Charging an EV at Tehachapi’s Mountain Valley RV Park

By Paul Gipe

Recreational Vehicle (RV) parks with NEMA 14-50 receptacles are popular with drivers of Electric Vehicles (EVs) where no EV-specific chargers exist—as is the case between Bakersfield and Mojave, California. These outlets provide 240 volts at up to 40 amps of continuous current, equivalent to that from EV-specific chargers.

There are three RV parks near Tehachapi, California with electrical hookups that offer NEMA 14-50 outlets.

The closest to town and Hwy 58, the major thoroughfare through the Tehachapi Pass, is Mountain Valley RV Park. The 27 tree-sheltered parking sites are part of Mountain Valley Airport, aka the glider port.

We charged at the RV park last Sunday and enjoyed a pleasant day at the glider port while our Nissan Leaf was getting a much needed charge for the trip back down the mountain to Bakersfield.

It was sunny, clear skies, perfect temperature, and with a light breeze. (It can be extremely windy in Tehachapi and that’s the reason there are so many wind turbines on the hills east of town.) This makes for a pleasant place to charge as opposed to the industrial setting often found at large truck stops with their trash, litter, and rumbling diesels.

Eventually, there will be Level 2 chargers in Tehachapi, but that day has yet to arrive. (At one time the city of Tehachapi operated at least one EV. Where they charged is a mystery to me.) In the meantime, the place to charge is Mountain Valley RV Park.

The glider port features the Raven’s Nest, its coffee shop that serves breakfast and lunch, and Skylark North Glider School.

It costs $10 to charge during the day and in the evening you may have to pay an overnight fee during the tourist season.

The RV park includes shower and washing facilities, and picnic tables.

You can also purchase glider rides and take lessons, if so inclined.