Tesla drivers queue for recharge at Coffs Harbour

Build it and they will come – but there were too many Teslas for the available charging ports at one coastal town overloaded on holiday traffic.

Tesla owners Craig and Linda Thompson from the Gold Coast were among the few lucky ones when they pulled into Coffs Harbour to recharge their vehicle. Picture: Chris Knight

Holiday traffic chaos at Coffs Harbour has been so hectic that Tesla drivers have had to queue to recharge their vehicles.

The Pacific Hwy which snakes through the Mid North Coast city has resembled a parking lot since midmorning, particularly for northbound motorists.

The most unusual scenes have been at the Tesla charging station at the Park Beach Plaza shopping centre.

Ordinarily only one, and sometimes two of the bays are occupied – but today they’re all full with Tesla drivers queuing for the next available spot.

But just like their electric vehicles, the drivers weren’t fuming – content to wait up to half-an-hour to hook-up.

Tesla driver Bella Carrington from Sydney was happy to wait for a charging bay to become available. Picture: Chris Knight

Linda and Craig Thompson were on their way from the Gold Coast to Sydney when they pulled in at Coffs.

“We still had about 130km in range left but you never get it completely empty otherwise it can take an hour and 40 minutes to recharge,” Mr Thompson said.

The Tesla charging station at Park Beach, Coffs Harbour, normally has plenty of vacant bays – but not today. Picture: Chris Knight

All the spots are taken, while the driver of the white Tesla (right) sweats on the first opportunity. Picture: Chris Knight

They are on their second Tesla, having downsized from an S-model to a Y, and are sold on the Elon Musk brand.

“We’ve never had to queue (to recharge) in five or six years and we got lucky today,” Ms Thompson said as a bay was vacated just as they arrived.

Not so fortunate was Bella Carrington who was travelling from Sydney to Byron Bay.

“This is the first time I’ve ever had to line-up,” she said. “I was only going to get a 15-minute charge but I might get a full charge now.”

Tesla owner Craig Thompson said the take-up of electric vehicles in Australia had “mushroomed” – leading to increasing demand at charging stations. Picture: Chris Knight

On the second last day of 2022 it was a waiting game at the Tesla charging station at north Coffs Harbour. Picture: Chris Knight

Ms Carrington and her husband Ben remain huge fans of electric vehicles, so much so that they each own a Tesla.

“It’s the best decision we’ve ever made,” she said.

But the saintly patience of Tesla drivers at Coffs was put to the test by some fellow owners who effectively left their car parked in a charging bay, after it was already full.

“They will get charged (by Tesla) for that, but it’s just discourteous,” Ms Thompson said.

The Pacific Hwy at Coffs was bumper to bumper from Lindsays Rd to Park Beach, while the alternate Hogbin Dr link road was at a fast crawl.

Construction of a dual carriageway bypass of Coffs Harbour is under construction, but isn’t scheduled to open until 2027.