Should you’re in northern Wisconsin, you will discover the proliferation of recent Fast Journey gasoline stations and comfort shops. These places not solely provide gas but in addition a wide range of foods and drinks choices, from tender drinks to sizzling meals. There is a comparable chain in Utah known as Maverik, rumored to generate substantial income from their comfort shops regardless of low margins on gas gross sales. Given the mannequin’s success in conventional gasoline stations, one may marvel why electrical automobile (EV) charging stations, particularly Superchargers, aren’t capitalizing on profiting from buyer wait instances that common 20 to 40 minutes.
Nonetheless, a troubling development emerges at many Supercharger places: a scarcity of close by facilities. Clear restrooms are sometimes discovered solely at lodges or supermarkets a number of hundred yards away, and true comfort shops are hardly ever positioned subsequent to the charging stations. Objects like trash cans and windshield cleansing provides are additionally surprisingly scarce. Whereas this case could decrease the danger of leg thrombosis throughout charging stops, it’s laborious to see the way it makes enterprise sense, particularly at busy websites just like the 32-stall Supercharger in Beaver, Utah, or the 48-stall charger in Baker, California, the place prospects are certainly out there for engagement.
The method has been higher demonstrated on the 16-stall Supercharger in Nephi, Utah. Right here, the previous empty constructing beside the charging stations has been reworked into Cody’s Gastro Storage, a restaurant that successfully targets EV prospects. Their ingenious menu contains objects just like the "Mannequin 3 Breakfast Sandwich" and "Powerwall Pork Sandwich." When my spouse and I visited, they even provided free chips and salsa whereas we waited for our meals, highlighting an understanding of EV drivers’ wants.
Over the previous 5 years, my household has made a number of journeys between Utah and northern Wisconsin, which has allowed us to familiarize ourselves with Supercharger facilities alongside the best way. We usually comply with a route that takes us south and west towards the I-90, passing by way of varied states like Minnesota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. On this route, we’ve at all times discovered practical Superchargers inside comparatively shut distances, offering reassurance as we journey.
Nonetheless, not all Superchargers cater equally to non-Tesla automobiles. The brand new 250 kW V3 and V4 chargers are marked, however lengthy gaps nonetheless exist the place solely older fashions, unusable by non-Tesla EVs, stay. Whereas non-Tesla drivers can navigate these routes, they usually face challenges to find CCS chargers, which usually provide fewer stalls and exhibit decrease reliability than Tesla’s community.
For these planning a visit alongside this route, listed here are some Supercharger places paired with close by facilities:
- Three Lakes, Wisconsin
- Wausau, Wisconsin: Clear restrooms at Hilton Backyard Inn (400 toes away)
- Stevens Level, Wisconsin: Off-route
- Menomonie, Wisconsin: Grocery store (400 toes)
- Mitchell, South Dakota: Culver’s quick meals (2 miles)
- Custer, South Dakota: Close to downtown eating places (300 toes)
- Rawlins, Wyoming: Burger King (1000 toes away)
- Nephi, Utah: Cody’s Gastro Storage (20 toes away)
- Beaver, Utah: Starbucks (75 toes away); Dairy Queen (400 toes away)
For touring Tesla house owners, Tesla has reactivated its referral program, providing vital reductions for brand new purchases made utilizing a referral hyperlink. Because the EV panorama continues to evolve, the significance of integrating handy facilities at charging stations can’t be overstated.
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