Tesla reportedly planned to have a Supercharger station with a two-screen movie complex.
Charging an electric vehicle takes much longer than filling up with petrol or diesel. Even the fastest chargers would make you wait around 20 minutes before you could drive away with a full capacity EV. One way to reduce worries about charging time is to provide charging stations in key places of public interest like malls, shopping complexes and restaurants – places where people would spend at least a half hour. But leave it to Tesla to think even bigger with the electric vehicle giant planning to build a charging station complete with a drive-in theater.
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Imagine your load is low and you have time to spare. Now imagine that latest blockbuster you’ve wanted to watch for the longest time. Two birds with one stone ? Sure. The Electrek media highlights how Tesla filed a request with the Los Angeles Department of Urban Planning to have a charging station with a movie theater and a restaurant. The same report says Tesla is eyeing a location that currently already has a restaurant in a parking lot. The plan may be to remove the existing structure and renovate the entire parking space to accommodate charging points and a drive-in cinema, as well as a restaurant.
It is further pointed out that since Tesla superchargers can power vehicles to full power in just 30 minutes, the duration of on-screen movies would also be half an hour. Those in the restaurant can also watch movies. But while the charging station might be open 24 hours a day, movie screenings would have a stipulated time according to the rules and regulations of the local establishment.
The plan, on the face of it, is quite interesting and could offer EV owners the ability to charge their vehicles without having to do much else. If successful, it is possible that other such places will be created in the future, by Tesla or even others.
Date of first publication: Jun 07, 2022, 10:43 a.m. IST
