Public News

This Public News section of our website is a blog visible to the public and our members. It describes club events and news relevant to Tesla and electric vehicle owners living in or visiting Florida. The blog has a Comments feature that we made available to the public for a couple of months. Unfortunately, we were inundated with spam and inappropriate comments. As a result, we are forced to limit comments to our membership. Non-members can still view our news articles and the remarks submitted by our members, but we regret that they won’t be permitted to leave their own comments.

  • December 21, 2019 9:07 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    On Tuesday, December 17, 2019 a small group of club members met up at Cob & Pen for a Happy Hour gathering in Lakeland.

    We had a nice meeting over cocktails at the Lakeland Cob & Pen.  We had Jim, Sydney, Larry a Professor at Polk State and his wife, Bob and Rob.  We discussed the new Tesla truck coming out and how great the Tesla cars are.  Jim mentioned how he put in the Tesla solar panels and how well they were working.  He has a cool app to show how the power moves from the panels to the house and to Duke power when he has extra and how it has made his house and car energy independent.   Amazing.  Great time by all.  

    Merry Christmas.  


  • December 14, 2019 1:42 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    On December 14, 2019, Florida Tesla Enthusiasts had an owner meet up at True Food Kitchen at the St. John’s Town Center in Jacksonville, FL. There were 5 members along with their guests and 6 members of the public with owners coming as far away as Gainesville and Flager Beach. We had 3 model S’s one model X, and 2 performance model 3’s.

    There were discussions about various topics such as recent trips and charging experiences while everyone enjoyed the delicious food from True Food Kitchen.


    If you are interested in learning about our club, please click on the "Home" link at the top of this page. If you are interested in joining our club, please click on the "Join Us" link at the top of this page.


    Larry Chanin

    President, Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

    email: lfchanin@gmail.com

    Website: teslaownersflorida.org

    Facebook: Florida Tesla Enthusiasts


  • December 09, 2019 8:23 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    I want to thank Eugenio Pereira, Event Coordinator, for organizing this event. Below are his observations.


    On Sunday, December 8th, approximately 30 people attended a Club meetup in coordination with the Gainesville Cars and Coffee at the Gainesville Whole Foods. The meetup was a great success with club members arriving from as far away as Sarasota. We had an excellent variety of Tesla Model S, X, 3, and even a beautifully kept Roadster Sport.


    The Roadster was a huge draw, and the owner was very gracious to allow some of the members in attendance to sit in his vehicle. For many this will be a day to remember for having seen such a rare Tesla Roadster in person. We thank all who attended this fantastic event and hope to see you again soon.


    If you are interested in learning about our club, please click on the "Home" link at the top of this page. If you are interested in joining our club, please click on the "Join Us" link at the top of this page.


    Larry Chanin

    President, Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

    email: lfchanin@gmail.com

    Website: teslaownersflorida.org

    Facebook: Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

  • December 08, 2019 12:01 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    I want to thank Denise Grant, who is a track instructor and one of our Event Coordinators for organizing this fun event.  Below are her observations.

    WOW…it never gets old!!  We had one first-timer and three veteran racers; all had the same response: “This was really fun, even in my slower Tesla…!”  “It was a ton of fun.”  “Enjoyed the experience and plan on going again!”

    If you’ve never driven a car at speed on a track, …this is next-level fun!  Our cars have an incredible burst of continuous speed, and this can be safely experienced on a track!  For a $20.00 entry fee, the amount of fun far exceeds the cost!


    Our group, Doug Watt and Mo from Punta Gorda, Peter and Susan Grimm from Key West, Justin Horn from Miami, and Denise Grant from Ft Lauderdale met up at 4 pm at Sonny’s BBQ® in Florida City.  After chatting and charging up, we headed over to the track around 6:30 pm.


    We proceeded to “tech” and were assigned our numbers, and got in line to race.  Although we were told that helmets would be needed for glass top cars, that was not the fact.  Both Model 3’s ran without question regarding a helmet.  There were a few other Teslas at the track enjoying traits!


