New Supercharger Fair Use Policy

[Sasmania]

Finally, every Tesla at every SC is an advertisement for EVs. Doesn’t matter in the slightest whether the ambassador behind the wheel is a garaged local or a traveler. Everyone has a story to tell about their Tesla and it usually comes with a persistent grin.

While every Tesla owner can and most do help promote Tesla, it is nothing compared to picking up strangers in your car and having a captive audience for a 20 minute ride to completely sell someone on Tesla. As a VERY part-time Uber driver I guarantee I've sold a ton of Teslas due to the experience people have interacting with me and my car. I live in Phoenix, where we just got our very first SC about 2 weeks ago, so I know you can Uber all day without even one charge. If you really pushed it, you could add 1 SC session and that would be the most you would need even if you did a 14 hour day (but you'd be crazy to do that consistently - it's just not worth your time).

I would bet that most Tesla Uber drivers are like me. They do it as a fun diversion a few hours a week to help spread some Tesla love. They are not full time Livery drivers.

Should we really be banned from using SuperChargers for promoting Tesla???

 

[dgpcolorado]

...I would bet that most Tesla Uber drivers are like me. They do a few hours a week to help spread some Tesla love. They are not full time Livery drivers.

Should we really be banned from using SuperChargers for promoting Tesla???

Why wouldn't Uber drivers just charge at home? Do they really use more than a full charge in a session of driving? (I have no idea of how many miles an Uber driver doing it "it as a fun diversion a few hours a week" actually drives.)

 

[David29]

Seems as if this policy will be particularly disadvantageous towards any government agency's use of EVs for routine travel. To me, the government agency use is in a different category from a taxi, where profit is the ultimate motive. Picture an official in, say, the agriculture department or the commerce department or any other agency (of any country, province, or state) having an EV and needing to make a trip to a farm or business somewhere, or even to travel between government offices. Under this policy, the vehicle cannot be charged at a Supercharger, so many such trips become infeasible. And so, any demand for Teslas to be used for such a purpose disappears.
Admittedly. I suspect there are few government agencies with Tesla cars now, or even contemplating their purchase. But why throw up such a roadblock against public agencies demonstrating the value of EVs?
I agree with the other comments that it would have been much better to introduce a pricing model rather than a prohibition on use. I think this may prove to be a case of shooting oneself in the foot.

 

[brkaus]

Said network doesn't exist yet. You can be sure that it'll be exempt when it does.

It will be priced into the fare I assume.

 

[Az_Rael]

Hmm, I wonder if the Enterprise Model S loaners the service centers near me are using would be exempt.

 

[Sasmania]

Why wouldn't Uber drivers just charge at home? Do they really use more than a full charge in a session of driving? (I have no idea of how many miles an Uber driver doing it "it as a fun diversion a few hours a week" actually drives.)

I agree. 95% of the time you wouldn't need to SuperCharge to Uber if you are doing it part time. And only 1X a day if you were full time.

But...the fact that "I Uber" occasionally now makes Supercharging off limits to me? Even if it wasn't used to Uber?

Or, what if I Uber all morning off of my home charge, but then want to drive to Flagstaff the same afternoon. I can't use the SC for that? Or I have to go home, wait 5 hours on my home charger before I can go on my trip?

 

[Lloyd]

I guess Tessloop will have some problems making their round trips to Las Vegas unless they charge with Chademo!

 

[Tam]

...Chademo!...

Time is money for business so slower Chademo is not an answer for being banned from faster Supercharger.

If Tesloop could buy a private $50,000 Supercharger at each destination ($100,000 total for 2 destinations) which could be a good solution.

 

[SMAlset]

No doubt the coming onslot of Model 3s and growing presence of S&Xs is bringing this to the forefront. Of the local government offices around me, they put in charging stations for gov't use on their property, not unlike the police departments that have always had gas pumps on their property, and they pay for the equipment and electricity for their J1772 and any fast DC chargers. Moving out from gov't sector, municipal buses have a similar arrangment back in their vehicle lots. It's a business expense really and 'fuel' as such should be paid for by the company and not given free by a third party. I suppose business' could just as easily arrange purchase of some of the new urban SuperChargers for their own use for faster charging. They can be free standing or mounted to garage/building walls.

