A Tesla charging station plan that has leaked online shows the blueprint for a novel facility able to accommodate Cybertrucks and even tow-behind trailers.
The concept in Kern County, California, includes 16 pull-through charging spots as part of a unique project, being hyped as the world's largest Supercharger.
The EV maker itself has been mum on the news so far. But details have been posted on X, the social media site formerly called Twitter, also owned by Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
The world's new largest Supercharger is coming soon to Kern County, California!!
— MarcoRP (NewsFeed) (@MarcoRPi1) February 12, 2024
By my count, 164 charging stalls are planned as part of a new Microgrid project off I-5 near Lost Hills. The site will include 16 pull-through chargers, and solar canopies above every parking stall. pic.twitter.com/R9T4XtHecz
As a result, speculation on the unique project is beginning to mount, as motorists are eager to take a look at what's being planned. Schematics posted by MarcoRP (NewsFeed) (@MarcoRPi1) don't provide much — unless you are interested in highway locations, property lines, and surveying. The documents are from the Kern County Planning and Natural Resources Department.
The pull-through sites are visible at the right of the layout, detailing the overall Supercharger record-setter. MarcoRP has counted 164 stations in the plans. There are solar canopies "above every parking stall" to help provide power, the X user wrote. Those insights match details in other published reports.
Tesla has a network of more than 50,000 Superchargers worldwide able to provide a 200-mile range on a 15-minute charge, according to the company. The system is a reflection of Tesla's massive reach in the EV sector.
Other Telsa headlines in recent months include the creation of a retro, 1950s-style diner/charging station and the release of the Cybertruck.
While the Kern County project is being reported as the largest Supercharger facility on the planet, it's not a record-holder for charging stations in general. Shell has a 258-stall charging facility in China, which NBC affiliate KGET reports can juice 3,300 EVs each day. One in Germany has 259 stations.
But the Kern County project will certainly be in the heavyweight category for charging facilities, located near the Interstate 5 and Route 46 connection. The pull-through stalls are perfect for motorists towing trailers between northern and Southern California, as Electrek's Fred Lambert notes.
"With those stall configurations, people who are towing with their Cybertrucks or other electric vehicles are going to be able to use the Superchargers without having to unhook their trailers," he wrote in a story about the project.
It's exciting news for EV drivers, who are becoming more plentiful as sales continue to rise. Kelley Blue Book reports that a record 1.2 million EVs were sold in the United States last year, signaling a cleaner shift in our transportation system. Kelley said EVs are the fastest-growing sales category, representing 7.6% of auto sales.
Officials from most other brands are planning to use Tesla's proprietary charging ports as early as next year. KGET reports that adapters are available for older models, making the stations inclusive of various EVs.
The motorists out West will soon have more charging options, though details remain scarce on when the new Tesla station will be complete, per Electrek.
Some of the folks following the news on X already expect the facility to be busy.
"And at 164 stalls it will still fill up on the major travel holidays, especially with non Teslas using it," one X user commented.
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