kilowatt.
Electric charge stations are ok but they should be paid for by the location that installs them, just like any other service offered and most certainly the car user should be paying for the electrical energy used.
I wonder if I put electric heat in my house would the government pay my bills for this???? Exactly the same.
Effort Trust & Tesla would be wise to solarize the Huntsville Mall rooftop or compliment with solar towers in the parking lot to help power-up the #superchargers. An energy & transit transformation is underway.