(Bloomberg) -- Burger, fries and a charged battery.
Tesla Inc. is drawing up an eclectic menu as it prepares to open a ’50s diner-themed charging station in the heart of Los Angeles, where electric-vehicle drivers will be able to grab a bite or catch a movie while topping off their battery.
It’s a new spin on an old concept, showing how the EV industry is moving away from the utilitarian gas-station model. A wave of charging stations is cropping up with amenities more akin to an airport lounge. EV maker Rivian Automotive Inc. recently opened a location outside Yosemite National Park where patrons can grab free coffee and even make their own trail mix while they wait.
Tesla could use a reconnection with some customers, particularly in left-leaning California. The automaker’s sales have disappointed investors recently, with some analysts pointing to Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk’s increasingly visible embrace of right-wing politics and endorsement of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. That has turned off some potential buyers at a time when EV growth is slowing broadly. While Musk’s prediction this week of a strong 2025 sent shares soaring, competition is rising as automakers churn out more plug-in models.
Self-identified Democrats have been souring on Tesla, a trend that started in 2022 but has accelerated in recent months, according to survey data from Morning Consult Intelligence. Unfavorable views by Democrats have risen to the highest level since polling began in 2016, while Republicans’ views of Tesla have improved.
Like many of Musk’s musings, the retro-futuristic carhop-movie-theater-mashup is a long-delayed idea that’s just now coming to fruition. He talked in 2018 about putting “an old-school drive-in” at a Supercharger site, and in 2021 posted about a future Tesla diner. Last year, he suggested a “Grease meets the Jetsons” concept for such a station.
The concept of the diner — situated on Santa Monica Boulevard, not far from the Sunset Strip and iconic Route 66 — plays off a certain car-centric, old-school sentimentality.
“It borrows nostalgia,” said Leslie Kendall, a historian for LA’s Petersen Automotive Museum. “They want to make it feel comfortable and familiar, and the Jetsons and car culture are something people are familiar with.”
An opening date for the diner hasn’t been set, and Tesla has provided little information about the diner since it broke ground last year. The automaker didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Recent filings and disclosures provide some hints about what’s coming.
Tesla recently hired a manager to lead the location and work with vendors, according to LinkedIn, and posted a batch of job listings in July. The company is seeking a “diner experience specialist” that would help with aspects related to movies, charging and dining. The posting called for someone who could assist with “pre-opening” program development, at an annual salary of as much as $285,000.
The site will include a Supercharging station with 28 stalls and two movie screens, according to plans filed with the City of Los Angeles. A two-story building with a round metallic exterior will house the diner. In recent months, the company has filed for permits that could point to finishing touches including plumbing, elevator installation, reconfiguring parking and adding a “Tesla Diner” sign.
Outposts like the Tesla diner and Rivian lodge suggest the automakers themselves will remain central in the charging network, in a shift from the gas-station business. That could give car brands an ongoing connection with drivers even after the keys are handed over.
“It’s not just about the revenue,” said Paul Frey, vice president of charging, propulsion and adventure products for Rivian. It’s about “getting people to connect to the brand.”
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