OCEANSIDE — A proposed electric vehicle charging station with 63 stalls, two Tesla battery energy storage systems, and a convenience market is moving forward along Coast Highway 101, following approval by the Oceanside City Council earlier this month.
The project is proposed for a one-acre site occupied by an auto shop at 1501 North Coast Highway 101, just west of Interstate 5 near Oceanside Harbor and the Camp Pendleton main gate. The site is adjacent to the Sandy Shores RV and Mobile Home Park, a Denny’s, and a Chevron gas station.
Project applicant Rove Charging proposes 63 parking stalls, including 54 EV chargers and nine non-EV spots. There would also be two 29-foot Tesla Megapack battery energy storage systems, which would store energy during off-peak periods and use it during peak periods to avoid overwhelming the grid.
The project will also include a 3,457-square-foot building housing a convenience market, and a lounge with Wi-Fi and restrooms for customers to use while charging their cars.
During the Feb. 4 project discussion, the City Council heard concerns from several residents about the possibility of Tesla Megapacks catching fire. Recent local battery fires have raised local anxieties, including a Tesla Megapack fire in San Marcos last month that temporarily closed businesses at Creekside Marketplace, and another lithium-ion battery fire in Escondido in 2024.
Vaughan Johnson, Chief Operating Officer at Rove Charging, said the Megapack is much safer than other types of batteries used in the past, including the AES batteries at the storage facility that caught fire in Escondido.
“I know the Escondido fire is fresh,” said Johnson. “We would never want to replicate that situation, but the Tesla Megapack is ten times less likely than a house fire and three hundred times less likely than a car fire.”
After discussing the issue of fire safety with Oceanside fire officials, the council voted 4-1, with Deputy Mayor Eric Joyce opposed, to approve a coastal permit, development plan, and conditional use permit for the project.
Mayor Esther Sanchez said providing public EV charging is important to helping the city meet its climate goals, noting that not everyone can install a charger at their home.
“I see this as something that is needed. I do feel it is part of our Climate Action Plan,” Sanchez said. “It is a difficult one for me, because I’m not concerned with the site. My concern has more to do with trying to address the risk, and trying to ensure that I can explain to our residents the safety of this.”
The Oceanside Fire Department reviewed and approved the project design, with the requirement that Rove Charging complete additional analysis and system testing to ensure fire safety prior to construction.
Fire officials said they were not concerned about a fire spreading from the battery system to other areas, as the storage units are designed to contain any fire to that same unit. The Tesla units would be placed 10 feet apart from one another and enclosed by a fence,
If a fire were to occur, officials would isolate the area within 100 meters and require anyone within that area to either evacuate or shelter in place. The best course of action is to let the fire burn itself out, they said.
“I can say from the perspective of fire safety, we’re very comfortable with it,” Fire Chief David Parsons said. “As fire chief, the thing I’m most concerned about in this situation would be the hazard to the firefighters who are in proximity to that place.”
Some community members, however, raised concerns about the impact on mobile home residents living right by the project in the event of a fire. They also said the city needs to establish policy regulations for Tesla battery storage systems before approving projects.
“Proposed is not merely a charging station; it’s a charging station with Tesla mega energy storage systems, one of the largest systems made, which do not belong next to residential, mixed-use, mobilehome parks, or the rest,” said resident Shari Mackin.
When asked whether it would be possible to remove the Megapacks from the project and keep only the EV chargers, Rove Charging officials said it would likely kill the project, as they would be unable to secure the necessary investor support.
Joyce said while he supported EV chargers at the site, he wasn’t ready to “test drive” the concept of Tesla chargers so close to a mobile home park.
“I think the location is a good spot for the charging. I do have concerns about fires that you cannot control having to burn out near so many residences,” Joyce said.
