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 20, 2018 2:11 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    This article is continuously updated as new Supercharger Stations in Florida come online.

    Tesla owners in Florida are fortunate to have an abundance of Supercharger Stations. With 32 operating Supercharger Stations, Florida is ranked third in the nation behind California and Texas. Those 32 stations provide access to 239 individual Direct Current Fast Charging terminals that can charge at over 300 miles of range per hour.

    As Tesla continues to aggressively expand the number of Supercharger Stations in the Florida network, the size of many of these newer stations is also growing impressively.  For instance, whereas the first Supercharger Station in the state installed in July 2013 only had 8 charging terminals, in September 2017 Tesla built a Supercharger Station in Sarasota with 20 – 120 kW terminals.

    Tesla has also introduced a new type of Urban Supercharger terminal. Designed for tight city locations the Urban Superchargers have a more compact design than the original Superchargers and they are deployed in even greater numbers.  For example, the Urban Supercharger Station that went operational in May 2018 at Aventura Mall has 35 – 72 kW terminals.


    Below is a table listing the locations of all of the “Coming Soon” Supercharger Stations for Florida shown on Tesla’s official Find Us map. 16 are planned for 2018 and 10 for 2019. We only a couple of weeks left in 2018, so obviously some of the 2018 stations will slip into 2019, but nevertheless Tesla's progress in expanding the network has been impressive. 

    We also discovered a new Supercharger Station under construction in Saint Johns that Tesla didn’t note on their map.  So, there are actually 27 Supercharger Stations expected to be operational by 2019. In the Article section of the table are links to our articles discussing those "Coming Soon" locations that we have discovered to date.  The articles are periodically updated when we receive new information.

    Supercharger Station Location Expected opening Article
    Destin Open 2018  
    Gainesville Open 2018 Confirmed the location of the “Coming Soon” Gainesville Supercharger Station will be at Butler Town Center (Public)
    Celebration Open 2018  
    Tampa, FL - Wesley Chapel Open 2018  
    Tampa, FL - Clearwater Open 2018  
    Lakeland Open 2018  
    Yeehaw Junction Open 2018  
    West Palm Beach Open 2018 New “Coming Soon” West Palm Beach Supercharger Station discovered under construction (Public) 
    Boca Raton Open 2018  
    North Naples Open 2018  
    Weston Open 2018  
    Riverside Park Open 2018  
    Hollywood Open 2018  
    Miami Beach, FL - Bal Harbour Open 2018  
    Miami Beach, FL - South Beach Open 2018  
    Miami, FL - Coral Gables Open 2018  
    Pensacola Open 2019  
    Palm Coast Open 2019  
    Winter Park Open 2019  
    Union Park Open 2019 “Coming Soon” Union Park Supercharger Station discovered under construction (Public) 
    Winter Garden Open 2019  
    Millenia Open 2019  
    Cocoa West Open 2019  
    Beach Park Open 2019  
    Ochopee, FL (Alligator Alley) Open 2019 At Ochopee on Alligator Alley the only suitable location is the Miccosukee Service Plaza.
    Key West Open 2019  
    Saint Johns Open 2019 New Supercharger Station discovered under construction in Winn-Dixie parking lot in Saint Johns Commons [South Jacksonville] (Public) Currently this station is not on Tesla's Find Us map.

    Please be on the lookout for signs of construction at the listed “Coming Soon” locations.  If you spot any construction activity that looks like a Supercharger installation, please send me some high resolution photos.

    Larry Chanin
    President, Florida Tesla Enthusiasts
    Email: lfchanin@gmail.com




  • December 05, 2018 4:56 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)



    One of our club members has discovered a new Supercharger Station under construction in the Winn-Dixie parking lot in Saint Johns Commons (South Jacksonville), address 2220 CR 210 West, Jacksonville.  This “Coming Soon” Supercharger Station is currently not yet listed on Tesla’s official Find Us map. For restroom access the Supercharger Station will be adjacent to a Shell Gasoline station which is open 24/7. 

    Here is the vicinity map:

    (For full-sized images right click on images and open in new tab.)



    Here's the location of the Supercharger Station in the Winn-Dixie parking lot.


