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.

  • May 04, 2021 5:38 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Please scroll down to the bottom of this article for an update.

    On February 18, 2021, State Senator Hooper forwarded SB 1276 for new EV Fees to the Transportation, Finance and Tax, and Appropriations Committees. In addition to the existing vehicle registration fee, this bill would impose a $200 EV Registration Fee on Electric Vehicles and a $50 Fee for Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles.

    The EV fee would go into effect when Electric Vehicles and Plug-In Hybrid vehicles make up 5 percent or more of the total vehicles registered in this state. All the revenue would go to the Transportation Trust Fund. The fees will be adjusted annually based on the Consumer Price Index.

    Senator Hooper's bill would be a more expensive alternative to State Senator Brandes' Senate Bill 140, Fees/Electric Vehicles that was forwarded to the Transportation; Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development; Appropriations on December 9, 2020.

    Senator Brandes' bill proposes a $135 fee for Electric Vehicles and Plug-In Hybrids be added to the existing vehicle registration fees. It would go into effect on July 1, 2021. As it is currently written, the revenue collected via Senate Bill 140 would go to the Transportation Trust Fund after enactment until 2023.  After that it funds the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Grant Program until it sunsets at the end of 2030. 

    The Grant Program is being proposed by Senator Brandes in companion Senate Bill 138.  The purpose of the Grant Program is to provide financial assistance to encourage the installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure. It will be funded via electric vehicle registration fees plus an initial one-time state amount of $5 million. 

    House Bill 819 is being sponsored by Representatives Learned and Toledo. It is identical to Senate Bill 140.

    House Bill 817 is being sponsored by Representatives Toledo and Plasencia. It is identical to Senate Bill 138.

    Stay tuned for more developments.

    Update as of May 4, 2021.

    Senate Bill 1276, which proposed a new $200 EV registration fee when registered EV reached 5% of total vehicles, died in the Transportation Committee.

    Senate Bill 140, which proposed a new $135 EV registration fee, died in the Appropriation Committee.  It's companion bill, Senate Bill 138, proposed that the revenue collected via SB 140 would fund an EV Infrastructure Grant Program. SB 138 also died in the Appropriations Committee. 

    Senate Memorial 1332, urging the U.S. Congress to authorize installation of electric vehicle charging stations in rest areas on the interstate highway system, died in the Transportation Committee.


    Larry Chanin

    President, Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

    email:             lfchanin@gmail.com

    Website:          teslaownersflorida.org

    Facebook:        Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

  • April 29, 2021 9:25 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    A couple of weeks ago, I was contacted by Claire Lavezzorio, a reporter for NBC2 News in Fort Myers. She wanted to discuss electric vehicles as part of an article published today entitled, Electric vehicles fill up charging stations in SWFL.

    Below are a few screenshots from the short 2.5-minute video.



    Larry Chanin

    President, Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

    email:             lfchanin@gmail.com

    Website:          teslaownersflorida.org

    Facebook:        Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

    Twitter:           Tesla Owners Florida

  • April 22, 2021 11:19 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    David Havasi and "Old Blue"                          Photo Courtesy of David Havasi

    Club member David Havasi aptly dubbed himself as the “Johnny Appleseed of Tesla.” David is one of those rare personalities; once you meet him, he leaves an indelible and uplifting impression.

    Below is a link to an entertaining article he wrote for CleanTechnica. It’s reminiscent of the early days and describes David’s unique style in marketing Teslas.

    Me & “Old Blue”: How The Original Tesla Roadster Helped Me Serve “The Mission” Well Beyond Its Production Run

    The article doesn’t reveal that before being hired by Tesla and moving down to Sarasota, Florida, he was a song and dance man on Broadway, New York. David definitely did not waste those skills in promoting Tesla!

    Since we both live in Sarasota, his article evokes old memories as we share some experiences and friends. Much of the article discusses his fondness for “Old Blue,” the Glacier Blue Tesla Roadster that he “parked like a pimp” to gain optimum exposure to the public. The article mentions that a Glacier Blue Roadster stopped in front of his wife in Sarasota traffic. That particular Tesla belonged to Nigel Mould, the first vice president and a founding member of our club.

    It turns out that before I knew him, Nigel was instrumental in getting my wife and me hooked on Teslas. In 2011, Nigel arranged for Tesla to display an Alpha prototype of the Model S at the Sarasota Yacht Club. It had 12 coats of Signature Red paint. Sitting on those beautiful teak floors with that incredible paint job and fantastic styling proved irresistible to us. We immediately gave the kid with the iPad a deposit on the spot. After failing to convince Nigel to be the president of a new statewide Tesla club, I became president, and Florida Tesla Enthusiasts was born.


