Model 3 Supercharger usage

[Enginerd]

Today I visited the Tesla Fremont Headquarters Design Center, and was told by an employee about the supercharger arrangement for Model 3 owners. Model 3 owners will be granted 1000 kWh free supercharger use with their purchase, to use at any time. Once that initial allotment is exhausted, Model 3 owners will pay for supercharging by kWh usage at the nominal local rates.

The leading assumption up to this point (400 kWh free every year)... is apparently not applicable to Model 3 owners.

 

[Shock-On-T]

That seems extremely generous!
About 4000 miles free.

 

[insaneoctane]

It's Tesla's network, so whatever they choose is fair. I don't like your news at all. Elon is on the record saying something that conflicts with what you have said and I hope your news is incorrect. For the Model 3, I would like Tesla to draw a 100 or 200 mile radius around my registered home address and allow me free access to all superchargers outside that circle. Maybe they cap the free usage at 1,000 kWh per year or something. I think offering free supercharging to long distance travel is a smart way to promote proper use of them. They are not destination chargers after all and using them as destination charges crowds them up.

 

[WileyTheMan]

I'll use the superchargers so infrequently, it'll last me for years.

 

[Chewy3]

That seems extremely generous!
About 4000 miles free.

More like ~600 Miles

 

[gaswalla]

4-5 miles per kwh...4000 miles is a fair estimate. 4400 miles with the aero wheels

 

[Shock-On-T]

More like ~600 Miles

Better leave calculation for jump to light speed to me, Chewy.

 

[Troy]

The Model 3 80D has 78.27 kWh usable capacity (source: page 6 footer here) and highway range should be around 280 miles when considering degradation and the fact that EPA range is not real world range. Therefore I'm calculating free supercharging for 1000kWh/78.27 kWh * 280 miles = 3577 miles.

 

[jim3cantos]

Today I visited the Tesla Fremont Headquarters Design Center, and was told by an employee about the supercharger arrangement for Model 3 owners.....

I wasn't expecting any free KWh so for me is fair enough but I think somebody should ask current owners for confirmation.

 

[bro1999]

Still perculiar that details such as the Supercharger fee structure for the Model 3 still hasn't been officially published....despite the first cars being officially delivered almost a month ago.

So if what this supposed employee said is true, 3 owners get a 1 time shot of 1,000 kWh of Supercharging, and not the 400 kWh that gets replenished every year?

 

[JeffK]

The Model 3 80D has 78.27 kWh usable capacity (source: page 6 footer here) and highway range should be around 280 miles

Last I checked, none of the actual specs on the Model 3 LR AWD have been released so this is just speculation.

 

[Troy]

@JeffK. I added the D by mistake. I meant to say Model 3 80 instead of Model 3 80D. The D version is expected to be more efficient because all D versions Tesla released so far were more efficient. Therefore Model 3 80D buyers will get slightly more free miles with the 1000 kWh than Model 3 80 buyers. Here is the correct version if it makes you happy:

The Model 3 80 has 78.27 kWh usable capacity (source: page 6 footer here) and highway range should be around 280 miles when considering degradation and the fact that EPA range is not real world range. Therefore I'm calculating free supercharging for 1000kWh/78.27 kWh * 280 miles = 3577 miles.

 

[Bad Horse]

If this is true this is fantastic news. I will probably use a supercharger 10-15 times a year, if that, and it will not be at exhaustion of the battery, so this will last me for quite some time.

 

[Bad Horse]

Though that being said, would rather have the 1st 400kWh free each year, I honestly doubt I'd ever cross that amount in a year.

 

[Foxtrotter]

I think this is pretty generous. I actually expected to pay for all supercharger use. In the long term it seems that Tesla will need to charge for SC usage to reduce their costs and provide capital for expanding the network. It would probably be better if everyone were charged making more money available for more superchargers. The free electricity thing is a selling point but should not be that big an expense in any case if Tesla follows through on their statements about keeping the price reasonable. No one expects free gasoline and the free hydrogen is the only way to sell those cars given the price for hydrogen, but with a modest price for electricity it benefits all tesla users to make it economically rewarding for Tesla. I just don't believe that free electricity is a sustainable business model for Tesla in the long-term and can negatively impact SC availability.

 

[kingjamez]

I like the fixed 1000kWh a lot. It will help encourage people to charge at home and reduce the extreme burden that the 3 will place on the SC network. When it costs the same or more to charge at an SC, then just charge at home. If you can't charge at home, then no problem pay for what you use at an SC.

Great, sustainable setup for Tesla.

-Jim

 

[Chewy3]

Better leave calculation for jump to light speed to me, Chewy.

*Face Palm* I was reading 1000 Kilometers, not Kilowatts.

...my first dislikes and it's for bad math, tough crowd.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Interesting. Don't know

Still peculiar that details such as the Supercharger fee structure for the Model 3 still hasn't been officially published....despite the first cars being officially delivered almost a month ago.

So if what this supposed employee said is true, 3 owners get a 1 time shot of 1,000 kWh of Supercharging, and not the 400 kWh that gets replenished every year?

They have the key published state pricing per kWh/minute pricing for anyone who'll do a substantial number of DCFC miles.

The rest was up in the air so I don't think that the value's significant enough to matter. But it helps Tesla save a little and de-risk on the cost of electricity.

 

[chronopc]

4000 miles is almost half of what an average American drives a year and the equivalent of like 133 gallons worth of gas. That's a win if true.

 

[Hash Browns]

I'd take this info with a big grain of salt until Tesla communicates it via their corporate channels, vs a single individual.

If Tesla is willing and able to be generous with charging for Model III, I hope they offer subsidized/assisted home charging installation for folks who have dedicated home parking, which will indirectly reduce stress on Superchargers.