Tesla is building a venue in Hollywood that could host Fonzie and George Jetson with equal interest.
It's a 1950s-style diner and drive-in movie theater that Tesla CEO Elon Musk said "should be ready later this year" in an August post on X (the social media platform formerly called Twitter, owned by Musk).
He described the project as "Grease meets The Jetsons with Supercharging."
I wonder what kind of hotel we would design if we did so.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 5, 2023
Our Tesla futuristic diner (Grease meets The Jetsons with Supercharging) in LA should be ready later this year.
It's an interesting and ambitious project for the nation's leading electric vehicle seller.
An Axios report from November includes photos of some concrete structures being built on the site, apparently part of the supporting framework.
There will be a two-story restaurant, two movie screens, and 32 EV charging stations when complete, per Axios. The facility will add to Tesla's network of more than 50,000 Superchargers globally.
"At Tesla charging, we have understood since day one that a great charging experience is the linchpin to electric vehicle adoption," Tesla charging infrastructure lead Rebecca Tinucci said in a Forbes report.
The news has been mixed for Musk and Tesla lately. A bizarre tweet from Musk, supporting an antisemitic post by another user on X, has investors and customers considering other brands. Meanwhile, Tesla's highly promoted Cybertruck was released on Nov. 30.
Reports on the unique diner/drive-in concept are among the latest headlines. And the news comes when EV popularity is at an all-time high, as travelers search for more planet-friendly ways to move about.
What's more, some of Tesla's charging stations are going to be more inclusive. Many major brands are set to be able to use certain Superchargers in 2024 for the first time, according to Consumer Reports.
The Hollywood venue should provide an interesting spectacle in which to power up. Renderings published by Axios show what looks sort of like a retro flying saucer sitting along Route 66. A Cybertruck is, of course, one of the EVs in the parking lot in at least one image. Some reports suggest there may even be a carhop waitstaff.
The project has been in the works for years, as Forbes noted a Musk tweet from 2018 referencing the plan.
And, while speculation on key details continue (like the venue's name and whether the idea will be tried elsewhere), Musk's own words might provide the best description for motorists who are eager to pull in: "Gonna put an old school drive-in, roller skates & rock restaurant at one of the new Tesla Supercharger locations in LA," Musk said on X, per Forbes.
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