Thursday, March 15, 2018 10:50:14 PM
Zlati Meyer, USA TODAY Published 4:06 p.m. ET March 15, 2018 | Updated 5:05 p.m. ET March 15, 2018
CLOSE
A proposed Tesla supercharger station includes a drive-in restaurant. USA
(Photo: Tesla)
Having created an electric-car "Supercharger" network around the country, Tesla is creating a filling station of a different sort.
While Tesla CEO Elon Musk may be known as a visionary for dreaming of rockets to Mars or tunneling under cities, his latest idea is downright retro.
Tesla is planning to open a drive-in-style restaurant -- a concept straight out of the sock-hop 1950s -- next to a charging station in Santa Monica, Calif. The city confirms the proposal on its website where Tesla has filed for the application.
It's no surprise to Musk watchers. In January, the billionaire entrepreneur tweeted that he was going to “put an old-school drive-in, roller skates & rock restaurant at one of the new Tesla Supercharger locations in LA."
Gonna put an old school drive-in, roller skates & rock restaurant at one of the new Tesla Supercharger locations in LA
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 7, 2018
The Palo Alto, Calif.-based automaker declined to provide more details, including why it chose the drive-in concept, anticipated opening date, choice of location, whether the eatery will be open to non-Tesla owners or even what will be on the menu.
Musk isn't the only person in his family with an interest in food. His brother Kimbal co-founded the multi-state Kitchen Restaurant Group in 2004 and Square Roots, an urban farming incubator based with Brooklyn, N.Y. with plans to open sites in cities across the U.S. Kimbal Musk sits on Tesla's board of directors.
More: Tesla’s newest supercharger stations
More: Here's where billionaire Elon Musk has his money invested right now
More: This Musk — Elon's brother — looks to revolutionize urban farming
The site of Tesla's proposed Santa Monica Supercharger station plus drive-in is a corner lot, previously home to a Volvo dealership. Santa Monica is a progressive, eco-oriented community with high-income residents who were early to embrace hybrid and electric cars. It's about 10 miles north of Tesla's design studio in Hawthorne.
Tesla currently has 1,130 Supercharger stations with 8,496 Superchargers. The one in Kettleman City, Calif. -- about 50 miles south of Fresno -- is one of the largest and features a customer lounge that includes vending machines.
Jim Heimann, author of Car Hops and Curb Service: A History of American Drive-In Restaurants 1920-1960, said the drive-in's appeal historically was the convenience of not having to get out of your car. But time-savers -- today known as life hacks -- are valued nowadays, too.
"It’s a novelty and probably will very popular. You can sit with your iPhone, while you wait for you food," he said. "From my point of view, it’d be great to see an old-fashioned drive-in."
Recent TSLA News
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 09/25/2024 11:48:42 PM
- U.S. Stocks Close Higher Again; S&P Posts Fresh Record Closing High • IH Market News • 09/24/2024 08:43:00 PM
- Visa Faces Monopoly Lawsuit; Meta Introduces Celebrity Voices for Chatbot; Stellantis on the Hunt for New CEO • IH Market News • 09/24/2024 10:15:50 AM
- Form 144 - Report of proposed sale of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 09/23/2024 08:27:57 PM
- Apollo Eyes $5 Billion Investment in Intel; TSMC and Samsung Explore UAE Chip Projects, and More • IH Market News • 09/23/2024 10:32:25 AM
- Nike Shares Surge 7% Pre-Market as Elliott Hill Becomes CEO; FedEx Shares Tumble 13% After Profit Miss • IH Market News • 09/20/2024 10:02:58 AM