    We also learned a great deal from the other ICE drivers:

    1.     It is better not to keep driving the car while waiting in the line.   Many ICE drivers were pushing their cars to the start line.  So Justin used his Summon to move up thru the line. ;-)

    2.     We noticed a lot of ICE cars with their hoods up for better ventilation, …so I opened my frunk!

    My starts were decent, but with my 60 kWh battery, Peter blew right by, as did Justin!  Still incredibly fun!  Peter bested me with a 7-sec run!  Not too shabby for his first time out in 48 years!

    We’ll definitely be back!


    If you are interested in learning about our club, please click on the "Home" link at the top of this page. If you are interested in joining our club, please click on the "Join Us" link at the top of this page.


    Larry Chanin

    President, Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

    email: lfchanin@gmail.com

    Website: teslaownersflorida.org

    Facebook: Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

  • November 25, 2019 5:12 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    On November 24, 2019, we had a well-attended club luncheon with over 60 club members, their guests, members of the public, and of course about 30 Teslas in the parking lot. We savored the excellent food while enjoying the beautiful surrounding at the Laurel Oak Country Club in Sarasota.

    Following lunch, Zachary Shanan and David Havasi conducted an informative and delightfully entertaining live podcast in which they discussed the history of Tesla, breaking Tesla news, and invited questions and comments from the audience.

    About Zachary Shahan


    Zach is the director and chief editor of CleanTechnica. He's also the CEO of Important Media. He is recognized globally as an electric vehicle, solar energy, and energy storage expert. He has made presentations about clean technology at conferences in India, the UAE, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, the USA, Canada, and Curaçao. You can find his work all over the internet, including on Scientific American, Reuters, and several other websites.

    About David Havasi


    David was born and raised in Michigan, the youngest son of a "Big Three" auto executive and a teacher, his childhood was immersed in Detroit's rich auto culture. Being both a performance car enthusiast and environmentalist, he had long felt the need to reconcile his love for cars with their negative affect on the environment. David was a member of the Tesla team for almost seven years and served in several roles while helping develop Tesla's sales/delivery presence in the Northeast and Florida.

    Below is a link to a CleanTechnica article that discusses our event.  For those who couldn't join us, it also provides links to more lenghty videos/podcasts from their new Tesla Inside Out series that feature Zach and David. 

    Live Tesla Inside Out Podcast — November 24 in Sarasota, Florida

    Here are some photos from our event:



    If you are interested in learning about our club, please click on the "Home" link at the top of this page. If you are interested in joining our club, please click on the "Join Us" link at the top of this page.

    Larry Chanin

    President, Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

    Website: teslaownersflorida.org

    Facebook: Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

  • November 22, 2019 12:50 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    Mr and Mrs T, describing their world travel via Teslas

    On November 17th, Florida Tesla Enthusiasts members Jean Labrosse & Manon Belisle hosted “A Special Afternoon with Mr & Mrs T on Tour” at their home in Weston. Ralf Schwesinger and Nicole Wanner (aka Mr & Mrs T) are traveling the world in Teslas, sharing inspiration and supporting the mission to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy. Their journey has taken them from the heart of Switzerland around the globe, traveling Europe, New Zealand, Australia, and North America, and now to South Florida. They want to discover and share the beauty of our planet and inspire more people to protect it.

    Ralf and Nicole are using their experiences to publish the first EV travel guide, focusing on sustainable destinations with EV charging available. They spoke to the group about their journey and how each person can “do something” rather than try to be perfect, and it can certainly make a difference. Everyone was very interested in their mission, enjoyed hearing about their trip and had a good time socializing after they spoke.


    There was a nice local turnout for this interesting private club event.

    The first edition of the book, The Ultimate EV Travel Guide for Europe, should be available soon in German and English. The US edition will follow at a later date. To read more about their travels, or to purchase the EV travel guide, please visit their website Mr & Mrs T on Tour.


    Nicole Wanner and Ralf Schwesinger (aka Mr & Mrs T) from Baden, Switzerland.

    Special thanks to Jean and Manon for hosting the event and to Ralf and Nicole for sharing their experiences with the group.


