Nearly six years after Elon Musk first announced his plans for a futuristic Supercharger station, Tesla has finally broken ground on the project.
"Gonna put an old school drive-in, roller skates & rock restaurant at one of the new Tesla Supercharger locations in LA," Musk wrote on social media in 2018.
Tesla filed an application with the US trademark office to use its brand assets in restaurant services three years later.
Last year, Tesla submitted plans to the city of Los Angeles for a charging station equipped with a 24-hour diner and drive-in theater. The electric-car maker plans to build the luxury supercharger station at 7001 West Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood, according to Bloomberg.
Tesla began construction on the project in September, Forbes reported. Musk also provided more details on the project in August after the company's plans were reportedly approved by the city.
"Our Tesla futuristic diner (Grease meets The Jetsons with Supercharging) in LA should be ready later this year," Musk wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Tesla hasn't publicly given very many details about the project, but Bloomberg reported last year that the plans for the site include 28 Supercharger stalls and two movie screens that can accommodate over 200 people.
People will be able to view the two movie screens either from their car or a rooftop seating area, according to the project description for the site that was referenced by Bloomberg. Customers will also be able to order food and have it delivered right to their car, according to the plans.
The project description for the site says it will show movies that will take about the same amount of time as it takes to charge a Tesla — between 15 to 30 minutes.
Tesla's plans to elevate its charging stations highlight one of the company's biggest advantages when it comes to EV adoption — its Supercharger network. Tesla said earlier this year it plans to open some of its exclusive fast-charging network to some non-Tesla EV owners.
The company has spent over a decade building out more than 20,000 Superchargers in North America, earning it the region's largest network of roadside fast-chargers. The Superchargers are widely viewed as more reliable and easier to use than other charging networks. Non-Tesla EV owners have been known to complain of a lack of charging infrastructure and public chargers that are often slow or broken.
What's more, Musk's plans highlight Tesla's efforts to turn its EV chargers into destinations that can compete with gas stations. By reimagining charging stations, Tesla and other electric-car makers could combat EV adoption hesitancy. To date, several Tesla charging stations already include several amenities, including lounges, vending machines, and Tesla merchandise.
