Tesla Charging Station Underway at CEFCO Truck Stop

Giddings, TX (July 16, 2019) – In addition to taking advantage of Giddings’ easily accessible shopping and dining options, gas stations, and two fenced in dog parks, owners of Tesla electric vehicles who are traveling along Highway 290 between Austin and Houston will soon have another reason to stop in Giddings.  The company is in the process of installing EV Supercharger Stations in the CEFCO gas station parking lot located at 3025 East Austin Street about 2 miles east of the intersection of US-290 and US-77.  At this time, this site is the only Supercharger station under development along Highway 290 between Houston and Austin. According to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, the project cost is estimated to be approximately $90,000. 

Tesla electric cars are luxury vehicles designed for long distance travel. With a network of Supercharger stations across the country for owners, Tesla maintains a leading presence in the electrification of the transportation industry and the charging stations infrastructure. One of the big selling points for Tesla owners is the availability of “Superchargers” scattered across the United States. These super-fast charging stations can charge a Tesla battery in as little as 30 minutes.  Superchargers deliver energy rapidly, and gradually slow down as the battery fills. The vehicle automatically alerts the driver when it has enough energy to continue the trip. With the extensive network of Superchargers along popular routes, charging above 80% isn’t typically necessary.  At home, charging ranges from 6 to 10 hours for a full charge. Tesla Superchargers are designed exclusively for Tesla vehicles and vehicle owners receive 400 kWh of free Supercharger credits each year, which is enough to drive about 1,000 miles.

Since 2016, more than 682 level 3 charging stations (Superchargers) have been placed strategically to minimize the amount of time spent recharging. These charging stations are generally placed next to restaurants, malls, and places where Wi-Fi is available. Each station has multiple connectors and there are currently almost 4,200 available.

In addition to Superchargers, and with the collaboration of a growing number of partners, Tesla owners can also gain access to level 2 charging station located in strategic centers and can access level 1 charging at home.

“We are excited about this project because, like Starbucks, it is another opportunity to associate Giddings with a luxury brand and to pull travelers off of the highway.  We are also pleased to see this development occur in association with CEFCO, which is one of the projects the GEDC helped bring to fruition.   The opportunity for leveraging has been an important part of our strategic approach and the partnership between CEFCO and Tesla is an example of how one project begets another,” said Tonya Britton, Giddings Economic Development Corporation Director. 

“We became aware of the project last fall as contractors began working through the due diligence process and while there is still very little information available for release to the public, we can verify that the project is moving forward,” she explained. The company has not released a projected completion date for the project, nor is the project yet listed on their site.  In the meantime, to locate other supercharging stations across the U.S., check out ChargeHub.com’s interactive map, which is available for iOS and Android.