Cost to Enable SuperCharging on 2014 MS60?

[scgaskill]

About 4 months ago I purchased my first Tesla, a 2014 MS60. It was a base / "budget" model with optional features purchased except lifetime premium connectivity. No SuperCharging, no Navigation, no Tech Package, no premium audio, interior, suspension, nada. In fact I just learned that originally it was an MS40 but had been upgraded to MS60.

Originally, I was verbally told by the SC that adding SuC was a $2500 option. I wanted to get familiar with the car and see if I really needed SuC or if the range was sufficient and home charging would be enough, so I put off the upgrade until recently.

Now when I decided to enable SuC, the SC has changed their tune and told me that the only option available for my car is FUSC at a cost of $12,000, a nearly 5x increase in cost! This makes no sense, at a time when they are trying to get rid of FUSC licenses, that that would be the only option for my car, no reasonably priced PAYG enablement option. I checked with two different SC's but was told the same thing at both.

I also looked into CCS as an alternative option to Tesla's SuC but have been told by both SC's that CCS requires Tesla SuC to be enabled first, and SuC is $12K. So I have no realistic option for DC Fast Charging.

I've posted all this elsewhere but Rocky_H suggested I open this new thread here in the hopes that someone knows a SC SM that has been around long enough to know about the early year cars. Like me, he doesn't think the SC folks know what they're talking about, that there must be an option they're missing.

Originally, SuC was $2000 at time of purchase or $2500 after initial purchase, and that was for FUSC.

Does anyone know a Tesla "old timer" SM or tech that can shed some light on this and maybe send me the option codes that I could provide my SC to lookup and get me a REASONABLE option?

 

[Tam]

About 4 months ago I purchased my first Tesla, a 2014 MS60. It was a base / "budget" model with optional features purchased except lifetime premium connectivity. No SuperCharging, no Navigation, no Tech Package, no premium audio, interior, suspension, nada. In fact I just learned that originally it was an MS40 but had been upgraded to MS60.

Originally, I was verbally told by the SC that adding SuC was a $2500 option. I wanted to get familiar with the car and see if I really needed SuC or if the range was sufficient and home charging would be enough, so I put off the upgrade until recently.

Now when I decided to enable SuC, the SC has changed their tune and told me that the only option available for my car is FUSC at a cost of $12,000, a nearly 5x increase in cost! This makes no sense, at a time when they are trying to get rid of FUSC licenses, that that would be the only option for my car, no reasonably priced PAYG enablement option. I checked with two different SC's but was told the same thing at both.

I also looked into CCS as an alternative option to Tesla's SuC but have been told by both SC's that CCS requires Tesla SuC to be enabled first, and SuC is $12K. So I have no realistic option for DC Fast Charging.

I've posted all this elsewhere but Rocky_H suggested I open this new thread here in the hopes that someone knows a SC SM that has been around long enough to know about the early year cars. Like me, he doesn't think the SC folks know what they're talking about, that there must be an option they're missing.

Originally, SuC was $2000 at time of purchase or $2500 after initial purchase, and that was for FUSC.

Does anyone know a Tesla "old timer" SM or tech that can shed some light on this and maybe send me the option codes that I could provide my SC to lookup and get me a REASONABLE option?

Tesla does change prices without advanced notices so I am not surprised.

Since you talked to 2 Service Centers already, I think their information is correct.

I guess Tesla has finally figured out that they under-priced the option, so an increase from $2,000 10 years ago to $12,000 today is not a surprise to me.

Good luck!

 

[scgaskill]

Tesla does change prices without advanced notices so I am not surprised.

Since you talked to 2 Service Centers already, I think their information is correct.

I guess Tesla has finally figured out that they under-priced the option, so an increase from $2,000 10 years ago to $12,000 today is not a surprise to me.

Good luck!

Yes but why no PAYG option? They're trying to get rid of FUSC licenses. Makes no sense.

