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Go charge while getting car charged
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Business is already booming at the Tesla Super Charging Station that just opened along the 120 Bypass at the Promenade Shops at Orchard Valley.

The station just went on line this past weekend and there were already two Teslas and five other electric vehicles plugged in to get charged.

There are two Tesla supercharging stations and eight regular stations. The Tesla stations take 8 minutes to get a full charge while the regular stations are 20 minutes.

Linda Abeldt, who serves as marketing director for the Poag & McEwen owned center, said that merchants at Orchard Valley are hopeful that a number of electric car owners will stop for a charge and then use their charge cards to purchase goods and grab a meal.

The fact the Tesla S can travel almost 300 miles on a charge would make the Manteca retail and restaurant complex an idea stop for Bay Area residents that own the sleek electric sedans when they travel either to or from the Sierra or even Sacramento.

The charging station isn’t the only thing ramping up at Orchard Valley.

Several companies — most likely restaurants — have expressed interest in Orchard Valley but want better access to available free-standing sites along Union  Road to snare freeway traffic.

City of Manteca Economic Specialist Don Smail and municipal staff have been working with Poag & McEwen to make changes along Union Road to make the sites much more appealing and therefore marketable.

Abeldt said there are no announcements of new businesses yet but there has been an uptick in inquires.

There are plenty of other attractions coming up at the complex including the Manteca Quilters Show March 7-8 in the former Best Buy building. There’s also a wine and chocolate event in the works, two car sales, a car show, and carnivals connected with the Crossroads Street Fair and the Manteca Pumpkin Fair, and more.

Abeldt is currently working to bring a Saturday farmers’ market to Orchard Valley as well this summer.