    The white boxes are the Supercharger Cabinets.  Note the proximity to the Shell Gas station to the right.


    All 10 charging terminals have been installed.


    The 5 Supercharger cabinets on left with three high-voltage switchgear cabinets on right.

  • November 16, 2018 1:22 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    On November 4, 2018, the Dellagio Town Center invited our club to display our Teslas to the public at an exclusive Tesla Car Show centered around their signature fountain inspired by the famous Place de la Concorde.  The Dellagio Town Center is a hidden gem on Restaurant Row in Orlando featuring over 130,000 square feet of dining and entertainment in a European inspired development reminiscent of Italy. 

    Although the weather didn't exactly cooperate on this Rain or Shine event, the glistening brick pavers provided a dramatic backdrop for the Teslas on display.  Much thanks go to Angelia and David for serving as hosts of this event.

    Here's some photos:


     

    Following the Car Show for dinner and libations our members gathered at Urbain 40, an American Brasserie and Lounge with an atmosphere reminiscent of the big band era. 


  • November 14, 2018 1:26 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    Yesterday, Tesla, GM, Nissan, and other EV stakeholders formed the EV Drive Coalition to reform the electric vehicle tax credit.

    The EV Drive Coalition brings together a diverse group of industry, consumer and environmental stakeholders with a single unifying mission: encourage passage of legislation reforming the federal electric vehicle tax credit to ensure that it works better for more consumers for a longer time frame and spurs increased growth of the U.S. EV market.

    Please visit their website at EV Drive Coalition for more details.  Make sure to click on the GET INVOLVED link to voice your support of this initiative to your members of Congress.

    Thanks for your support!

    Regards,

    Larry Chanin

    President, Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

    Website: teslaownersflorida.org

    Facebook: Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

  • November 01, 2018 12:54 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    The Castillo de San Marcos is the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States. It is located  on Matanzas Bay in the city of St. Augustine.

    Florida Tesla Enthusiasts enjoyed a relaxing weekend getaway in historic Saint Augustine from October 26 to November 3, 2018. This event was structured such that each family could spend one, two or three days (Friday through Sunday) to suit their schedule. 

    We arranged for group hotel rates at the Holiday Inn St. Augustine-Hist. District and Best Western Historical Inn, St. Augustine.  Both hotels had Tesla Destination Chargers and were conveniently located in the historic district of St. Augustine.

    Optional Group Activities:

    On Friday, we had a casual reception at the bar at the Holiday Inn, followed by dinner at the nearby MOJO Old City BBQ. Great BBQ!


    On Saturday, morning we arranged to have Old Town Trolley Tours pick us up adjacent to the Holiday Inn for a private guided tour of portions of historic St. Augustine. Our group fee included unlimited self-guided, hop on/hop off the continuing trolley route for a total of 3 days. 


    The trolley tour conveniently dropped us off at the St. Augustine Distillery where we had a fascinating tour followed by free tastings.


    After the distillery tour we had a delicious brunch/lunch at the Ice Plant Bar located in the same building as the distillery.  

    The distillery and bar are located in the historic Florida Power & Light Ice Plant building. Built as part of St. Augustine’s first power and ice complex in 1907, it was the first of it’s kind to make commercial block ice in Florida over 100 years ago. The building was lovingly restored and brought back into service as a distillery and and restaurant/bar. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.


    After brunch/lunch members were free to jump on and off the trolley route at their own pace to continue to tour historic St. Augustine.

    Saturday evening we had a truly lovely private group dinning experience at the Raintree Restaurant In addition to providing fine dining, the restaurant is located in a stately 129 year old Victorian house.  It is one of the last survivors of a period of development that began in this part of St. Augustine after the end of the Civil War. 


    Here's some photos of our members enjoying themselves.

    At the MOJO Old City BBQ:








    Hanging out at the Holiday Inn Bar




    Tyna, the trolley lady (second from right) distributes tickets.


    Our merry group poses with our driver at the Distillery Tour stop.  



    At the Ice Plant Bar.  They had a delicious and distinctive menu.








    At the Raintree Restaurant.  Causal, yet fine dining in a 129 year old Victorian home. 