 

[islandbayy]

#OldTimer
Go in your Tesla App, near the bottom it will have a 'upgrades" menu. Are there any Upgrades available in there? The car already has the HARDWARE for supercharging. All Teslas (minus original roadsters) have the HARDWARE. 85's came with it activated. "40's" were not allowed to be activated unless first upgraded/unlocked to a 60 (as it was a 60 battery software locked to a 40), and 60's were unlockable for a $2500 add-on.

What it sounds like, possibly, for some reason, the service center's computer still thinks it's a capped 40. As such, the upgrade cost to unlock the 60 battery was ~$10k-ish (memory is fuzzy on this, going back mentally nearly a decade). So $12k would make sense for a capped 40. If it's already unlocked to a 60, then it should be $2000-2500-ish to turn on supercharging, which ALSO should enable free supercharging for life.

There are third party options that can flip that software switch as well. However, DEFINATELY not getting Free Supercharging that route, but would be a couple hundred-ish instead to do the unlock.

Honestly, just based off past experience, skip the Chicagoland service centers. Make an appointment with the Milwaukee Service Center. Wisconsin has been blessed with two of the greatest Tesla Service Centers in the World, and are nothing short of Rockstar's in terms of total service. It may be worth the drive. At the very least, you can make the appointment and then get to talk with them. If all goes to plan, you do not/should not even need to physically go to a service center. It can all be done remotely via software.

 

[Tam]

Yes but why no PAYG option? They're trying to get rid of FUSC licenses. Makes no sense.

The explanation from @islandbayy makes much more sense. Your car is detected as 40kw and Tesla wants $12,000 to upgrade to 60kw and supercharging.

If that is still not the case due to new policy, Tesla might figure that you might not keep your car that long to spend $12,000 worth of supercharging.

 

[scgaskill]

#OldTimer
Go in your Tesla App, near the bottom it will have a 'upgrades" menu. Are there any Upgrades available in there? The car already has the HARDWARE for supercharging. All Teslas (minus original roadsters) have the HARDWARE. 85's came with it activated. "40's" were not allowed to be activated unless first upgraded/unlocked to a 60 (as it was a 60 battery software locked to a 40), and 60's were unlockable for a $2500 add-on.

What it sounds like, possibly, for some reason, the service center's computer still thinks it's a capped 40. As such, the upgrade cost to unlock the 60 battery was ~$10k-ish (memory is fuzzy on this, going back mentally nearly a decade). So $12k would make sense for a capped 40. If it's already unlocked to a 60, then it should be $2000-2500-ish to turn on supercharging, which ALSO should enable free supercharging for life.

There are third party options that can flip that software switch as well. However, DEFINATELY not getting Free Supercharging that route, but would be a couple hundred-ish instead to do the unlock.

Honestly, just based off past experience, skip the Chicagoland service centers. Make an appointment with the Milwaukee Service Center. Wisconsin has been blessed with two of the greatest Tesla Service Centers in the World, and are nothing short of Rockstar's in terms of total service. It may be worth the drive. At the very least, you can make the appointment and then get to talk with them. If all goes to plan, you do not/should not even need to physically go to a service center. It can all be done remotely via software.

Thanks. The second SC told me that it was originally a MS40 but has since been unlocked. I don't usually charge to 100% but I did to see it's current max rated range, 191 miles, which is about 7% degraded from the original 208 mile rating for a 60kW pack. The 40kW was rated for 139 miles when new. My pack is 60kW!

Twice I've been told about the 40kW pack.

I bought the CCS retrofit kit, which the Tesla website said was compatible with my car. The SC sent a mobile tech who installed it in my car and told me I was the first in the area to buy it. It showed that CCS was enabled but it didn't work.

When I called roadside assistance, the first answer was that I needed to upgrade my 40kW pack to 60kW! I told them I didn't have a 40kW pack. The cars software shows it's a 60 and my charging and range are consistent with a 60kW pack. I then got a call from the service manager and was told that the CCS wasn't working because I wasn't licensed for SuC which is a prerequisite. Oh, and it's now $12K despite what we told you before!

