The North Olympic Peninsula’s first Supercharger station for Tesla electric cars is now open.

The Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting on July 31 at Holiday Inn Express & Suites, 1441 W. Washington St., where eight of the stations allow drivers to recharge their cars 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Bret Wirta, owner of Holiday Inn Express, said he wanted to install the chargers because he believes in tourism.

“The big picture is that (Tesla) drivers will come to the peninsula,” he said. “It opens up the whole peninsula for people from Seattle.”

According to Tesla’s website, Sequim’s Supercharger station is one of more than 900 in the U.S. that allow Tesla electric car drivers an approximate 170 miles in 30 minutes of charging and a full charge in about 75 minutes.

Darrell Prowse of Ocean Shores said he charged his car in Aberdeen for the drive to Sequim.

“This opens up the loop for me to come,” he said.

Brick Ayola of Port Angeles also attended the ribbon cutting saying he’s owned a Tesla for almost five years and drove his car from Chicago to move to the area.

Ayola said he looks forward to a Supercharger station opening in Forks, which Tesla’s website said is opening in the near future.

There are several other electric car charging stations around the Sequim area including bed and breakfasts for customers at lower voltages.

Wirta said the stations were first available to the public on July 4 and the there’s no fee for the public to use them anytime.

“It’s a public service,” he said.

“We overbuilt capacity so (drivers) don’t have to worry about a wait.”

While Tesla cars are quite expensive, the company is beginning to sell Model 3’s of the 100-percent electric car, which retail for $35,000, according to national reports, and production on these models is expected to ramp up in the next year.

For more information on Holiday Inn Express & Suite’s Tesla Supercharger station, call 360-681-8756 or visit www.tesla.com/supercharger.

Bret Wirta, owner of Holiday Inn Express & Suites, talks to a crowd at the Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce’s ribbon cutting for the hotel’s new Tesla Supercharger station. He said his hope is that it draws people from the Seattle area to travel along the Olympic Peninsula. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash