Tesla's plans for San Angelo supercharger still taking shape

Justin Hicks | San Angelo Standard-Times

San Angelo is slated to get a quick-charging station for Tesla’s range of electric vehicles this year, according to the company's website. The problem is, nobody knows exactly when it’s coming or where it will be.

“We have not had any kind of dialogue with Tesla on this supercharger as of yet,” said Bart Rosenquist, a local representative for American Electric Power Texas.

Rosenquist said if any specific details were available at the local level, San Angelo’s AEP would be one of the first to know. It helps determine the feasibility of projects within the scope of the electrical grid.

“This is something we undertake with anyone in our service area,” he said.

Still, the AEP corporate office said in a statement to Rosenquist that plans are in the works.

“AEP Texas is working closely with Tesla representatives to ensure that we are able to meet any electric connection needs for the supercharging stations,” a corporate spokesperson told Rosenquist.

As for Tesla, media representative Alan Cooper wrote in an email that the California-based company doesn’t “comment on the exact details of future Supercharger locations.” He added that San Angelo residents already can travel in virtually any direction from city limits and reach a supercharging station in about 70-100 miles.

According to Tesla’s website, most superchargers are placed at “convenient locations like grocery stores, downtown districts, and shopping centers.” Unlike a home charger, superchargers aim to sufficiently recharge a car’s battery in as little as 30 minutes.

Anyone wishing to propose a supercharging site to Tesla can do so at tesla.com/charging-partners.