    Jean Labrosse & Manon Belisle, Nicole Wanner & Ralf Schwesinger, and Denise & Craig Powell. 


    If you are interested in learning about our club, please click on the "Home" link at the top of this page. If you are interested in joining our club, please click on the "Join Us" link at the top of this page.

    Larry Chanin

    President, Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

    Website: teslaownersflorida.org

    Facebook: Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

  • October 26, 2019 3:30 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    Please scroll to the end for current information.

    Recently a club member located renovations in progress on the old Bob Wilson Dodge location at 11945 North Florida Avenue in Tampa.  It appears to be a new or additional Tampa Service Center nearing completion about 14 miles from the existing Tampa Service Center.  


    Update May 1, 2018.

    One of our club members located the following information from Tesla's Building Contractor, Scherer Construction.  This status appears to be as of May 1, 2018.  Their posted completion date of Summer 2018 appears to be optimistic.  Our best information suggests it will be ready no earlier than October, 2018 or it may even open next year.

    "The new Tesla Dealership is a repurpose of an existing auto dealership and 384 parking space garage with an office space. With only a building slab remaining, demolition of the slab and utilities were completed and the new dealership footprint installed. This project has been broken up into two phases. The first phase was the renovation of the parking garage in which all new electrical, paint, structural repairs, and replacement of the elevator was completed. In addition, the 8,000
    square foot interior office space which will be used for vehicle delivery was also completed. The second phase is a new 30,000 square foot dealership and service center. The structure is made of tilt wall panels and will include 6 large overhead bay doors for the service center."

    Here's their most recent aerial photo as of May 1, 2018.

    Update as of July 12, 2018.


    Upate as of October 3, 2019.

    As you may know, the new Tampa Service Center on North Florida Avenue has been handling deliveries for a while.  However, recently we received a credible rumor that the maintenance section of the facility is expected to open next month. 

    Here's some recent photos of current operations:

    Update as of October 20, 2019.

    It is being reported on the Tesla Motors Club forum that a Tesla owner has received a service confirmation for the first week in November.  So, if the maintenance functions haven't already been initiated at the new Tampa Service Center, they should be by early November.

    Update as of 3:30 pm.

    In response to our earlier update, I am informed that a club member received an email from Tesla stating that they will be moving to the new Tampa Service Center as of November 1, 2019.

    Update as of October 26, 2019.

    These recent photos provided by a club member show that the Service Center and Store is pretty much ready to go.

    The Store.


    The above two photos show that there is ample space for service.

    In addition to the several Wall Connectors shown in a previous photo, this photo shows what appears to be a Version 2 Supercharger. (An Urban Supercharger would only have one charging cable, a Version 3 would have four charging cables. This has two which is consistant with a Version 2.)

  • October 10, 2019 11:24 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    During the weekend of October 4, 2019, forty-three club members and their guests had a fabulous time at Hawks Cay Resort, Villas, and Marina located on Duck Key in the Middle Florida Keys. This 60-acre, tropical paradise is truly a unique resort with: 

    • Five Pools & Saltwater Lagoon
    • Dolphin Connection™
    • Beach Sunbathing alongside the Lagoon
    • Award-Winning Calm Waters Spa
    • Full-Service Marina with 85 Boat Slips
    • Offshore & Inshore Fishing Charters
    • Certified & Licensed Dive, Snuba™ & Snorkel Trips
    • 8 Tennis Courts Fitness Center
    • Water Sports, including Kiteboarding, Kayaking, & Parasailing
    • Island Segway Tours
    • Coral Cay Activities and Adventures

    The weather was perfect, and we enjoyed a few planned group events as well as some impromptu events. On Friday we gathered at the Tiki Grill Bar for some libations followed by a beautiful sunset cruise. On Saturday we had a private group dinner at the Angler & Ale restaurant at the marina. The food, drinks, and service were excellent. We also had a few impromptu dinners in Marathon and meet-ups at the various resort venues.

    Many thanks go to Rachelle Stone for doing the bulk of the coordinating with the resort.