After questioning this with my normal SC I went to a second SC and got the same answers. Then, a week later, when I asked for a written estimate, they offered to do a battery and high voltage charging system tests for abot $1000, and if it passed these inspections, it would be enabled for PAYG SuC.

I told them the car had never had SuC enabled, and I wouldn't do the inspections if they were then just going to tell me that it would cost $12K to enable SuC. Oh no they assured me, it would be included in the $1000 so long as there was no hardware that needed to be replaced.

So, Guess what happened? They realized my car wasn't a salvage car that had SuC removed and needed to be replaced. NOBODY SAID IT WAS A SALVAGE!!!! Then they told me, wait for it.... It'd cost $12K to enable SuC! I went ballistic asking them why they hadn't checked their records and confirmed this before I brought the car for the inspections?!?!?! Just like they never checked to see if the CCS retrofit would work with my car.

And PLEASE don't tell me that I have to understand how ala carte these early cars were and how their employees don't realize that some cars were sold WITHOUT SuC, because MOST buyers paid for it. Tesla is supposed to be a high tech company! They should know what my car does and does not have for licensed features and should check them when selling and installing features. It's called due diligence. They waste my time, and their techs time. I didn't pay for the inspections. I have no sympathy for their incompetence.

Thanks on the tip about the Milwaukee SCs, I'll check with them. I'll talk with them. My range would limit me getting up there, I'm in the far west suburbs. Id need to L2 charge for many hours to get back home.

And that's why I want/need SuC. I don't take long road trips, EVER. I just need the ability to stop at a SuC to "top off" the battery enough to make it home if I find myself 30-50 miles from home with a low SOC. I wouldn't use a SuC to charge to 80%, I would just spend 10-20 minutes to go from say 10% to 35-40%, whatever is the minimum to get home easily. At home I can charge overnight.

I know that my old battery pack will never charge at 150kWh rates or higher. About 75kWh is probably the best I could expect, but that's an order of magnitude higher than most destination chargers that would take 2-3 hours to give me a similar charge required to make it home.

 

[scgaskill]

The explanation from @islandbayy makes much more sense. Your car is detected as 40kw and Tesla wants $12,000 to upgrade to 60kw and supercharging.

If that is still not the case due to new policy, Tesla might figure that you might not keep your car that long to spend $12,000 worth of supercharging.

The SC has confirmed that it has already been licensed for the full 60kW and my charging and range confirms that. I told the SC that the fact that the car started as an MS40 is ancient history and irrelevant. It's been licensed to be a 60kW pack, end of story. But it seems to have the "scarlet letter" that they will not forget.

He said something about the cars option codes are why the $12K FUSC option is all that's available. It's kinda like they want me to buy ten years worth of charging/energy day-1. It'll never happen.

 

[scgaskill]

And they said they have no way of changing those option codes. He said something to the effect that it was burned into the BMS but that sounds like BS.

 

[Tam]

And they said they have no way of changing those option codes. He said something to the effect that it was burned into the BMS but that sounds like BS.

Workers work with the codes given to them. They don't have the administrative rights to change them.

 

[cwerdna]

The explanation from @islandbayy makes much more sense. Your car is detected as 40kw and Tesla wants $12,000 to upgrade to 60kw and supercharging.

Battery capacity is measured in kWh (kilowatt-hours (- is a dash, not a minus)), a unit of energy.

This differs from kW, a unit of power.

Thanks. The second SC told me that it was originally a MS40 but has since been unlocked. I don't usually charge to 100% but I did to see it's current max rated range, 191 miles, which is about 7% degraded from the original 208 mile rating for a 60kW pack. The 40kW was rated for 139 miles when new. My pack is 60kW!

Twice I've been told about the 40kW pack.