    Alpha prototype of the Model S at the Sarasota Yacht Club in 2011.

    The article also describes the morning of March 31, 2016, and provides a photo of the people lined up in front of the Tesla Store at University Town Center. I, of course, was in that line waiting to buy my wife her Model 3.

    March 31, 2016 Sarasota Store during the Model 3 release. I'm at the end of that line. Photo Courtesy of David Havasi

    Zack Shanan, director and chief editor of CleanTechnica also lives in Sarasota.  In 2019 he and David graciously conducted a live Podcast at the Laurel Oak Country Club in Sarasota.

    David Havasi and Zack Shanan, director and chief editor of CleanTechnica, conduct an informative and delightfully entertaining live podcast in Sarasota.

    If you look up the word "Enthusiast" in the dictionary, there is likely to be a photo of David along side it.  


    Larry Chanin

    President, Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

    email:             lfchanin@gmail.com

    Website:          teslaownersflorida.org

    Facebook:        Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

    Twitter:           Tesla Owners Florida

  • April 19, 2021 6:40 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

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

    The Editor for Supercharge.info, the website that tracks the status of Superchargers, has been searching online building permit websites for Florida. He has located permits for 500 17th St, Miami.  It is not listed on the Tesla Find Us map.  Pending an official Tesla designation, I am referring to it as the "Miami Beach Convention Center" Supercharger, since it is located adjacent to the Center.

    The permit states:

    Tesla is proposing to install their charging station at the existing parking garage. This will include the installation of: (5) Tesla charging cabinets, (10) Tesla charging posts, (5) NLTC transformers, (1) utility transformer, (1) 1200A distribution panel, (1) 1200A fused disconnect. The utility transformer and fused disconnect mounted on H-frame will be installed outside of the parking garage structure within a fence enclosure.

    Charging stations are on 5th Level. Transformer, meter, service disconnect panel, etc. on the Ground Floor need to comply with Flood Plain Management requirements for Utilities.


    It is likely that it will be housing Urban type Supercharger terminals.

    Here is a vicinity map from the Supercharge.info website.

    The upper blue dot is the "Coming Soon" Superchargers.  The red dots are existing operational Superchargers in the Miami area.

    Update as of January 18, 2021.



    On May 25, 2018 Tesla applied for a building permit at the parking garage adjacent to the New World Center. It was issued on January 22, 2020 and will expire in a few days on January 25, 2021. They also applied for an electrical permit on February 18, 2020, which was issued on November 30, 2020.  This appears to have been on hold for contractor certification since  July 2020.  This may simply mean that Tesla has not assigned an electrical contractor to the project.  

    Update as of  April 12, 2021.


    Construction has not only started, but it looks virtually complete.  Here are 10 Urban Style Supercharger post that deliver 72 kW each without sharing with other Teslas. 


    Here are the five Supercharger cabinets each feeding two Urban style charging posts.

    If you live or work nearby 500 17th St, Miami, please let us know when they are operational.

    Thanks.

    Larry Chanin

    President, Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

    email:             lfchanin@gmail.com

    Website:          teslaownersflorida.org

    Facebook:        Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

  • April 18, 2021 1:09 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    The above photo was taken before construction began.  It shows that the new Yulee Supercharger Station is located in Wildlight Plaza behind the Firehouse Subs.

    The Yulee Supercharger Station north of Jacksonville went operational on the first of April, 2021.  It has 8 Version 3 charging stalls and is located in the new Wildlight Plaza shopping center under development. 

    The address is 20 Homegrown Way, Yulee, FL 32097 and the Superchargers are located behind the Firehouse Subs.

    Below is a vicinity map:


    The new Yulee Supercharger Station is located north of Jacksonville.



    The placement of the charging posts and the protective bollards are rather unconventional and could lead to damaged Teslas if the drivers are not careful in backing up.   


    In reviewing the plan drawing above, the Supercharger installation is within the dashed rectangle. You will note that the property line is virtually at the curb. We believe that the unusual placement of the charging posts and bollards were dictated by the proximity of the  property line.

    Not shown in this early photo during construction were wheel stops to mitigate collisions with the bollards. Now that the station is operational, we hope that Tesla has installed them.

    A view from Homegrown Way.  Tasty's Fresh Burgers and Coldstone Creamery are located to the the right.


    The station is operational.



    For those with CHAdeMO adapters, walking distance from the Superchargers at 235 E State Rd 200, Yulee, FL 32097 are 6 - FPL Evolution DC Fast Chargers .  Two of the chargers are 360 kW with a CHAdeMO connector.  The other four chargers are 200 kW with both CHAdeMO and Combined Charging System (CCS) connectors.


