24-unit station opens on Clover Lane next to Caldera Brewery
By Jim Flint for Ashland.news
After city approval more than a year ago, followed by two appeals challenging that decision (both denied by the Ashland Planning Commission), a ribbon-cutting Monday afternoon celebrated completion of a 24-unit Tesla Supercharger station at 580 Clover Lane in Ashland.
Opened on Sept. 1, the station is situated on a half-acre lot located just southeast of Caldera Brewery and Restaurant.
On hand for the ceremonies were Ashland Chamber of Commerce Membership and Business Development Director Dana Preston, property owner Asia Johnson and her 3-year-old daughter Juniper, members of Tesla owners’ clubs and about two dozen interested citizens.
Johnson leased the property to Tesla, which built the facility.
She and her daughter cut the long red ribbon stretching across the station’s entrance with giant scissors provided by the chamber.
Johnson plans to develop the property further under the umbrella of her company, Recharge Inc., an Ashland Chamber of Commerce member.
“The amenities we plan to build at the location include a convenience store, food sales, a lounge and restrooms,” Johnson said.
The timetable will depend on fundraising efforts, she said.
For now, the station is equipped to service Tesla vehicles. She expects the chargers to be usable by other makes of electric vehicles by the end of next year.
Representing Tesla Owners Oregon, Patrick and Debbie Jimmerson traveled from Roseburg in Debbie’s Tesla Model Y for the ceremonies.
“Our club’s president was unable to attend, so he asked us to represent him,” Debbie Jimmerson said.
The couple topped off the car’s tank while they were there.
“We usually aim for about 85%,” said Patrick Jimmerson, noting that it was “easier on the battery” than charging to 100%.
When they’re traveling, they typically start checking on charger locations when the car shows 50 to 80 miles remaining. They’ve never run out of juice, they said.
The Jimmersons are a two-Tesla family. Patrick owns a Tesla Model 3.
How much does it cost to fill up?
“When I added 100 miles last week at home, it cost $5,” Patrick Jimmerson said. That’s a nickel per mile. Compare that to 18 cents per mile at current local gas prices for a car getting 25 miles per gallon.
The Jimmersons don’t have to present a credit or debit card or use cash when they charge their car. Tesla uses a “plug and charge” system in which the vehicle is identified when plugged in and the cost of charging is deducted from the payment method associated with the vehicle.
Tesla typically places Superchargers near major highways at locations with amenities for drivers. In reaffirming approval for the development without such amenities, the Planning Commission noted that there were several restaurants and restroom facilities nearby.
Such amenities will be on site when Johnson completes her development plan.
Reach writer Jim Flint at jimflint.ashland@yahoo.com.
