Fort Macleod, Alta. is probably not the first place that comes to mind when you think of Tesla’s electricity-powered vehicles. But now it might be. A Tesla Supercharger station has been installed right in the heart of the town.
“They were looking for a strategic location in terms of geography and Fort Macleod was very lucky in terms of our location. I mean, on Highway 3 and Highway 2 between Calgary and Lethbridge, it was a win-win for both of us,” Sue Keenan with the Town of Fort Macleod said.
The Supercharger can fully charge a vehicle in about half an hour, making for a quick pit stop in the town for drivers of electric vehicles.
A spokesperson for Tesla issued a statement to Global News stating:
Tesla is very focused on providing long distance travel and we place Superchargers along major corridors that our customers often travel to enable seamless road trips. The Fort Macleod Supercharger is the launching point for Calgary customers to access the south Canadian Rockies.
The Tesla Supercharger is substantially more powerful than any charging technology to date, providing up to 120 kilowatts of power and replenishing half a charge in twenty minutes. (Tesla vehicles can travel more than 500 km on a single charge so that’s roughly 250 km of charge in the first 20 minutes at a Supercharger).
We strategically place Superchargers to allow owners to drive from station to station with minimal stops. Superchargers are located near amenities like roadside diners, cafes, and shopping centers so road trippers can stop for a quick meal and have their Model S or Model X charged by the time they’re done. Supercharging is free for current Tesla owners. The Macleod Supercharger will be able to charge up to 8 Teslas at a time.
A Calgary woman took to social media to say she was thrilled to see the charging station pop up in southern Alberta.
“We were really excited about the Fort Macleod opening because we usually like to go south instead of north,” Sherry Rubin said. “This has definitely made it a lot easier for us.”
However, residents of Fort Macleod say traffic at the chargers has been slow – snow-covered parking spots are evidence of that.
Jason Kenney, who is running to lead Alberta’s Progressive Conservative party, suggested in a tweet that Albertans wouldn’t use the station very much.
When pressed for more details, Kenney issued the following statement to Global News:
“The NDP continues to arrogantly tell Albertans that they need to change their behaviour.
While private individuals are free to do as they like, the vast majority of Albertans simply cannot afford to purchase a $100k+ electric vehicle in response to the NDP’s job-killing carbon tax.
Approximately 0.02% of the vehicles registered in Alberta are electric vehicles. The reality remains that Albertans still depend on fossil-fuel powered vehicles for their daily lives. This is especially true for rural Albertans, and for those who use their vehicles to earn their living.
Lastly, while stopping for a break to shop or eat might be nice, most Albertans will not have the luxury of stopping for periodic battery recharges as they go about their very busy lives.”
Rubin said her family plans to stop at the charging station for years to come.
“When it’s nice weather, it would be nice to venture around and check out a bit of Fort Macleod,” Rubin said.
The charging station is the third of its kind in Alberta – the other two are in Canmore and Red Deer.
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