    Larry Chanin

    President, Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

    email:             lfchanin@gmail.com

    Website:          teslaownersflorida.org

    Facebook:        Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

    Twitter:           Tesla Owners Florida

    Larry Chanin

    President, Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

    email:             lfchanin@gmail.com

    Website:          teslaownersflorida.org

    Facebook:        Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

    Twitter:           Tesla Owners Florida

  • April 17, 2021 12:33 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    Brenda Boritizki, Event Coordinator for Florida Tesla Enthusiasts and member of Space Coast EV Drivers.

    Brenda Boritzki has "dual citizenship." She's an Event Coordinator for our statewide club, Florida Tesla Enthusiasts, and she's a member of a great local club, Space Coast EV Drivers (SCEV).

    Last month she traded her 2017 Model S for a new Model Y outfitted with the 7-seat option. As you will see in the video below, Brenda enlisted the help of her daughters Caitlyn and Zoe, along with their friend Rachel, to demonstrate passenger comfort for various sized individuals.  The 7-seat configuration may not fit all family situations. Still, for Brenda's case with a family of 5 and a dog, the Model Y was a better fit than her previous Model S.


    Brenna Kaminski & Josh Pritt, leaders of the Space Coast EV Drivers club.

    The video is narrated by Brenna Kaminski and her husband Joshua Pritt, who are the leaders of SCEV Drivers.  Brenna is also Associate Director of Communications & Research of Drive Electric Florida (DEFL). DEFL is a coalition of influential EV Stakeholders, including our club.  So, Brenna and Josh are "All In" when it comes to EV Advocacy!


    Are you a Tesla enthusiast and feeling a bit of cabin fever during the pandemic?  If you're not a member but would like to participate in our next Scenic Drive, Virtual Meetup, or Socially Distanced outdoor event throughout the state, please click on the Join Us menu item at the top of the page.

    If you live on the Space Coast, we recommend that, like Brenda, you have "dual citizenship" and join Space Coast EV Drivers as well.

    Larry Chanin

    President, Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

    email:        lfchanin@gmail.com

    Website:    teslaownersflorida.org

    Facebook:  Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

    Twitter:     Tesla Owners Florida

  • April 16, 2021 1:24 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    On Saturday April 3rd, members of Florida Tesla Enthusiasts as well as non-club members had a meetup and car display at Ginger's Bar and Restaurant  There they were able to meet other Tesla Owners and get informed on ProSolar, solar panel and home solution offerings.  A BIG Thank you goes to Rachael Zofcin from the new Fort Lauderdale Service Center for bringing her co-worker and a Model 3 and a Model Y for folks to be able to test drive!

    We want to thank Event Coordinator Renzo Torrenga for assisting, and club members Jonathan Rush with ProSolar, Matt Pressman with EVANNEX, Michael "Mojo" Mogilewski, owner of SIGNATURE Customs Wraps & Coatings and Melissa Marotta and Rachael Zofcin with Tesla for for their generous support.

    Below are some photos:


    Event Coordinator Renzo Torrenga

     Joanne & Don DuBois visiting from the Garden State.

    A four-footed friend and a member of her staff with their Zero Emissions vehicle.

    We're guessing that Batman is having some work done on his Model 3 Batmobile.

    The team from the new Fort Lauderdale Service Center located nearby who graciously provided test drives.  Much thanks go to Rachael Zofcin on the right for coordinating. 



    Are you a Tesla enthusiasts and feeling a bit of cabin fever during the pandemic?  If you're not a member, but would like to participate in our next Scenic Drive, Virtual Meetup or Socially Distanced outdoor event throughout the state, please click on the Join Us menu item at the top of the page. 

    Larry Chanin

    President, Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

    email:        lfchanin@gmail.com

    Website:    teslaownersflorida.org

    Facebook:  Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

    Twitter:     Tesla Owners Florida

  • April 15, 2021 3:12 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)



    On April 13, 2021, Charles Morris, Senior Editor of Charged Magazine, joined Florida Tesla Enthusiasts for an informative Virtual Meetup.  Charles discussed Tesla’s innovative technical advances.




    If you’re a club member and missed our Virtual Meetup with Charles, or if you’re not a member, you can view it below.


    Click  the image below to buy Charles's popular Tesla book.


    Click the image below to visit Charged Magazine website and read an excerpt from Charles's book featuring David Havasi, one of our club members.

    Click the image below to view Charles's Facebook page about Tesla.


    Charles contributes to the EVANNEX News blog. The owner and president of EVANNEX are members of our club.

    Click the image below to view the News Blog.


    Click the image below to view Charles's Twitter feed.



