Electric car drivers traveling through Broome County soon will be able to stop at a diner just off Interstate 81 to grab something to eat while their vehicle is being recharged.

Bob Joseph/WNBF News
Bob Joseph/WNBF News
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A Tesla Supercharger is being installed in the parking lot of the Spot Restaurant on Front Street in the town of Chenango, just north of Binghamton.

Co-owner Spyros Dimatos said the electric vehicle charging station is expected to go into service on Friday.

Speaking on WNBF Radio's Binghamton Now program, Dimatos said a Tesla owners' group in the Ithaca area had lobbied for a Supercharger at his business.

Dimatos said he knew nothing about the effort until a Tesla representative showed up at his restaurant and pitched the idea.

Now - six months later - Dimatos said the charging station is about to go online.

The facility, located in a corner of the restaurant parking lot, will be able to charge up to eight cars simultaneously.

Dimatos said "people are excited" about the Supercharger installation. He said Tesla cars are equipped with guides that alert drivers to nearby charging sites.

According to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, there were only two Tesla Model S cars registered in Broome County as of October 1. But the number of Tesla vehicles on the road is expected to rise in coming years, especially as the company starts to market as less-expensive model.

Bob Joseph/WNBF News
Bob Joseph/WNBF News
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