Tesla receives approval for its Diner and Drive-In
Tesla
A futuristic blend of entertainment and electric vehicle charging is coming to Hollywood as Tesla gains significant approvals for its state-of-the-art Diner and Drive-In Supercharger project.
According to documents revealed by Teslarati from the LA Department of Building and Safety, Tesla has won permit approval for its Diner and Drive-In Movie Supercharger in Los Angeles. This unique project aims to offer Tesla owners and the public a dining and movie experience while charging their electric vehicles.
Project Background: An Experience Beyond Charging
Elon Musk has hinted at the idea for several years, and the planned facility now has a confirmed location at 7001 W. Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood. Featuring 32 Supercharger stalls, two screens for movie clips, and a rooftop-seating restaurant, this entertainment hub marks a new era in EV charging experiences.
Originally planned for Santa Monica, the location shift to Hollywood seems more fitting for the glamorous concept. Eight months after Tesla submitted the applications in November 2022, Los Angeles approved the plan.
A Glimpse into the Future: Tesla's Investor Day Revelation
During Tesla's recent Investor Day, Rebecca Tinucci, Tesla's Senior Director of Charging Infrastructure, offered attendees a sneak peek into the company's visionary plans. Presenting an intriguing slide titled "Can't Forget to Do Cool S***," Tinucci unveiled an illustration that brought Tesla's creative concept to life.
The slide featured a retro-looking Tesla Diner restaurant with a rooftop patio and an old-school drive-in movie screen behind it. The captivating image excited those present and provided a tangible vision of what Tesla's new Supercharger site could look like.
From 24/7 charging and dining to scheduled movie programming, Tesla is set to make waiting for a charge an enjoyable event. With bamboo landscaping and carhop service options, the new location promises a blend of nostalgia and novelty.
Approvals and Progress: On the Road to Reality
After several evaluations, Tesla received the green light for various construction phases. On July 18, the company secured approval for grading the area, building walls, and constructing movie screens.
The initial grading inspection on August 9 was approved, paving the way for Tesla to move forward with this visionary project. Stantec Architecture, based in Chandler, Arizona, is listed as the project’s architect, with PCL Construction Services Inc. out of Glendale, California, handling the contracting.
The Tesla Supercharger Network: More Than Just Charging
While Tesla's Supercharger Network is already the most expansive globally, this new addition brings a creative twist. The changing dynamics of charging technology have reduced customers' time at charging stations, but the desire for unique experiences remains.
Tesla is now offering more than a place to charge by introducing this new concept. As the company looks to enhance the EV owner's experience, the Diner and Drive-In Supercharger may become one of Tesla's most captivating stops.
Tesla's ambitious project showcases the company's forward-thinking approach and promises to redefine how people perceive electric vehicle charging. By marrying technology with leisure, the Hollywood Diner and Drive-In Supercharger site will likely become a landmark for Tesla owners and entertainment enthusiasts.
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest Tesla news, upcoming features and software updates.
Tesla recently showed off Giga Small Haus, an interesting new display project hosted at Giga Berlin. The small new house is located just outside the main entrance of Tesla’s Giga Berlin factory, with a Quicksilver Model Y parked inside.
Giga Small Haus is powered only by solar and Powerwall 3 - disconnected from the local grid and from Giga Berlin itself. It serves as a live demonstration of Tesla Solar and Tesla’s Powerwall battery backup.
Giga Small Haus
The centerpiece of the display is a Model Y in Quicksilver - a beautiful pick for a beautifully lit house. However, that’s not the real focus here - it's the Powerwall and Gateway on the wall.
The Powerwall is the focus of Giga Small Haus, and there’s a display with some additional information on the wall. Part of the display also includes a screen that displays the current output of the Powerwall itself versus the consumption of Giga Small Haus, as well as the input from solar.
The interior exhibit of Giga Small Haus
Not a Tesla App
The text on the exhibit is divided into several sections. Here’s a translated and edited version of what we can see from Tesla’s images. Some additional text is obscured. If someone visits Giga Small Haus, let us know.
Powerwall
Powerwall is a home battery system that stores energy from solar panels, the electrical grid, or during off-peak hours and powers your home during the day or during a power outage.
With Powerwall, you can use self-generated solar energy during the day and night, thus avoiding high electricity costs. You can also store excess energy produced during sunny periods for use during times of low production or power outages.
Key Features
Energy Storage: Powerwall stores excess energy from solar panels or the grid for later use or during power outages.
Backup Power: In the event of a power outage, Powerwall automatically switches to battery power to ensure continuous power supply.
Integration: Powerwall can be seamlessly integrated with existing solar systems and other power sources.
Scalability: Multiple Powerwalls can be installed to meet higher energy storage needs.
Smart Energy Management: Powerwall works with Tesla's software to optimize energy consumption and reduce costs.
How Powerwall Works
Storage: During the day, when solar panels produce more energy than needed, the excess is stored in Powerwall.
Usage: At night or during times of low solar production, the stored energy is used to power the home, reducing reliance on the grid.
Backup: During a power outage, Powerwall automatically provides power to critical circuits, ensuring continuous operation of essential appliances.
Benefits
Cost Savings: By storing and using solar energy, you can reduce your electricity bills.
Reliability: Provides backup power during outages, ensuring your home remains powered.
Sustainability: Promotes the use of renewable energy by storing excess solar production for later use.
Overall, Giga Small Haus is an interesting real-life demo of what Powerwall and Solar can accomplish. It would be neat if Tesla built more of these displays - perhaps near major Delivery and Service Centers and at Giga Texas, Fremont, Giga Shanghai, and other facilities. Many Tesla owners have yet to learn about and experience some of Tesla’s Energy products.
Tesla has added the Acceleration Boost option to the Tesla store for owners of the 2024 Model 3 Long Range - specifically owners in Australia and China. Acceleration Boost is an upgrade that provides a significant performance boost, drastically narrowing the performance gap between the Long Range and Performance versions of the same model.
This upgrade will likely become available in Europe, Canada, and the United States in the next few days as Tesla updates its shops globally.
Acceleration Boost
This new Acceleration Boost is retailing for $3,000 AUD, or approximately $2,000 USD. That’s the same price for current owners of older Model 3 or Model Y Long Range vehicles, which all have the option to purchase Acceleration Boost through the shop.
The boost provides improved 0-100km/h (0-60mph) performance, bumping the 2024 Model 3 LR from 4.4s to 3.8s. The 2024 Performance version comes in at a blazing fast 2.9 seconds, so while it isn’t equivalent to just buying a performance variant in the first place, it is still a noticeable and significant upgrade.
Performance variants also come with a different front fascia vent for cooling, performance drive units, sport seats, adaptive suspension, 20-inch wheels, and Track Mode V3. That’s a significant number of additional features in the $10,000 USD price difference between the Long Range and Performance versions.
Should You Buy It?
If you’ve purchased a Long Range model and are itching to go just that little bit faster at every red light, this is the upgrade for you. It previously came with the cost of slightly reducing vehicle range, but the Tesla store doesn’t make a note of reduced range this time around. The 2023 Model 3 and Model Y Long Range models had an efficiency loss of about 5% due to the additional always-available acceleration and cooling.
You could drive in Chill mode to mostly negate that efficiency loss, but what’s the fun in driving in Chill when you just got Acceleration Boost? Anyhow, the shop listing for the 2024 variant doesn’t include this detail, so it's possible Tesla may have worked some more engineering magic.
Overall, if you’ve got the $3,000 AUD burning a hole in your pocket, some Tesla referral credits sitting around, or just want to go faster, it's definitely an upgrade many users find valuable.
