Did you know that Elon Musk got stranded on a Tesla road trip in 2014? A sudden blizzard near Mount Rushmore forced him and his family to seek refuge – and a charge – in the small town of Custer, South Dakota. As luck would have it, a neon sign at the Rocket Motel advertising vacancies caught his eye. Elon and his entourage pulled in to the Rocket for the night and set about to find a place to charge the cars.
Fortunately, Dave Ressler, the head of the local Chamber of Commerce at the time (and brother-in-law to an early Tesla enthusiast, Rod Hoffman from Denver), came to the rescue. Dave helped charge the vehicles overnight at a local campground. Before leaving town, Elon arranged with the Rocket Motel owner to install a set of EV charging stations for future guests. This offer eventually extended to most of Custer’s hotels. This episode might have been what planted the seed for Tesla’s destination charging program.
Custer, South Dakota, soon boasted that they were “most wired town in America” for EV charging stations. With nearly two dozen Level 2 units in a town of less than 2,000 people, it may have actually been true on a per capita basis.
In late 2013, Dave and Rod had already hatched a plan for Custer to host a gathering of Tesla drivers for a weekend of cruising around the Black Hills. The first Custer Tesla Rally, held in May 2014, saw 10 cars plugged in at the same campground that had charged Elon’s vehicles just weeks prior.
By the second annual event, the bounty of charging infrastructure given to them by Musk had replaced the need for the campground charging and could accommodate more attendees. By then it was called the “Sound of Silence” Tesla Rally. The name playfully contrasted the roar that descends upon the Black Hills every August during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally held in another South Dakota town.
We’ve participated in three “Sound of Silence” rallies so far, and plan to attend again in 2024. A highlight is the self-guided exploration of the beautiful Black Hills, a region that also attracts thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts to Sturgis. I’ve created an unofficial map detailing scenic drives, points of interest, and key locations in Custer for rally attendees.
May 17-19, 2024 will be the 10th Annual Sound of Silence Tesla Rally. The event begins on Friday afternoon with registration at the Chamber of Commerce office. People mingle in the parking lot where the town has installed temporary 240v charging outlets. Friday evening is a meet and greet with food and beverages at the Custer Beacon in town. At 7:00 pm, Dave Ressler will give his annual telling of the story of Elon Musk getting stranded in Custer. If you want to hear the story, you have come to Custer.
Saturday is when folks head out to drive their Teslas through the pigtails and tunnels that have made the Black Hills famous. At 4:00 pm Saturday, everyone meets back in Custer for the police-escorted procession to Crazy Horse Memorial for the group photo and dinner. People usually go back to Custer and hang out at the Saloon and other establishments in town. Folks can come by the restaurant at the Bavarian Inn on Sunday morning to say goodbye before heading out. Some drive together to go see the Devil’s Tower on Sunday after leaving Custer.
Thinking of joining the fun? Sign up on the Event Registration website, book a room at the Rocket Motel, the Bavarian Inn, or another Custer accommodation, and let them know you’re coming for the Tesla Rally!
Who knows? In the electric future, Custer might just become the “Sturgis” for the quieter Tesla crowd. Time will tell.
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