EV dealer - likely Tesla - eyes Bedford service center
Mar. 31—An electric vehicle company is planning a service center and showroom off South River Road in Bedford.
The property developer says he signed a non-disclosure agreement and can't reveal the company, but renderings showing a precast concrete building with red accents point to Tesla. Plans submitted to the town read "Tesla concepts."
This will be the first Tesla service center in New Hampshire. The company has four in Massachusetts, with the closest being in Watertown and Peabody, according to its website.
The 41,486-square-feet building will be constructed on vacant land at South River Road and the southern end of Technology Drive, according to the application. The entrance will be off Technology Drive.
The planning board earlier this week granted a waiver for the dealership to open in the town's Performance Zone, but final site plan approval is scheduled for April 18, according to Town Planner Becky Hebert. The planning board asked the applicant to explore options to provide public electric vehicle charging stations for those who own the brand rather than just cars there for service.
Developer Elias Patoucheas of South River Road Ventures LLC first presented the plans informally to the board in October.
The building would be used mostly for maintenance, parts and car prep, according to Jeff Kevan, a consultant with TFMoran Inc. Most of the cars are purchased online with new cars dropped off for pickup, he said.
The plans include a 5,000-square-foot showroom.
The use will be "new and innovative," which is the goal of the Performance Zone, according to the application.
The plan calls for two "Superchargers" and four wall chargers for cars on the property for maintenance. Those chargers will not be for public use.
Planning board member Charlie Fairman said "at least a dozen" chargers should be installed for public use at the service center.
"We need a charging infrastructure in this country, and I think the companies that are making and selling electric vehicles need to step up and provide charging stations to the public," he said.
Patoucheas said public chargers are typically located in shopping centers, apartment complexes and other convenient locations for drivers.
"This isn't like a gas station, where it is set up that way," he said.
Attorney John Cronin said public charging stations wouldn't fit with the dealer's plans, he said.
"It would be like having a gas station on your lot if you're a regular car dealer," he said.
Cronin noted the state is working on installing more public charging stations along major highways, including routes 101 and 3.
The state's Department of Environmental Services is reviewing 41 proposals to build EV charging stations across the state, a project funded out of a 2017 settlement with Volkswagen.
Electric vehicles, including Tesla, are growing in popularity across the country. All-electric versions of automotive icons such as the Ford F150 pickup and Mustang and Chevy Silverado are coming soon.
