Is Tesla preparing to charge for Supercharging?

[Panu]

I just got a mass e-mail from Tesla in Finnish language. It talks also about supercharging and says the following (translation mine):

The purpose of Supercharging network is to make long distance driving easy and offer flexible charging possibilities also for city driving and shorter distances.

Nowhere does it mention any more that this would be without a cost. I got a feeling that they've given up and are going to allow also local supercharging but are preparing to make Supercharging pay per use.

 

[Jonas_man]

Hi,im also from finland
what connector do you have at home?

And what is the best we can get here?

joao

 

[Gabzqc]

Also from Finland, are the Helen chargers free? and do you know for how long they will stay free?

 

[yobigd20]

perhaps that mean's they'll be installed other types of slower/level 2 chargers at the sites too.

 

[Panu]

perhaps that mean's they'll be installed other types of slower/level 2 chargers at the sites too.

We already have CHAdeMO and Type2 chargers on both Supercharging locations in Finland. They are provided by a third party who charges 0.1-0.22€ / minute. Tesla might be preparing to EU directive that may force also Tesla Supercharging locations to have CCS and Type2 chargers.

Anyway in my quote they are clearly talking about "Supercharging network".

 

[mknox]

Tesla has had a number of "it seemed like a good idea at the time" moments. Just see the threads on Ranger service, annual inspections to maintain warranty and so forth. Free Supercharging for life may be another one. I can see the day when Supercharging may be fee-based. Current owners would likely be "grandfathered" but newer cars may not get it for free. If other manufacturers ever take Tesla up on their patents and charging connector protocols, then those cars may be able to use Superchargers for a fee.

 

[phigment]

Tesla has had a number of "it seemed like a good idea at the time" moments. Just see the threads on Ranger service, annual inspections to maintain warranty and so forth. Free Supercharging for life may be another one. I can see the day when Supercharging may be fee-based. Current owners would likely be "grandfathered" but newer cars may not get it for free. If other manufacturers ever take Tesla up on their patents and charging connector protocols, then those cars may be able to use Superchargers for a fee.

I haven't looked at the charging protocol, and I may be completely wrong. But I can imagine there being something in the protocol which identifies the car. I imagine Tesla already know who is charging when. It's not hard to believe that they could lock out (or only allow) certain vehicles. I'd imagine that if they wanted, they could even expanded to provide different tiers (charging speed, kWh quotas).

 

[Electricfan]

Tesla has had a number of "it seemed like a good idea at the time" moments. Just see the threads on Ranger service, annual inspections to maintain warranty and so forth. Free Supercharging for life may be another one. I can see the day when Supercharging may be fee-based. Current owners would likely be "grandfathered" but newer cars may not get it for free. If other manufacturers ever take Tesla up on their patents and charging connector protocols, then those cars may be able to use Superchargers for a fee.

Can you imagine how pissed a Tesla owner would get if he drove up to a SC and all 6 stalls were filled with Nissans and Chevys? LOL!!!

 

[AnxietyRanger]

I love it when Tesla is being consistent with their long-distance only Supercharging message...

 

[RAM_Eh]

Can you imagine how pissed a Tesla owner would get if he drove up to a SC and all 6 stalls were filled with Nissans and Chevys? LOL!!!

I could see them installing additional connectors specific to other vehicles and leave dedicated spots for Teslas.

 

[mknox]

Can you imagine how pissed a Tesla owner would get if he drove up to a SC and all 6 stalls were filled with Nissans and Chevys? LOL!!!

I guess it would depend on the particular Tesla owner. Tesla's primary mission, after all, is to accelerate the adoption of electrified transportation, so a Tesla owner who believes in this mission might be heartened to see all those other EVs. But as @RAM_Eh points out, I'm sure they'd build out capacity in that eventuality (especially if it could be funded through user fees).

 

[brandeeno]

Elon/Tesla has said multiple times that Supercharging will always be free. Just google: tesla supercharging always free. And you will see a few of the quotes.

 

[RDoc]

If other manufacturers do adopt the Supercharger system for their cars, Tesla will certainly charge them a per car fee to support building out the Supercharger system, so I suspect it would be a very good thing.

