Tesla brings back free Supercharging for Model S and Model X buyers

Shawn Knight

Posts: 15,294   +192
Staff member

Tesla fielded plenty of flak last November when it revealed that new customers would not be privy to some of the same perks that existing buyers enjoy. Specifically, I’m referring to unfettered access to its nationwide network of Supercharger battery recharging stations.

The perk cut apparently caused a big enough stink that it has prompted Tesla to go back to the drawing board. The revised policies can be a bit confusing but fortunately, Electrek recently broke everything down with an easy-to-digest explanation.

For owners with vehicles purchased before January 15, 2017, nothing is changing and they still have unlimited Supercharging access for the life of the vehicle. Those with Model S or Model X vehicles ordered after January 15, 2017, also now have unlimited Supercharging access but it’s associated with the owner, not the vehicle (a noteworthy difference).

It’s also worth highlighting that all existing Tesla owners will also receive free, unlimited Supercharging on future Model S or Model X vehicles they purchase (again, associated with the owner, not the vehicle itself).

New-to-Tesla buyers purchasing a new Model S or Model X will still be subjected to the pay-per-use model that happens to grant 400 kWh of free Supercharger credits per year. But, if a new owner buys a new vehicle using an existing owner’s referral code (each owner gets five codes to hand out to friends and family), they’ll be given free Supercharger access under the aforementioned owner association program.

In other words, if you’re a first-time Tesla Model S or Model X buyer and you want free Supercharger access (plus the usual $1,000 discount), it’s imperative that you purchase your vehicle with a referral code.

Permalink to story.

 
Tesla's P100D gets between 310-340 miles on a single 100kWh charge depending on who you ask. I think it's safe to say that 400kWh is around 1200 miles.
 
It's also worth noting that Tesla introduced this model to help reduce "casual" use - e.g., people using superchargers as their daily charger. You are supposed to charge at home and use super-chargers for long trips away from home. Casual users were (still are?) causing congestion and long wait times as super chargers.

Telsa also introduced an idle fee recently. If you don't remove your car from a supercharger spot within 15-minutes of full charge, then you start incurring a small fee for each minute you hold the stall. Their smartphone app will notify you when you're nearing full charge.
 
Back