    Here are photos featuring a lot of smiling faces: 

    The Tiki Grill Bar was a frequent watering hole and we kicked off and closed the weekend event there.


    After wetting our whistles at the Tiki Bar we went on a beautiful sunset cruise. Guess What? They served more drinks. ;-)





    On Saturday, everyone was free to explore the resort.  That evening we had a private group dinner at the Angler & Ale Restaurant.  More than 30 members and their guests attended.






    Here's a photo of the ride back to the resort from the Angler & Ale.


    Hawks Cay Resort is the only hotel or resort in the mainland United States that offers their guests the opportunity of dolphin viewing and interaction on site.  Several of our group participated in the Dolphin Connection experience.  These photos are of club members Erol, Sandy and Ken.

    The dolphin in the following photo is 45 years old and is retired from the Navy.

    Here's a nearby spectator.

     

    Some of us spent some time at the Tranquility Pool for adults (MATURITY OPTIONAL).

    One of the local residents stalking lunch.


    Sunday morning some of us did an impromptu breakfast in Marathon at the Island Fish Company right on the water. Great food!

    Sunday evening some of us did an impromptu dinner at the Key Colony Inn in Marathon. Great food!


    A great time was had by all and we will seriously consider a repeat event next year.

    If you are interested in learning about our club, please click on the "Home" link at the top of this page. If you are interested in joining our club, please click on the "Join Us" link at the top of this page.

    Larry Chanin

    President, Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

    Website: teslaownersflorida.org

    Facebook: Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

  • September 21, 2019 3:24 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    On Saturday, September 21, 2019, Zachary Shanan, director of CleanTechnica, organized a National Drive Electric Week event at the Whole Foods near the Sarasota Superchargers. (CleanTechnica is the #1 cleantech-focused website in the US and the world, reaching about 7 million readers around the world each month.)

    Despite being a last-minute event, about 40 electric vehicles participated. About 30 of them were Teslas.

    Here's some photos:




    Here's the CleanTechnica article on the event.  It includes some drone footage:

     Florida Tesla Drivers Drive A Ton!


    Larry Chanin

    President, Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

    Email: lfchanin@gmail.com

    Website: teslaownersflorida.org

    Facebook: Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

  • August 29, 2019 9:47 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    On August 29, 2019, we had a meetup and car display at Tatts & Tacos Beer Garden. The food and music were great!  We had approximately 20 people in attendance, and two Tesla Service Technicians provided some interesting information for our group. All the cars were posed stylishly in front of the restaurant for pictures! 

    Tatts & Tacos Beer Garden is a Tattoo Art inspired bar and restaurant with a Super Chill Vibe! It’s a trendy new hot spot in Downtown Oakland Park serving authentic Mexican cuisine, 40 craft beers on tap, with a full liquor bar.

    Here are some photos:


    Two Tesla Service Technicians provided some interesting information.


    Some of the Teslas on display at Tatts & Tacos.


    Larry Chanin

    President, Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

    Email: lfchanin@gmail.com

    Website: teslaownersflorida.org

    Facebook: Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

Florida Tesla Enthusiasts, Inc. is an enthusiast club and 501(c) 7 non-profit organization. It is registered with the Florida Department of State and is also registered to do business in Florida as Tesla Owners Florida.

The use of the trademarked name "Tesla" in our club names is strictly for the nominative purposes of description and identification as granted by the Lanham Act for fair use of trademarks. Its use is in no way intended to imply any business affiliation with Tesla or its subsidiaries.

Our club is an official partner of the Tesla Owners Club Program. While it is recognized and sanctioned by Tesla through the program, Florida Tesla Enthusiasts, a/k/a Tesla Owners Club of Florida, is an independent enthusiast organization and is not affiliated with Tesla or its subsidiaries. TESLA, MODEL S, MODEL X, MODEL 3, POWERWALL and the “TESLA,” “T” and “TESLA and T Flag” designs, and certain other marks, are trademarks or registered trademarks of Tesla Motors, Inc. in the United States and other countries.

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