Naperville is on its way to welcoming a Tesla Supercharger station.
A deviation from municipal code that would allow for the project — 20 electric vehicle chargers installed at Naperville Crossings shopping center — received the unanimous support of the Naperville Planning and Zoning Commission Wednesday night.
Now the matter heads to the Naperville City Council for final approval.
The commission’s endorsement comes after more than a month and a half of delays. The proposed Supercharger station first appeared on the commission’s agenda in early May and was continued twice before planners took it up for a vote Wednesday.
Adam Beaver, a community planner with Naperville’s Transportation, Engineering and Development department, said the delays were at the request of Tesla and that they had “some internal changes (that) affected the timing of this project.
“In order to work through that, they requested the continuance,” he said prior to the meeting.
Per plans brought to city planners this week, Tesla proposes to build its prospective station at 2724 Showplace Drive, near the corner of Route 59 and Cantore Road. Doing so, however, would encroach into a 20-foot setback from Route 59 prescribed by city code, requiring Tesla to seek a code variance.
Tesla’s plans were met with only a few commission comments. Chair Oriana Van Someren wondered about the implications of having electric chargers close to a major roadway. Staff assured her the city’s electric utility had reviewed and approved all of the plan.
Currently, Tesla offers “destination” chargers in Naperville at Hotel Indigo along the Naperville Riverwalk and Embassy Suites by Hilton near Lisle.
Destination chargers are essentially wall connectors that partnering hotels, restaurants, vineyards and other locations host so that Tesla drivers passing through can charge their vehicles as they travel. Destination chargers supply up to 44 miles of range per hour of charging.
Superchargers, however, are the fastest charging option for Tesla drivers. They can supply up to 200 miles worth of charge in 15 minutes, according to the company.
Customers pay per use, with pricing for each Supercharger site listed in the Tesla app.
Per a map of charger locations on Tesla’s website, the closest Superchargers to Naperville are currently located in Aurora, Bolingbrook and Oswego.