    If socializing with other Tesla enthusiasts across the state looks like fun, please click on the "Home" menu item above to learn more about our club.  To join, please click on the "Join Us" menu item.

    Regards,

    Larry Chanin

    President, Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

    Email:       lfchanin@gmail.com 

    Website:   teslaownersflorida.org

    Facebook: Florida Tesla Enthusiasts


  • October 20, 2018 3:54 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Self-Driving Shuttle at Babcock Ranch planned community                                                   Source: Florida Weekly

    On October 13, 2018, Florida Tesla Enthusiasts were treated to a tour of Babcock Ranch, the city of the future.  The event was well-attended with over 40 members with their guests registering to attend. Following the tour we enjoyed a delicious lunch at Table & Tap, with farm-to-table dining.

    About Babcock Ranch
    Babcock Ranch is a new master-planned community under development on the Lee and Charlotte County line in Southwest Florida, about 15 miles northeast of Fort Myers. With 18,000 acres of land, Babcock Ranch is an area larger than Manhattan that will accommodate 19,000 homes and 50,000 residents when completed.

    With more than 340,000 solar panels in place, Babcock Ranch aims to be the first town in the U.S. powered solely by solar energy. In partnership with Florida Power & Light Company (FPL), Babcock Ranch donated 440 acres of land for a 74.5 mw solar facility. FPL created the largest solar-plus-storage system operating in the U.S. today. Each of the ten battery storage units at the FPL Babcock Ranch Solar Energy Center can store 1 megawatt of power and discharge for 4 hours. The new battery storage system ensures a steady output of power even on partly cloudy days.

    Residents will live in energy-efficient homes and use self-driving electric shuttles to get around. Alternative internal transportation systems employ advanced and developing technologies to provide environmentally-friendly ways to get around town. In addition to electric-powered, self-driving shuttles running along set routes, Babcock Ranch is an early implementation site for on-demand self-driving cars that you can schedule with an app on your smart phone.

    Here's some photos:

    Babcock Ranch provides EV destination charging.

    A Solar Tree

    We head out to the Solar Array with almost a full bus.

    Florida Power & Light built this observation deck from which to view the extent of the huge solar array.

    Part of the huge solar array.

    On the left are the 10 battery storage units undergoing testing.

    What a greating looking group!

    My wife poses with Jason Caissie, the leader of the Southwest Florida EV Owners Club.  Notice his electric scooter.  Jason and his wife are waiting to move into his new home  being built in Babcock Ranch.

    One of the autonomous shuttles drives a prescribed route.

    Onboard the autonomous shuttle.

    Dining at Table & Tap.

    Dining at Table & Tap.

    Dining at Table & Tap.

    Dining at Table & Tap.

    Slater’s Goods & Provisions is a market and café at Babcock Ranch that offers a farm-fresh menu.

    Here's a collection of random photos of our happy members.





  • October 19, 2018 12:43 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    On September 29, 2018 Florida Tesla Enthusiasts celebrated the opening of the Altamonte Springs Supercharger Station with a meet-up and lunch in a private room at the nearby Seasons 52 Restaurant.  The event was open to the public and over 30 people registered for the event.  Various door prizes were awarded.  Here are some photos:






  • October 11, 2018 4:50 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Vicinity map of Cobblestone Plaza, likely location of Pembroke Pines Supercharger Station with 16 Charging Terminals

    Please scroll down to the bottom of this article for current status.

    A member of the Tesla Motors Club forum recently discovered a permit for a "Tesla Charging Station" submitted on March 22, 2018 to the City of Pembroke Pines.  The address of the location is 14916 Pines Blvd, Pembroke Pines which corresponds to a Chase Bank in the Cobblestone Plaza Shopping Mall.  

    On this site plan the Chase Bank is located in the center of the property. Also located on the property is a Whole Foods grocery store.  Tesla seems to have an arrangement with Whole Foods in that lately Supercharger Stations are frequently sited near their grocery stores. [For a full-sized image, right click and open in a new tab.]

    The Tesla website's Find Us map lists a Pembroke Pines "Coming Soon" Supercharger Station targeted for the end of this year.  The vicinity map above of the Cobblestone Plaza shows that it is strategically located right off of I-75.

