By: Diane Benjamin
h/t to Doug Fansler again!
Follow-up to this story from a few days ago: https://blnnews.com/2022/04/07/making-evs-affordable-free-electricity/
Tesla owners might have to pay to get out of the Uptown Parking Garage, but they don’t pay for electricity.
So, people can spend about as much as we paid for our first house for a car and never have to pay for fuel. The rich get richer at your expense.
But, was that the original agreement when Tesla installed them?
May 1, 2013:
![](https://i0.wp.com/blnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/tesla-pays.jpg?resize=756%2C284&ssl=1)
See the entire agreement here:
Tesla is not paying for the electricity because the Town didn’t install meters to keep track of how much Tesla drivers use. Therefore Tesla doesn’t have to reimburse the Town since they never get a bill.
This document claims the Town bought 33 charging stations with a grant in 2011.
This is where they were supposed to be installed:
![](https://i0.wp.com/blnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/33-locations.jpg?resize=756%2C350&ssl=1)
From the original story – where they are installed:
![](https://i0.wp.com/blnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/ev-free.jpg?resize=756%2C203&ssl=1)
Heartland and ISU got theirs. Maybe BroMenn got the two the airport was supposed to get.
I only count 25 – not including Tesla. That means 8 were never used and now the technology is old.
Where are those 8? Nobody cares since it was grant money?
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Teslas is expensive + Tesla owners are well off + Normal pays part of their transportation costs = People who drive Chevrolets and Fords are paying the power costs to drive rich people around. There is something wrong with this picture?
They aren’t paying for roads either
You are right…. $60,000 plus car owners getting free gas and paying no gas tax? I would like to park and fill up for free… Where is that city gas pump for us common folks?
The first hour of parking in the garage is free. After that it is a dollar and hour. Some days they don’t charge anything to park in the garage.
Most of the recurring users of the charging stations in the parking garage are government employees. They get to keep their personal vehicles charged on the taxpayer dime. Since they have a rubber stamp council they get these extra perks built for them.
Positively disgusting. It is infuriating that they deliberately didn’t install these meters so the taxpayers of Normal would be reimbursed by Tesla. They no doubt wanted one of the perks to be Free “fuel.” And on top of that, they pay zero in taxes for use of the roads. Excellent work Diane and Doug.
Fedup,
Only 37% of the people Normal employs live in Normal. Pam Reece uses taxpayer dollars to surround herself with people who have no skin in the game and won’t stand up to the fleecing the residents of Normal.
https://blnnews.com/2020/12/28/update-to-where-normal-employees-live/
The advantages of driving and old Chevy truck vs a Tesla.
#1) I’m not worried about all of a sudden being engulfed in flames.
#2) see #1 and repeat……………
Looks like charging an EV isn’t cheap in California. Next up,,,eveywhere else. Great article here.
https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/californias-high-power-prices-could-derail-liberal-ev-dream