I remember a post maybe on this forum about a business owner saying how they always drove their fleet of cars to the local area supercharger and charged there. Seemed like they were bragging how great it was that they got free charging for their business (where competing ICE vehicles had to pay their fuel costs). Happens that others who use that SC location added that location was always packed and many times people needing a charge had a long wait or were forced to try for another location. I don't think Tesla ever intended for businesses to utilize the SCs for free regularly and that's probably what has been happening. They do know where you are, have been and where you "live", so in seasonal words know if you've been naughty or nice LOL.

 

[TexasEV]

If Tesloop could buy a private $50,000 Supercharger at each destination ($100,000 total for 2 destinations) which could be a good solution.

This is what they should have been required to do from the beginning.

 

[SMAlset]

I'd be guessing here that the new Urban Superchargers are less expensive equipment than the standard ones. Anyone seen any cost comparisons yet between the two? They've probably been working hard on getting the supercharger costs down for business use. Not unlike the revamp of the mobile charging connector for the individual owner being reduced 40% from the original (which corded version we bought during the summer...oh well). I think it all fits into Tesla's plan to make EV ownership a great thing for air quality and even more affordable as time goes on. They have a lot of things on the stove and it seems that charging is seeing a lot of development this year and next.

 

[silverp85+]

This policy as noted is not about crowding the supercharger stalls and keeping travelers from charging. The 2 reasons being:

1. If it was, Tesla would have at the very least emailed a person in my area that plugs his car in and leaves for a week or 2.

2. They would not have suggested they can come up with a solution for commercial drivers to continue using the superchargers for business. Solution = money, not clearing up stalls

There are many owners driving around for supercharger contests or for whatever reason and what would be done with them? There is nothing wrong with people having fun with their cars obviously, but they do use suerchargers to achieve their conquests.


Johann,

Why would commercial not be covered? The drive units have a 1 million mile rating. Even the semis have a 1 million mile warranty.

Sustainability can be had through sales, which is what you get with more visibility. The kWhs used is a cheap advertising cost.

 

[vekl]

As someone who has a Model X schedule for delivery on 12/28, this is really poor implementation by Tesla. I was planning on using my car for partial commercial use (mainly Turo) and charge it at home when it’s not rented. This completely changes the dynamics of my car purchase of this doesn’t extend to new car orders places before December 15th. I haven’t decided yet but I may cancel my order and since Tesla is changing their terms in the middle, I will be asking for my deposit back if I do.

 

[J1mbo]

I think that company has their own Superchargers.

Cant find any evidence of that, but plenty of people complaining that the Amsterdam SC is always blocked by taxis.

 

[cwerdna]

How many millions of people have been turned on to Tesla by Taxi & Uber drivers, etc? How many Gas Powered rides have been replaced by those same Tesla drivers?

I've never personally never seen nor been in a Tesla vehicle being used as a taxi, Uber nor Lyft vehicle. And, I'm in one of the strongest EV markets in the US.

I suspect the Model S/X is simply way too expensive upfront for those most making low Uber/Lyft wages.

 

[Tam]

This is what they should have been required to do from the beginning.

Purchasing for a private Supercharge at a company home location only works in a very rigid scenario but not when a commercial/government car might have to go too far from home base and need to charge for a return trip to home.

 

[cwerdna]

M3 owners who travel locally will quickly find that their efficiency and costs will be no better than efficient hybrids (e.g., it will cost more than they think, at least in CA @ $0.20/kW). Put another way, you can lose 40% of rated by puttering about. Yes, you’ll get all of rated on flat mild point to point highway legs.

Electricity is sold by the kWh, not "kW".

Please see 2013 Leaf bar loss. - Page 16 - My Nissan Leaf Forum. (Yes, I'm aware of demand charges on some commercial plans and even a few residential plans which have to do w/usually a peak draw within a certain window in kW. Those folks still need to pay by the kWh.)

 

[Tam]

...I've never personally never seen nor been in a Tesla vehicle being used as a taxi, Uber nor Lyft vehicle. And, I'm in one of the strongest EV markets in the US....

But I've seen Los Angeles Police Department car (that's governmental and affected by the policy) charging at a Tesla Supercharger!

 

[cwerdna]

The drive units have a 1 million mile rating.

Source?

 

[scaesare]

I've long been an advocate of the idea that a person should be willing to provide for their own "daily" charging needs wherever possible. I believe that principle applies even moreso for profit-making endeavors.

I applaud this move.