A ginger theme park known for its vintage steam train might not seem an obvious pick for a role in the future of electric transport.
Yet owners of the Ginger Factory on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast say they hope Tesla's Superchargers will attract a different kind of visitor to the long-time tourist attraction.
Tesla will open its latest high-powered electric vehicle charging stations there in Yandina on Saturday, in an event that will include EV test drives and car-shaped gingerbread biscuits.
The opening comes months after the company cut back on its Supercharger investments worldwide and reportedly disbanded the team behind its rollout.
Existing Supercharger installations remained unaffected.
One of the Ginger Factory owners had pursued the idea of installing vehicle chargers at the site for two years, tourism manager Brenda Bailey told AAP, and had renovated the site’s staff car park to fit them.
Six high-powered chargers will now feature on its property, in addition to three slower Wall chargers for longer stays.
Ms Bailey said she expected the facilities to attract “a slightly different demographic” to the theme park and hoped new visitors might explore the attraction.
“(Tesla) identified us as a great location because while you’re charging you can just go in, use the amenities, stretch your legs, and have a cup of coffee and a ginger scone,” she said.
The charging stations would also be open for use by drivers with other electric vehicle brands, she said.
The Tesla installation comes three months after the US automaker revealed it had dismantled its Supercharger team and made cutbacks to the program's funding.
But in a letter to customers, Tesla said its charging network would expand in Australia as “projects currently in construction are continuing to be completed and put into operation”.
Tesla operates the third-largest network of electric vehicle charging sites in Australia, according to research firm Next System, representing 10 per cent of all fast chargers in the country.