    Are you a Tesla enthusiasts and feeling a bit of cabin fever during the pandemic?  If you're not a member, but would like to participate in our next Scenic Drive, Virtual Meetup or Socially Distanced outdoor event throughout the state, please click on the Join Us menu item at the top of the page. 

    Larry Chanin

    President, Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

    email:        lfchanin@gmail.com

    Website:    teslaownersflorida.org

    Facebook:  Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

    Twitter:     Tesla Owners Florida

  • March 17, 2021 12:00 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Source:  Feng Cheng / Shutterstock.com

    Nick Howe, the Vice President of our club, Florida Tesla Enthusiasts, was interviewed by Robbie Gaffney, a Multimedia Reporter with WFSU Public Radio, the local NPR member station of Tallahassee. 

    Grant Program Proposal To Fund Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Advances In Florida Senate

    (The web article also includes audio excerpts of comments by Nick, Senator Brandes, and Senator Berman.)

    From the article:

    "We're certainly, myself and the club, are in support of license fees for [electric vehicles]," Nick Howe, Vice President of the club Florida Tesla Enthusiasts, says. "We want to make sure that we pay our fair share. We're certainly not looking for any kind of free ride."

    But Howe says the fixed fees aren't fair because it doesn't reflect how people are using their cars.

    "If you're using your vehicle to undergo a few hundred miles a month, why should you be paying as much as someone who's doing more than a thousand miles a month," Howe says.

    Howe says a better solution is to charge people based on their usage. It's something Sen. Lori Berman (D-Boynton Beach) posed to Brandes during a meeting on his bill:

    "I've seen a couple of different analyses where they ask instead that the EV be taxed on the annual vehicle miles traveled. Have you considered using those formulas instead of a flat fee?"

    The interview with Nick was in preparation for the article linked above, which covers the Florida Senate Transportation Committee. The meeting was convened to discuss two bills sponsored by Senator Brandes related to electric vehicles. Both bills were approved by the Committee.

    Senate Bill 138 proposes requiring FDOT to establish the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Grant Program to provide financial assistance to encourage the installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure.  The Program provides grants to State agencies, public universities, public transit agencies, ports, airports, and local governments, including local housing authorities and libraries.

    Senate Bill 140 proposes a new electric vehicle (EV) Registration flat fee of $135 in addition to standard vehicle registration fees. If approved, the fee would take effect July 1, 2021. For plug-in hybrids, the fee would be $50. The revenue collected from the registration fees will go to funding the EV Infrastructure Grant Program.

    Both bills must be enacted for either of them to take effect, and sunset at the end of 2030 to permit the legislature to reexamine the situation.

    Nick's comments and our club were also featured in a Charged Magazine article by the magazine's Senior Editor, Charles Morris.

    Florida legislature proposes a yearly tax on EV owners—again

    Our Club's Position

    We applaud Senator Brandes for his continuing innovative approaches to promoting Electric and Autonomous vehicles. However, we prefer an EV Registration fee amount more in line with what an equivalently efficient gas car would pay.

    We appreciate that registration fees are a simple, stop-gap measure, and we support reasonable fees in the short-term. However, an unavoidable and critical concern is figuring out how to implement an equitable, long-term, mileage-based road usage tax that would treat all vehicles, regardless of their energy source, the same.

    We are not alone in this view. Senator Brandes expressed a similar perspective earlier in an interview with Florida Politics.  

    “The tax structure in Florida has got to change to deal with electrification,” Brandes said. 

    "As more and more cars switch from fossil fuels to all-electric, Florida’s current gas tax system that funds much of the state’s road maintenance will become depleted. Instead, Brandes said the state should begin considering how to tap into other user fees. That would likely come by way of charging taxes not on gasoline, but on actual vehicle miles driven."

    This, admittedly, is a complicated issue. Therefore, we believe now is the time for the state to fund a pilot study to be ready when electric vehicles inevitably comprise a significant percentage of the Florida driving public.

    We will continue to track the progress of these bills through the Senate and the identical companion bills in the House.

    We will be speaking out more on this issue, and we will be asking for your support to Advocate for EVs. Stay tuned.

    Click the "Add comment" link below to express your views.


    Larry Chanin

    President, Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

    email:        lfchanin@gmail.com

    Website:    teslaownersflorida.org

    Facebook:  Florida Tesla Enthusiasts

    Twitter:     Tesla Owners Florida

  • March 17, 2021 11:00 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Here is a fascinating 14-minute video by Lars Strandridder that predicts that fossil fuel-based energy and transportation industries are on the verge of collapse, and Tesla is ready to harvest the benefits of this collapse. As Lars points out, this disruption is something that Tony Seba, the noted speaker and author,  has been forecasting for a long time.


    What do you think?



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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