With Tesla Diner, Elon Musk Finally Made Good On An Early Promise originally appeared on Autoblog.
A modern take on an old idea
In the early days of EVs, things like fast charging were still nascent. The idea that we’d be able to charge a vehicle anywhere close to full capacity was, at the time, laughable. Still, the auto industry knew that to make EVs attractive to buyers, there had to be a way to charge a vehicle quickly, or at least make the time spent charging a car more tolerable.
Elon Musk had a pair of fever dreams to address this. The first was to turn oil change stations, which he imagined would vanish quickly once EVs took hold, into battery swapping stations. You’d pull in, a team of mechanics would remove your used battery pack from underneath your car, install a new one, and off you’d go.
His second idea, first discussed in 2018, was a little more realistic and is now being realized. Tesla’s new charging station is also a diner, with the idea being that as your car charges, you can pop into the diner for a quick bite to eat, and perhaps play an arcade game or watch a movie. Dubbed Tesla Diner, the L.A.-based Supercharger and diner is reminiscent of a bygone era.
What is Tesla Diner?
If you’ve ever been to In-N-Out and wished there were even more bad food options on the menu and that the burger chain was trying way too hard to be on-the-nose about being in L.A., give Tesla Diner a shot. The menu features a plethora of retro diner classics, including a tuna melt, hot dog, grilled cheese, a cup of chili, apple pie, and a Lime Rickey. (Be honest, you don’t even know what a Lime Rickey is. We’ll save you the trouble of Googling it: a Lime Rickey is a fancy way of saying “Sprite.” You’re welcome.)
A “Tesla Burger,” which is simply a smash burger, is $13.50. When you pile on all the extras, the price can soar to $24.50. A side of fries is $4, while the “charged soda,” a Tesla Diner-specific soft drink of unknown provenance, will run you anywhere from $7 to $10. A regular soda is $4, and you can add $3 for a souvenir cup. Neat. If you want a Tesla hoodie to spill burger spread on, that’ll cost you $95. Tesla’s “supercharged” gummies are $35 per pack. If the menu didn’t repulse you enough, Eater reports that much of the food arrives in a Cybertruck-themed box.
Oh, yeah, you can charge your EV and do other stuff, too
Occupying the space left by a shuttered Shakey’s pizza, Tesla Diner has 75 Supercharger charging stations partially covered by solar panels. In total, there are 100 spaces for parking and charging your vehicle. If your car runs on gasoline, Tesla Diner has no spots for you, as Eater notes on-site parking is only for EVs. ICE vehicle owners will have to find street parking before overpaying for Biscuits and Red Gravy to go with a Lime Rickey.
With our EVs firmly parked in the future, the Tesla Diner also rockets us to the past. Two 45-foot-wide screens are showing short films, with sound piped into Tesla’s in-car infotainment systems. It’s the drive-in of the future!
Final thoughts
All jokes aside, Tesla Diner is a decent concept. If you’re going to spend 30-ish minutes waiting for your car to charge, you might as well spend that time doing something. We don’t think giving Tesla more of your dollars is always the right option, but if you’re hungry, near Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles, and have a hankering for overpriced diner food - go wild.
Tesla Diner is meant to serve as a model for more locations throughout the United States. It’s retro-cool, and the idea is sound, but we’re dubious it’ll work. Not only is the restaurant business a tricky one, but Tesla’s brand is also tarnished. A diner is a distraction. We're sure Tesla owners and potential customers would rather that Tesla focus on improving its vehicles (and stop making ugly ones) rather than opening diners across the country.
With Tesla Diner, Elon Musk Finally Made Good On An Early Promise first appeared on Autoblog on Jul 28, 2025
This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Jul 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
Comments