Tesla Says Bye Bye To Unlimited Free Charging

February 5, 2022

Ahead of the release of their newest, most cost-effective vehicle in 2017, electric car pioneer Tesla announced in November of 2016 that they would begin charging a fee for the use of their nationwide Superchargers in the new year. This week, Tesla announced the specifics regarding how the billing schedule will work. After January 15, 2017, all purchasers of new Tesla vehicles will receive an annual stipend of 400-kWh - the equivalent of about 1,000 driving miles - at the incredibly fast direct current (DC) Superchargers placed strategically across the nation. After that, drivers will face a billing plan. Depending on state utilities regulations, Tesla owners will pay either by the kilowatt-hour or by the minute to charge their vehicles.

Over the past four years, the popularity of Elon Musk’s all-electric automotive brand has grown exponentially. The market has been slow to catch on, but recently, other major auto manufacturers have finally begun work on their all-electric offerings. By 2020, economy carmakers Chevrolet, Ford, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Volvo, and Nissan will have rolled out new or improved electric vehicles. In the land of luxury cars, Porsche, Audi, Aston Martin, Mercedes-Benz, Apple, and newcomer Faraday Future also have electric vehicles in the works.

What that means for Tesla is that they will no longer have the corner on the market. It also means that their charging stations are about to see a lot more traffic. Tesla is working to stay ahead of the curve by rolling out a $35,000 option in the form of the Model 3. Neary 400,000 vehicles have already been reserved; buyers were incentivized to take the leap by Tesla’s offering to allow all cars purchased before January 15th free Supercharger usage for the life of the vehicle.

The higher-end Models S and X that were bought before the new rules came into effect will also be allowed to continue to use the Supercharger stations at no cost. This caveat has many predicting a rise in resale value for used Teslas; the lifetime guarantee for Supercharger station use follows the vehicle, not the owner. That means the roughly $10,000 an owner may spend on charging fees over the life of a vehicle - a figure which is still far lower than what it costs to keep gasoline in a traditional car - can be saved by purchasing a certified pre-owned (CPO) Tesla.

The implications of the new fees are varied. On the one hand, Tesla is working to ensure that there will not be very long waits at the Supercharger stations. The Supercharger stations, which charge at rates upwards of 60-kW, can give the cars 170 miles of range in half an hour. According to Tesla’s website, a traditional 30-amp public charging station can fuel only 10 miles of range in half an hour. Currently, there are 160,000 Teslas on the road and only 795 Supercharger stations with 5,085 charging outlets across the nation. Tesla has found that the same people are using the Supercharger stations, almost as social gathering places, rather than charging their vehicles at home. The fees aim to encourage people to charge their cars at home.

On the other hand, Tesla and other automakers have worked together to ensure an industry-standard charging port, called the Combo, will be used across all electric vehicles to come. Charging set fees will establish the standard for the shift from a petroleum-based to an electric-based car economy.

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