- Video shows the impact of the Tesla supercharger station at the Outlets at Tejon on local stores.
- Visitors and businessowners share the charging experience at the Outlets.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The Supercharger station at the base of the Grapevine is the first chance drivers have to ‘fill up’ their EV’s coming up from Los Angeles– and the last chance coming down the valley, before climbing up the hill.
Thayton Towner, a Tesla driver visiting the station said, “This is the first time we’ve come here to charge our car. I didn’t even know it existed here. I’m very happy it is.”
The Outlets at Tejon is home to the most Tesla charging stations in the county, with 76 at the outlets and more than 100 in the area..
Ryan Werner, another visiting Tesla driver, said, “If you look around there’s plenty of real estate to accommodate it so it’s a good thing.”
According to officials with the Outlets, the stations have increased traffic to the center with an additional 400 cars on average visiting per day due to the Tesla charging stations.
As Tesla owners drive up, so do many of the outlet stores’ new customers.
Managing partner of Bird Dog Arts, David Gordon, said, “When we opened over two years ago there were half the number of charging stations and since it’s doubled, we get lots of Tesla people coming in.”
Stores such as Bird Dog Arts find many EV drivers coming to their stores as they wait for their car to charge.
Towner said the supercharge location “... is an easy stop and is very convenient. It also exposes us to the shopping center, makes us wanna go in. Because we have like 35 minutes to relax in the car or grab something to eat or do quick shopping. So it increases business here as well.”
Gordon said, “People come in and they’re thrilled to see something as unexpected as an art gallery in an outlet mall.”
However, some visitors are hoping to find more to do while they wait.
Werner said, “Thought I’d grab a bite but there don’t appear to be too many restaurants in the vicinity so… yeah, came back empty handed.”
Officials at the Outlets say they’ve added eight new stores over the past year with another opening on November 15.
Gordon said, “Sundays are the busiest day, Fridays can be really busy cause people are leaving town but they’re kind of excited about getting to where they’re going.”
Store owners expect the numbers to keep rising as Thanksgiving approaches.
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