- AIG names new CFO; Progyny Drops 24% After Losing Key 2025 Contract; Exicure Jumps 190% With Nasdaq Extension • IH Market News • 09/19/2024 10:26:48 AM
- Microsoft Boosts Share Buyback, Raises Dividends by 10%, Intel Secures Chip Deal with Amazon • IH Market News • 09/17/2024 10:40:35 AM
- Form 4 - Statement of changes in beneficial ownership of securities • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 09/10/2024 12:02:19 AM
- Dell, Palantir, and Erie Will Be Added to the S&P 500; Boeing Avoids Strike; Apple Event Takes Place Today • IH Market News • 09/09/2024 10:05:35 AM
- Broadcom Down 10% Post-Earnings, UiPath Up 8%; Qualcomm Eyes Intel Assets; Salesforce Acquires Own Company • IH Market News • 09/06/2024 11:59:00 AM
- Travala Now Available on Skyscanner, Siemens Issues New Digital Bond on Blockchain, Bitcoin Volatility on Thursday • IH Market News • 09/05/2024 06:09:29 PM
- Qualcomm Develops Mixed Reality Glasses; Verizon to Boost Dividend, Eyes Acquisition; Samsonite Plans US Dual Listing • IH Market News • 09/05/2024 10:11:35 AM
- Nvidia Subpoenaed by DOJ, Athira Pharma Shares Plunge 71% After Study Fails, Zscaler Falls 15% Post-Earnings • IH Market News • 09/04/2024 09:50:25 AM
- Intuitive Machines Soars 18% on NASA Contract, Intel Considers Splitting Operations, Dell Reassesses Selling SecureWorks • IH Market News • 08/30/2024 10:00:08 AM
- Big Lots Falls 27%, Considers Bankruptcy; DraftKings Acquires Simplebet, Berkshire Hits $1 Trillion • IH Market News • 08/29/2024 10:06:50 AM
- High Volatility Expected in Nvidia Report, Ambarella Soars 20%, Hertz Strengthens Board, Apple Cuts Jobs • IH Market News • 08/28/2024 09:50:36 AM
- Apple Names New CFO, Sony Hikes PS5 Price in Japan, Santander Launches Share Buyback • IH Market News • 08/27/2024 09:35:22 AM
- Cruise and Uber Join Forces for Robotaxis, Alibaba Shifts Primary Listing to Hong Kong, Altria Hikes Dividend 4.1% • IH Market News • 08/23/2024 12:20:26 PM
- Schwab and Snowflake Retreat in Premarket, WeRide Postpones IPO, Halliburton Cyberattack, McDonald’s Instagram Hack • IH Market News • 08/22/2024 09:37:42 AM
- Walmart Sells JD.com Stake, Microchip Suffers Cyberattack, Union Pacific Warns of Strike in Canada, and Latest News • IH Market News • 08/21/2024 12:12:11 PM
- Berkshire Reduces Stake in BofA, Hawaiian Airlines Soars 10%, Paramount Receives $4.3B Offer, and More • IH Market News • 08/20/2024 09:56:02 AM
- FuboTV Soars 12% After Venu Sports Block, Goldman Sachs Lowers U.S. Recession Odds, BHP Ends Chile Strike • IH Market News • 08/19/2024 09:28:19 AM
- Deutsche Bank Faces Shareholder Backlash, Bank of America Sponsors 2026 World Cup, Quanterix CEO Buys More Shares • IH Market News • 08/16/2024 10:03:21 AM
- Google Mandated to Modify Play Store, Apple Innovates, Victoria’s Secret Hires CEO, Mars Buys Kellanova • IH Market News • 08/15/2024 10:05:46 AM
North Bay Resources Commences Operations at Bishop Gold Mill, Inyo County, California; Engages Sabean Group Management Consulting • NBRI • Sep 25, 2024 9:15 AM
CEO David B. Dorwart Anticipates a Bright Future at Good Gaming Inc. Through His Most Recent Shareholder Update • GMER • Sep 25, 2024 8:30 AM
Cannabix Technologies and Omega Laboratories Inc. Advance Marijuana Breathalyzer Technology - Dr. Bruce Goldberger to Present at Society of Forensic Toxicologists Conference • BLOZF • Sep 24, 2024 8:50 AM
Integrated Ventures, Inc Announces Strategic Partnership For GLP-1 (Semaglutide) Procurement Through MedWell USA, LLC. • INTV • Sep 24, 2024 8:45 AM
Avant Technologies Accelerates Creation of AI-Powered Platform to Revolutionize Patient Care • AVAI • Sep 24, 2024 8:00 AM
VHAI - Vocodia Partners with Leading Political Super PACs to Revolutionize Fundraising Efforts • VHAI • Sep 19, 2024 11:48 AM