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MANTECA: ‘SUPER’ TESLA TOWN
Second supercharge station being built in Manteca is third in northern SJ Valley
tesla charge

Manteca — as things now stand — is a must stop for most Bay Area Tesla owners heading to Yosemite Valley.

The 20-stall supercharger station along the 120 Bypass in The Promenade Shops at Orchard Valley anchored by Bass Pro Shops at many times during the week is nearly full.

In a nod to the strategic location Manteca serves to reach destinations, Tesla is investing in a second supercharging station in the city.

It is being installed along Spreckels Avenue at Historical Plaza Way in the parking lot in front of Target. It will have 10 supercharging stalls designed for Tesla and four other charging stations that other electric vehicles can use.

When completed, it will bring the number of electric charging stations in Manteca as well as on its outskirts to 27. That includes two charging spots at the Manteca Transit Center on Moffat Boulevard and a Tesla destination charge at Delicato Vineyards.

The only other Tesla Supercharging station in the Northern San Joaquin Valley is in Gustine off of Interstate 5 at Andersen’s Split Pea Soup restaurant near where Highway 152 heads over Pacheco Pass.

The fact Manteca is literally at a major crossroads for the three anchors of the NorCal MegaRegion of 17 million as it is almost equal distance of from San Jose (68 miles), San Francisco (76 miles), and Sacramento (59 miles) bodes well for the city being able to snag tourists and travelers. The city is also 95 miles from Napa Valley and 112 miles from Fresno.

And while more electric chargers — for Tesla vehicles and others — will continue to pop up as more electric vehicles are on the road, the fact Manteca will have two Tesla supercharging stations before virtually any other city in the region  re-enforces the City of Manteca’s push to snag tourists as well as more traveler dollars.

Already restaurants at Orchard Valley benefit from the roughly 30 minutes it takes to recharge a Tesla. Bass Pro Shops also snags Tesla users that browse the store while it is being charged.

The upside for Tesla drivers that will recharge at the Spreckels Avenue location is that there are 29 dining options — including two Starbucks locations and a Jamba Juice — within a two block walk. It is the largest concentration of dining options in Manteca. The area already snags a lot of Bay Area drivers heading to and from the Sierra as well as those traveling Highway 99.

The newest versions of Tesla models have rated ranges of 325 to 370 miles. Most other electric vehicles don’t have as robust ranges.

But even so, recharging in Manteca makes it easy to reach a long list of popular regional destinations.

While there is a Tesla supercharging station in Groveland, Yosemite Valley is 112 miles from Manteca. That makes it a 224 mile round trip living capacity to go elsewhere within the national park.

Manteca could easily build upon that given electric vehicle drivers are acutely tuned into driving range.

A Tesla owner — or  owners of other electric vehicles — that are vacationing in Northern California from out of the area could use a hotel in Manteca as a base and reach a wide array of high profile destinations in day trips that are powered by a supercharge in Manteca. That includes the entire San Francisco Bay Area, the Napa Valley wine country, Sacramento, Yosemite Valley, a wide swath of the Southern Sierra, Fresno, and even Monterey.

 

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com