An Orange cafe has taken a leap into the future by installing a charging station for electric cars.
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Simply Nile Cafe owner Frank Mohun, a self-confessed ‘car nut’, has installed a charger specifically for Tesla cars.
He said the unit, the first in Orange, would complement a supercharger station set up in Bathurst to provide power for Tesla drivers in the Central West.
“If they charge up at Bathurst they can top up here,” he said.
Mr Mohun said the unit had not been expensive to install and he hoped it became an attraction for visiting drivers.
He said he did not plan to charge for using it as long as the people in the car dined at his cafe while the car was being charged.
“The cost of it isn’t drastic,” he said.
“And we’ve got solar panels.
“It’s more about the cafe than anything else.
“A couple of tables will pay for it.
“If they came here for a couple of hours for a meal they could charge [the car] up here.”
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Mr Mohun said that while the current Tesla cars in Australia were expensive there were plans for a cheaper model.
“They’re pretty high-end at the moment but they are bringing out a $40,000 one.”
He said the range of how far the electric cars could travel between charges varied.
“The dearer they are, the more they [go].
“It’s between 300-600 kilometres.”
Mr Mohun said he did not need to advertise the charger to car owners as the location of all chargers was built into their on-board display.
“It comes up on their car,” he said.
Mr Mohun said while the charging unit had not been used since it was installed a few weeks ago he had taken a couple of inquiries from Tesla owners planning to visit Orange next month.
The supercharger station at Bathurst was switched on several weeks ago.
Bathurst Regional Council Environmental Planning and Building Services director Neil Southorn said some people from out of the region had used it.
“The installation of the Tesla supercharger in Bathurst is a good way to target a new and growing tourism audience which will allow Tesla owners to visit Bathurst and explore the region,” he said.
Mr Southorn said the council was looking at installing more chargers.