    Although the permit information doesn't explicitly use the words Supercharger Station, the language virtually confirms that this is a Supercharger Station with a mention of transformers, control panels, multiple charging stations, fault current, service equipment and control cabinets.  It also mentions 16 "charging posts".  As a result we are very confident that this is the "Coming Soon" Supercharger Station.

    Apparently the permitting folks need more information from Tesla's Electrical Contractor and have denied the electrical application until it is forthcoming.

    Update as of May 31, 2018.

    Tesla's civil engineering plans were approved on May 31, 2018.

    Update as of June 29, 2018.

    It looks like the building permits were approved and initial work started in the parking lot. The photo below was provided by a member of the Tesla Motors Club forum.


    It appears the Superchargers will be located along the North edge of the parking lot parallel to Pines Blvd between Chase Bank and Whole Foods.

    The rectangle in the Google Street View below shows the location of the construction area for the Superchargers.


    Update as of October 11, 2018.

    The Pembroke Pines Supercharger Station is now operational with 16 - 120 kW charging terminals.


  • September 21, 2018 8:45 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Florida Department of Motor Vehicles registration data for the second quarter 2018 shows that there were 29,433 plug-in electric vehicles registered in the state.  This total includes both fully battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electrics. Of that total, 13,037, or 44% were Teslas.  There were 45 different types of plug-in vehicles registered in the state.  Here is the ranking of the top 10.

    Vehicle

    Rank

    Number Registered

    %

    Tesla Model S

    1

             8,181

    27.8%

    Chevy Volt

    2

             3,802

    12.9%

    Tesla Model X  3 3,059  10.4%

    Nissan Leaf

    4

             2,133

    7.2%

    Tesla Model 3  5  1,747  5.9%

    Ford Fusion

    6

             1,579

    5.4%

    BMW i3

    7

             1,285

    4.4%

    Ford C-Max

    8

             1,057

    3.6%

    Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid  9 940  3.2%

    Smart ForTwo

    10

                879

    3.0%

    Other (35 other Plug-Ins)

     11-45

             4,771

    16.2%

    TOTAL

     

          29,433

    100%


    Here's the top 10 Florida Counties ranked by number of registered Teslas.

    County Total Teslas Rank by # Teslas
    Dade  2,250 1
    Palm Beach  2,072 2
    Broward  1,759 3
    Orange    906 4
    Hillsborough     852 5
    Pinellas    593 6
    Collier     435 7
    Sarasota     434 8
    Duval    368 9
    Other 330 10


    Here's the top 10 Florida Counties ranked by number of Teslas per population.

    County Population Estimate (as of July 2017) Total Teslas Teslas per 10,000 County Rank per Population
    Palm Beach   1,414,144        2,072 14.7 1
    Collier      357,470           435 12.2 2
    Martin      153,022           176 11.5 3
    Sarasota      407,260           434 10.7 4
    St. Johns      229,715           230 10.0 5
    Broward   1,873,970        1,759 9.4 6
    Monroe        76,889            66 8.6 7
    Dade   2,743,095        2,250 8.2 8
    Walton        65,301            49 7.5 9
    Orange   1,313,880           906 6.9 10




  • September 11, 2018 5:28 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    The status of this Supercharger Station will be periodically updated. Please scroll down to the bottom of this article for the latest update.

    It appears that Tesla is adding 8 additional charging terminals to the existing Plantation Supercharger Station.  



    Update as of July 18, 2018.


    It appears that Tesla's contractor has poured the concrete pad and stubbed out conduits for the future 4 Supercharger Cabinets.

    Update as of August 1, 2018.

    5 of 8 of the Supercharger Terminals for the expansion have been intalled.


    Update as of August 2, 2018.

    Here's a photo of the enclosure for the new Supercharger cabinets.


    All 8 of the new Supercharger terminals have now been installed. 


    Update as of September 11, 2018.

    All 16 charging terminals are now operational and are displayed on Tesla's Find Us web page and the navigation systems of the Tesla fleet.


    Larry Chanin
    President, Florida Tesla Enthusiasts
    lfchanin@gmail.com


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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