Wave of the future: Tesla Motors installs electric charging station in Ritzville

The Best Western Plus Bronco Inn is one of the newest Supercharger locations for Tesla Motors, and the charging stations allow four Tesla vehicle owners to stop at one time to charge.

There are currently 103 Supercharger locations throughout the United States.

The installation of the Supercharger station is part of the Tesla Motors Company’s goal to install the high power charging stations every 300 miles, while the regular charging stations are intended to be located every 100 miles. Prior to the completion of the Ritzville station, Ellensburg was the closest charging station for Tesla owners in the eastern portion of the state.

Bronco Inn Manager John Messinger explained Tesla Motors contacted the local Best Western due to the prime location and visibility from the highways. The charging stations are typically located in convenient locations along major interstates throughout the country, the Tesla Motors website states.

The location of the stations is also based on the convenience of restaurants and shopping locations. The intent is for drivers to stop for 30 minutes to charge the car and have the opportunity to eat or shop while waiting for the vehicle to charge.

“For us, and Ritzville in general, what we’re trying to accomplish is exposure,” Messigner said.

“The goal for the property is we want people to know we exist,” Messigner continued about the addition of the Supercharge station. “We’re trying to get people to come to Ritzville; to come see the history.”

Unlike a regular charging station, the Supercharger allows drivers to refuel quickly and get back on the road. Stopping at a Supercharger can replenish half of the car’s battery in as little as 20 minutes.

There are four refueling stations available to Tesla owners at the Bronco Inn, and owners have the opportunity to stop for a 30-minute charge or to stay longer and charge overnight.

Messinger estimates one Tesla car stops at the Ritzville location a day.

The site went live in early June, but even before the charging stations were up and running, Tesla owners were stopping by to see the new location. As the first major charging station in Eastern Washington, Messinger said he talked to multiple Tesla owners from the surrounding cities who were excited to finally have access to a major charging station.

As an electric car, Tesla owners use a 12-inch touch screen to monitor information about the vehicle, change settings and research the closest charging station. The Ritzville site began showing up as a proposed location in April, and this drew many owners to the site just to see the new location.

Tesla Motors markets their vehicles with the intention of owners never having to pay for fuel again. While owners do have to pay the electricity costs necessary to charge their vehicle at home, the overall costs are drastically lower than fuel costs on a yearly basis.

The price of a new Tesla car is significantly higher than a typical car, but the prices are slowly beginning to reduce with the worldwide expansion of the company. A Model S car is approximately $63,500 for the stock model with a 65-kilowatt battery.

The company offers three types of batteries to owners, and while the wattage differs, all of the batteries allow owners to travel over 200 miles without having to charge the vehicle. All of the batteries also come with an eight-year warranty.

Among the incentives of purchasing a Tesla, Washington state residents are exempt from sales/use tax and the motor vehicles sales tax if purchased before July 1, 2015. Sales tax also does not apply to the electric vehicle batteries.

The largest nationwide incentive for individuals to buy a Tesla car is the $7,500 federal tax credit offered by the US government with the purchase of a new Tesla acquired for personal use.

All of the work at the property was completed at no cost to Best Western, Messinger explained, and he continued to say the company was exceptional to work with. Not only did those involved in the project work efficiently, they also made a point to support local businesses.

The electricity for the Supercharger station is provided through Big Bend Electric Cooperative.

“This is the wave of the future,” Messinger said. “I’m hoping it will bring more people to town.”