Some local electronic vehicle owners and out-of-town visitors now have a new charging option in Syracuse.
An outer parking lot location of Destiny USA now has a bank of 12 red and white Tesla chargers. The individual stalls have the Supercharger feature unique to the company. Tourism officials from Visit Syracuse and the mall note Tesla’s choice to locate there possibly had something to do with the proximity of the Thruway and the mall’s various offerings of shops to go to while the car charges.
Destiny USA General Manager, Rob Schoeneck, said the auto-maker began operations over the summer. Now, Schoeneck sees owners charging their cars regularly.
”Probably more so in the afternoon when I’m leaving at 5 or 6 p.m. I'll see eight of the 10 stations being occupied," Schoeneck said. "Weekends it’s obviously a little bit busier; I think with people going across the Thruway and up and down I-81. But, yeah, we’re seeing the use.”
Schoeneck anticipates the use of the charging stations will only increase. Tesla owner Jeff Knauss said having the charging station added to Destiney dramatically cuts down on his local driving and travel expenses.
"I’d say since having a vehicle, it probably adds, depending on how much I charge that month, anywhere from $50 to $100 a month for charging the vehicle," Knauss said.
Knauss said he does most of his vehicle charging at home. Although, when he does use the Supercharging stations, he typically spends only $10 to $20.
Destiny does have a limited number of electronic vehicle charging stations for other vehicle owners; however, right now, management tells WAER the charging stations are not used frequently.
