Tesla Supercharger (finally) online in North Charleston

Tesla finally has a Supercharger in the Charleston area after years of saying one was on the way. A new eight-space charging station for the California-based company opened last week at Mellow Mushroom in North Charleston.

Mellow Mushroom co-owner Michael Shemtov said the company reached out this spring after looking for a site for years, saying it was interested in the area near the intersection of Interstate 26 and I-526. Shemtov has hosted Tesla Owners Club meetings at his other restaurants, Workshop and Butcher & Bee, and said he knew the Supercharger would be something Tesla drivers would be excited about.

Chris Marquez, who leads Charleston’s owners club, said the Supercharger could become a “lifeline” for owners who live in apartments or condos and don’t have at-home fast-charging capabilities. Otherwise, the station will likely be most heavily used by travelers visiting Charleston.

“Within a day of this new charger being live and visible on the screen inside of Tesla it began immediately being used by travelers to Charleston as if it had been there forever,” he said.

After the company made contact, Shemtov said Tesla pretty much handled everything.

“They basically hand-deliver everything from permits to power company to install and everything,” he said. Tesla is leasing the section of the parking lot free of charge, but Shemtov said the company projected up to 1,000 Teslas a month could visit the Supercharger, a potential boon for nearby businesses.

Tesla’s website now lists eight Superchargers in South Carolina across all parts of the state and three just over the Georgia state line, with two near Augusta and one near Savannah.