MOKENA, Ill. – Tesla Charging Stations are expanding in the Chicago area, with the latest installation taking place at Meijer’s Mokena location.
The new station will house 12 charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs) on the west side of the parking lot. Tesla plans to open up its U.S. charging network to rival electric vehicle manufacturers by late 2024, and the Meijer Tesla Charging Station is one of the first steps in this expansion.
To be eligible for a subsidy, Tesla’s chargers must allow other electric vehicles with a federally backed charging standard called CCS to charge.
While Tesla has not committed to adopting CCS as its standard, it must comply with the requirements to qualify for federal funds.
The new Mokena location will become just the second station in Will County, with the other located at Meijer in Bolingbrook. Currently, there are only 21 Tesla Superchargers in the Chicago area.
Although the Meijer Tesla Charging Station will provide Tesla drivers with an additional charging location, it’s just one step towards the Biden administration’s goal of having 500,000 EV chargers available to the American public by 2030.
It is currently unclear when the Meijer Tesla Charging Station will open, but the nearest Tesla Charging Station is located at 95th Ave #14225, Orland Park, IL 60462, across from Mariano’s.
Tesla estimates that station equipment lasts 12 years, and by the end of 2022, the company had 4,678 charging stations nationwide in the U.S.
The installation of the Meijer Tesla Charging Station hints at the extreme amperage used at the megafast charger complex, with large wires now buried underground. The station was designed to get drivers back on the road as quickly as possible, with Tesla drivers able to use the Tesla app or website to access Superchargers and charge their cars up to 200 miles in just 15 minutes.
The addition of the Tesla chargers at Meijer’s Mokena location is a significant step in Tesla’s plans to expand its U.S. charging network to rival electric vehicle manufacturers while providing Tesla drivers with an additional charging location.
