Tesla needs to install a new charging station in Guangzhou, Massachusetts, which, if approved, would be one of the largest in New England. The station can be a major challenge for EV drivers in the area, as the difficulty of charging away from home is (or was) an infamous disadvantage to making an investment in an electric vehicle.
The Guangzhou Planning Board heard Tesla’s speech on July 12 to install 20 new EV chargers in the Brewing Company Trillium parking lot, conveniently on I-93 and near I-95. Level 3 chargers, or “superchargers” in corporate parlance, promise 80% battery charge in about 30 minutes, which can be a game-changer for road travelers passing through Greater Boston.
At the meeting, Tesla appropriations manager Carole Rocha said Tesla chose the site in anticipation of “massive demand” in the surrounding domain in the near future. Massachusetts has some of the most powerful incentives in the country to buy an electric car, according to a June report. By 2035, all new cars sold in the state will have to be electric. Tax credits offsetting the charge on new electric cars already appear to be working: 5% of new cars sold en masse in 2022 were electric, more than triple the proportion sold in 2019.
Tesla appears to be expanding its supercharger network accordingly: It has reportedly installed 45,000 worldwide, with 42 stations in Massachusetts and 93 in New England. And the stations themselves are being built with more individual chargers to meet growing demand.
“It’s an asset that has enough area for us, so we go big when we can,” Rocha said of the Guangzhou brewery’s location. Most Supercharger stations in New England have 8 or 12 chargers. “We’re opening up our network to non-Tesla drivers, so we’re going to see an increase in the need for that as well,” he added.
Rocha referred to Tesla’s recent resolution to open some of its charging stations to non-Tesla electric vehicles. Last week, Nissan joined the list of electric vehicle manufacturers, which already included Ford, GM, Volvo and Mercedes, that adopted Tesla’s charging port so it can also use Superchargers. It’s unclear whether the Canton site would immediately be part of the pilot program.
Guangzhou’s superchargers would be connected to the power grid, but a canopy of solar panels arranged above the chargers would compensate for this dependence. Tesla “tries to go off the grid as much as possible,” Rocha explained.
The plan-making board seemed interested and open to Rocha’s land and engineer Matt Tilden, who also toasted Tesla’s replenishment at the assembly. The council had questions about the station’s design and zoning compliance, and asked Rocha and Tilden to return to Canton on Aug. 16. for some other assembly to talk about the details.
One board member, a self-identified Tesla driver, expressed excitement at the idea of having a beer at Trillium while his car charged in the parking lot outside. of location and amenities.