 

[dgpcolorado]

Elon/Tesla has said multiple times that Supercharging will always be free. Just google: tesla supercharging always free. And you will see a few of the quotes.

And JB Straubel has suggested that when there are a million Teslas on the road they will need to revisit the issue of whether to charge for Supercharging:

"We offer these free to our customers. We thought about this for a long time, and it turns out, the energy cost is very low, it's more about the cost of the convenience of having access to the infrastructure. A full charge or even 50% charge in a Model S is less than $10.... it's really not entirely worth the hassle of dealing with a whole separate billing structure. And in the future, of course, it will make sense to figure out how we phase in some kind of financial transaction here, but it's going to take time. And for the beginning, a million cars, this is a viable way to do it."
For Model 3 LTE/3g and free SC have to go

 

[AnxietyRanger]

In several European countries, Tesla's language has moved away from the always free or free for the life of car rhetoric, which they used to highlight, to simply mentioning very briefly Supercharger "connectors" or Superchargers are free. I can not find a mention of free for the life of car anymore.

Supercharger | Tesla Motors UK
Charging on the Go | Tesla Motors UK

This together with the long-distance debacle and the pending Model 3, I think at least suggests Tesla is continuing to adjust their Supercharger policy silently towards some future goal. Whether or not that eventually means charging for charging, who knows.

 

[Johann Koeber]

The German site currently says:

Für die Eigentümer eines Model S ist die Benutzung der Supercharger kostenlos – und wird es immer so bleiben.
(For owners of a Model S SC use is free - and always will be.)

No mention of any limits. All Model S (past, present and future).

Changing any part of this would be a terrible move. Part of the Tesla DNA. Simple, easy to use, reliable = beauty.

 

[richkae]

I want the Supercharger to be available for my use when I need it. Not ICEd, not blocked, not being used by someone who doesn't need it.
I'd also like more of them on secondary routes I like to travel, and with better restaurants and amenities nearby.

If paying per use helps with that, then I am 100% happy to pay per use. Don't give me a card, just set up auto billing because they know my car when I plug in.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

The German site currently says:

Für die Eigentümer eines Model S ist die Benutzung der Supercharger kostenlos – und wird es immer so bleiben.
(For owners of a Model S SC use is free - and always will be.)

No mention of any limits. All Model S (past, present and future).

Changing any part of this would be a terrible move. Part of the Tesla DNA. Simple, easy to use, reliable = beauty.

Yes, similar wording is still on the Model S page, but has disappeared from the Supercharging and Support page wordings when they were updated. Could be a co-incidence, but to me looks like potential downplaying of the free aspect so that in the future Supercharging policy may change (maybe for Model 3)?

I get it that JB's and Elon's comments could equally be read that Model 3, at least until that one million mark, could still fall within free Supercharging, but I think not even Tesla knows quite yet what they plan to do. Just changing perhaps the wording to a place where they have more options in the future.

I would expect current Model S (and soon Model X?) owners to be grandfathered in into any such new regime. Well, hope anyway, expect may be too strong a word considering some changes like Ranger Service.

 

[BajaSurBoy]

There seems to have been a shift in TMC's company line free regarding " free for Life " supercharging. New position is that "long distance" supercharging will be free for life. They do not want owners that live near a supercharger using them as their primary charger for in town and short trips. Apparently they have notified the biggest abusers. Since they know where each Tesla is registered and when a car uses a supercharger, it seems like it would be pretty easy to lock out or charge people that are based within a certain distance of a supercharger ( say 25 miles ).

 

[Chickenlittle]

There seems to have been a shift in TMC's company line free regarding " free for Life " supercharging. New position is that "long distance" supercharging will be free for life. They do not want owners that live near a supercharger using them as their primary charger for in town and short trips. Apparently they have notified the biggest abusers. Since they know where each Tesla is registered and when a car uses a supercharger, it seems like it would be pretty easy to lock out or charge people that are based within a certain distance of a supercharger ( say 25 miles ).

Simply put you are wrong. Been investor before super chargers and have followed since. Always meant for long distance travel. You have 4 posts. Has this change in your opinion happened over the month?