See above about battery capacity. "40kW" and "60kW" pack doesn't make sense... well, I guess it could if you were trying to say that's the max rate you can charge or discharge the battery pack... but a 40 kW max discharge rate would be terrible. Even Leafs aren't this bad.

40 kW = 53.64 horsepower

I know that my old battery pack will never charge at 150kWh rates or higher. About 75kWh is probably the best I could expect, but that's an order of magnitude higher than most destination chargers that would take 2-3 hours to give me a similar charge required to make it home.

Charging rate is measured in kW, a unit of power, not kWh.

If you charge at 75 kW * 1 hour --> 75 kWh came out of the "wall". Multiply units and values.

75 kW * 2 hours --> 150 kWh

150 kWh / 2 hours --> 75 kW as h divided by h cancels out.

 

[cwerdna]

#OldTimer
Go in your Tesla App, near the bottom it will have a 'upgrades" menu. Are there any Upgrades available in there? The car already has the HARDWARE for supercharging. All Teslas (minus original roadsters) have the HARDWARE. 85's came with it activated. "40's" were not allowed to be activated unless first upgraded/unlocked to a 60 (as it was a 60 battery software locked to a 40), and 60's were unlockable for a $2500 add-on.

What it sounds like, possibly, for some reason, the service center's computer still thinks it's a capped 40. As such, the upgrade cost to unlock the 60 battery was ~$10k-ish (memory is fuzzy on this, going back mentally nearly a decade). So $12k would make sense for a capped 40. If it's already unlocked to a 60, then it should be $2000-2500-ish to turn on supercharging, which ALSO should enable free supercharging for life.

When the S came out, it originally was $10K for each bump up in battery capacity.

https://www.tesla.com/blog/2013-model-s-price-increase still mentions that. https://www.tesla.com/blog/tesla-model-s-sales-exceed-target also may help about the 40 vs 60 kWh pack situation.

https://www.reddit.com/r/teslamotors/comments/3c0wk5/tesla_option_on_website_to_enable_supercharging

mentioned the old enabling Supercharging price (which I think probably was only for 60 kWh (enabled) cars). Copy of the page they point to at https://web.archive.org/web/2013101...arging-adapters/products/enable-supercharging. A newer snapshot at https://web.archive.org/web/2014122...arging-adapters/products/enable-supercharging is more clear with:
"Available on 60 kWh only. (Standard on 85 kWh. Not available on 40 kWh cars)"

 

[islandbayy]

And they said they have no way of changing those option codes. He said something to the effect that it was burned into the BMS but that sounds like BS.

Yes, that is BS. Tech doesn't know what he's dealing with.

 

[islandbayy]

One other option is to request the regional managers information. They MUST provide it. See if that gets you anywhere. Im reaching out to the Milwaukee Service manager to see if she can shine some light on the upgrades. Will let you know if/when I hear back.

 

[islandbayy]

Please PM me your information, VIN, Name & Phone Number if you don't mind.

 

[Rocky_H]

What it sounds like, possibly, for some reason, the service center's computer still thinks it's a capped 40. As such, the upgrade cost to unlock the 60 battery was ~$10k-ish (memory is fuzzy on this, going back mentally nearly a decade). So $12k would make sense for a capped 40.

When I called roadside assistance, the first answer was that I needed to upgrade my 40kW pack to 60kW!

Ooookay. That $12,000 nonsense has a pretty obvious explanation now. They still have a configuration file buried in their system somewhere that did not get updated when the car got the upgrade and converted to an S60. So that explains why you keep getting that wrong recommendation.

Workers work with the codes given to them. They don't have the administrative rights to change them.

For most technicians, yes, but up at some level of service manager, they would have the authority to fix this config file problem and apply some kind of Supercharger enablement.

I really don't expect they would turn on a full unlimited Supercharging, since they are trying to get rid of those, but some service manager should be able to figure out how to put this on a regular pay as you go type.