Sourced from Dubois County Free Press
Electric vehicles don’t necessarily run on fumes but if they are short a few electrons and their drivers are looking for a good meal, they can stop in at the Schnitzelbank in Jasper for a recharge.
Wednesday, three charging stations went online in the parking lot that services the restaurant and the Hampton Inn next door. Two of the stations are specifically for Tesla vehicles while the third is available for other electric car models like the Chevrolet Volt.
According to Alan Hanselman, co-owner of the restaurant and hotel, he was contacted by the company as a location for the charging stations earlier this spring. “They look for destination spots,” Hanselman said. “And they came to us to put it in. They paid for everything.”
The Tesla representative told Hanselman that the location was ideal for their customer demographic. “He said Tesla drivers are looking for nice places to eat while they are driving,” Hanselman explained adding that the Hampton Inn was a bonus. “They have a place to stay and eat right here.”
With the addition of the charging stations, Jasper will now appear on the in-car maps that direct owners to the special stations. With Jasper now listed as one of the few stations in Southern Indiana, this could draw traffic from the interstate to the area. Although Tesla vehicles can be charged by conventional vehicle charging stations and on 110 and 240 volt outlets, the Tesla chargers are much faster. The company says a 30 minute charge on the Tesla charger is enough for 170 miles of driving.
Hanselman surmised from the conversations he had with the company representative that Tesla might be bringing some of the cars through the area as part of a marketing campaign.