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Just thought about how to abuse free supercharging.

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MXWing

Well-Known Member
Oct 13, 2016
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I was asked to make this post so there is documentation to forward to Tesla.

Detailing the method is intended to close the loop hole, not encourage it.

One of the busiest superchargers, Fountain Valley clears out almost completely at midnight.

A car can arrive, set the charge rate to 90% and leave in another car.

The next morning, they can set the charge rate to 100% and have plenty of time to get to the vehicle before any idle fees occur.

This abuse is possible because it takes advantage of

1.) Superchargers are less than 50% occupied overnight. There is no idle fee below this threshold.

2.) The extremely slow charge from 90-100% along with other tricks like turning on climate control will keep a car from getting to 100% preventing idle fees from occurring.

Its a description on the technique, not the actual economics of doing so.
 
I've seen that happen at lesser-used Superchargers where idle fees are rare — somebody shows up in a different car, unplugs the Tesla that was there before I showed up, and leaves with it.

It's not abuse though. It's the free Supercharging that they purchased with their car. It is immensely stupid, economically speaking, when you factor in the time and fuel for the other vehicle versus just installing a charger at home.
 
I've seen that happen at lesser-used Superchargers where idle fees are rare — somebody shows up in a different car, unplugs the Tesla that was there before I showed up, and leaves with it.

By the way, every time I've been to the Syosset, NY (Long Island) supercharger I've seen people plug in and drive away in another car and just leave their car there (or someone pick up a charging car). This is a real problem, since there are only 4 stalls and there are always people waiting. This was somewhat alleviated by another SC installed not too far away, but still, it seems to be the local practice.
 
By the way, every time I've been to the Syosset, NY (Long Island) supercharger I've seen people plug in and drive away in another car and just leave their car there (or someone pick up a charging car). This is a real problem, since there are only 4 stalls and there are always people waiting. This was somewhat alleviated by another SC installed not too far away, but still, it seems to be the local practice.
What am I missing? If they fill it (the stalls :D ) up, aren’t they getting charged a ton in idle fees?

Now the charge to 100 is a bit of a workaround since you may never get there but everytime I try this at home for a long trip, charging usually stops at 98% or something since the calibration is a tad off. I assume this would cause idle fees at a supercharger.

So at any location that IS full, how would this (charging all night) be of any use?
 
What am I missing? If they fill it (the stalls :D ) up, aren’t they getting charged a ton in idle fees?

Now the charge to 100 is a bit of a workaround since you may never get there but everytime I try this at home for a long trip, charging usually stops at 98% or something since the calibration is a tad off. I assume this would cause idle fees at a supercharger.

So at any location that IS full, how would this (charging all night) be of any use?

I didn't mean to imply 'charging all night'.. I just meant that it's a SC spot definitely ABUSED by locals and not people just passing through.
 
Where the abuse comes in is you lock up a spot in the AM when it DOES get busy.

Idle fee should be smarter where you get dinged at 100 percent regardless of stall capacity.

And/Or 1 hour charging past your threshold or some amount in the 90s to account for vehicles that never make it to 100.
 
Right but it's not an abuse of "free supercharging."

It's just an abuse of the privilege of using superchargers.

It doesn't really hurt Tesla. It only hurts other owners who need to charge.

Even for M3 owners who pay for supercharging could do the 100% trick if they don't feel like moving their car overnight. They're still paying the same dollars for the same energy just spread over a longer time period, and still potentially blocking other owners from charging.
 
Right but it's not an abuse of "free supercharging."

It's just an abuse of the privilege of using superchargers.

It doesn't really hurt Tesla. It only hurts other owners who need to charge.

Even for M3 owners who pay for supercharging could do the 100% trick if they don't feel like moving their car overnight. They're still paying the same dollars for the same energy just spread over a longer time period, and still potentially blocking other owners from charging.

Yes. The title is not wholly accurate but we all know the real issue - blocking other owners from charging and incentivizing bad behavior.

Some doesn’t see it as a big issue. I only created the thread because a Tesla employee requested it for documentation. They will see the problem and hopefully prevent a SC spot being squatted on or used as a parking spot.
 
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By the way, every time I've been to the Syosset, NY (Long Island) supercharger I've seen people plug in and drive away in another car and just leave their car there (or someone pick up a charging car). This is a real problem, since there are only 4 stalls and there are always people waiting. This was somewhat alleviated by another SC installed not too far away, but still, it seems to be the local practice.

In case you were not aware, Syosset is no longer open to the general public.
They removed two stalls and the remaining two are for service center use only.
 
To me the intention of the idle-fee is educational, and to try to curb behavior that's more likely to occur.

The trick of adjusting it from 90 to 100% gives people who would other wise be super inconvenienced a chance to finish up what they're doing to get back to their car.

I've done that when I was eating dinner. Where I live its rare that a REAL supercharger will be full, but it's not too rare for it to be over 50%.

As to people getting in other cars I've seen that too, but I think it's mostly a dinner thing. Where someone gets picked up while they're supercharging to so they can go eat. Then they come back after eating.

When it really comes down to being a decent human being it's up to people themselves to choose to be decent. I don't think we want to punish everyone for the sins of a few.

Going forwards I hope Tesla uses the smart summons of AP2+ cars to move cars out of the way. Sure there is having to remove the charging cord, but I think people at a busy supercharger could do that to allow their car to switch places with someone else.

It would be hilarious if Tesla allowed us to R/C control ANOTHER owners car. :)
 
I was asked to make this post so there is documentation to forward to Tesla.
Detailing the method is intended to close the loop hole, not encourage it.
One of the busiest superchargers, Fountain Valley clears out almost completely at midnight.
A car can arrive, set the charge rate to 90% and leave in another car.
The next morning, they can set the charge rate to 100% and have plenty of time to get to the vehicle before any idle fees occur.
This abuse is possible because it takes advantage of
1.) Superchargers are less than 50% occupied overnight. There is no idle fee below this threshold.
2.) The extremely slow charge from 90-100% along with other tricks like turning on climate control will keep a car from getting to 100% preventing idle fees from occurring. Its a description on the technique, not the actual economics of doing so.

Why publish this... let's not encourage bad behavior :cool:
 
By the way, every time I've been to the Syosset, NY (Long Island) supercharger I've seen people plug in and drive away in another car and just leave their car there (or someone pick up a charging car). This is a real problem, since there are only 4 stalls and there are always people waiting. This was somewhat alleviated by another SC installed not too far away, but still, it seems to be the local practice.
Yea, I've seen this several times at the Syosset SC. Many businesses in the area. I think it's a lunchtime thing. Now that Plainview SC is up , I have not been back to Syosset
 
So basically the idea here is to purposely fry your car’s battery life just to be able to get a reserved spot at a supercharger...

I say let any fool thay does that suffer their own consequences...
Except well... most people cannot process long term consequence very well. If you tell people “you can have this mansion today and in exchange sometime between 9 years to 12 years we will blow it up with you still inside”... well judging by the number of people buying mansions at low elevations in San Francisco... most people would take the house...

So letting all these “charge to 100%” folks charge away... they just won’t process it as their own fault when their car drops to a max charge range of 30-feet a few years from now...
 
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