Utah has an ace up its sleeve in the race to woo Tesla owners: its Southern towns are offering free fast-charge stations to power the electric car.
Blanding, Green River, Moab and Richfield are the first Utah towns to offer the charging stations.
The Blanding Visitor Center, for example, is one such spot that offers four free Tesla charging stations. Tesla paid for the cost of installing all of their equipment and are continuing to pay the City of Blanding the cost of their utilities, Blanding City Manager Jeremy Redd said.
The growing cross-country network – about 80 or more are available nationwide – allows drivers to charge their Tesla’s in about an hour or so. There’s even a cell phone app that drivers can monitor the status of their charging on.
Tesla chose the Utah sites because they offered travelers a great way to visit some of the country’s most popular scenic attractions.
Utah is surrounded by Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas – one of which will end up home to CEO Elon Musk’s purported Gigafactory that could employ 6,500 people and produce more lithium-ion batteries than ever before, paving the way for a cheaper Tesla model that could retail around $40,000 or lower.
The Beehive State’s proximity to the Gigafactory may be one reason why Tesla is arming it with charging stations. But then again, the state has some of the most beautiful scenery in the nation, perfect for Tesla drivers who want to show off their sexy green car and get a free charge-up on the way.
Source: Deseret News
