NYC Garages Charging Additional Fees For Destination Charging

[byan1232]

I got into an argument with a NYC parking garage (one of Icon's garages) that was trying to charge me an additional $20 for charging my Tesla while I was parked there. Just to avoid any confusion, this is on top of the rate I paid the garage to park. My understanding based on the Tesla Destination charging program is that charging should be free for customers. I would definitely consider myself a customer if I am paying to park in the garage. The garage is listed on Tesla's destination charging map.

Am I right or am I wrong to think I should not pay extra for charging? I even showed the garage attendant where on the Tesla website that it says charging should be free if you click on "Apply to be a partner".

Thanks all!

 

[RTPEV]

I think you are wrong.

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electrek.co

BTW, I went and looked at the Tesla website as well, and it does mention that a host should have a willingness to provide free charging, but I didn't see where it said it was a requirement.

 

[mociaf9]

No, unfortunately, you're wrong. If the location was a legit partner in the Destination Charging program, Tesla left the conditions of charging access entirely up to the proprietors. Though they did push for them to be free to patrons of the host business, it was in the sense of a hopeful request/suggestion. The actual agreement is that Tesla gave them the hardware and subsidized installation up to a set amount, but then the station was entirely owned and run by the site hosts. If they want to set an outrageous rate for charging, they are well within their rights to do so under the terms of their agreement with Tesla. At least that was how the original Destination Charging program was structured. So far as I know, that program has been almost totally dead for a couple of years now as pretty much everyone who comes to TMC looking for information on it says that they don't ever hear back from Tesla about their applications.

 

[byan1232]

I think you are wrong.

Tesla pushes to upgrade Destination Chargers with Gen 3 Wall Connectors, enables paid charging

Tesla is making a push to have Destination Charging station owners upgrade to its Gen 3 Wall Connector as it...

electrek.co

BTW, I went and looked at the Tesla website as well, and it does mention that a host should have a willingness to provide free charging, but I didn't see where it said it was a requirement.

Again this could be dated but see the agreement attached. It says "Electricity costs will be the responsibility of the host property, which may reserve the right to only provide charging to its paying customers".

Honestly, Tesla should have a function in the in-car navigation to filter out all the destination chargers that charge a fee on top of "paying customers".

 

[RTPEV]

Again this could be dated but see the agreement attached. It says "Electricity costs will be the responsibility of the host property, which may reserve the right to only provide charging to its paying customers".

Well yes, but that's just saying that the host is responsible for paying the electric bill, not Tesla. It doesn't prohibit the host from passing along those costs to the users of the charging station, limiting use to their customers (as it says in the agreement), or even charging whatever they want for the use of their equipment (since the agreement does state that the equipment becomes the property of the host).

Honestly, Tesla should have a function in the in-car navigation to filter out all the destination chargers that charge a fee on top of "paying customers".

Yes, that may be useful. But even more useful is to just always use Plugshare when scoping out potential charging sites (will get you sites that aren't in the destination charger program anyway, which is a benefit). By doing so, you will get all kinds of good information such as whether the chargers are even there or not, how reliable they are, how much it costs, etc.

 

[byan1232]

I'm not saying Tesla should pay for the electricity. I think the garage should be bearing the cost since they got the hardware for free and it's essentially free advertising (more likely to get Tesla customers) on the in-car navigation.

I do understand your point. Maybe I'm just salty that the garage is charging me $50 to park 3 hours then $20 to charge my car...

 

[RTPEV]

I'm not saying Tesla should pay for the electricity. I think the garage should be bearing the cost since they got the hardware for free and it's essentially free advertising (more likely to get Tesla customers) on the in-car navigation.

I do understand your point. Maybe I'm just salty that the garage is charging me $50 to park 3 hours then $20 to charge my car...

Yeah, it's kind of shitty for them to do that (I doubt it's costing them $20 in electricity and equipment maintenance). But it is within their rights. You are within your rights to not patronize them and leave a shitty review on Plugshare and elsewhere.

 

[stevethecar]

I got into an argument with a NYC parking garage (one of Icon's garages) that was trying to charge me an additional $20 for charging my Tesla while I was parked there. Just to avoid any confusion, this is on top of the rate I paid the garage to park. My understanding based on the Tesla Destination charging program is that charging should be free for customers. I would definitely consider myself a customer if I am paying to park in the garage. The garage is listed on Tesla's destination charging map.

Am I right or am I wrong to think I should not pay extra for charging? I even showed the garage attendant where on the Tesla website that it says charging should be free if you click on "Apply to be a partner".

Thanks all!

So it looks like it got worse now. I just went to park my Model Y in a NYC garage next to my work where i've parked dozens of times. The guy tells me there is a $15 surcharge on top of the normal rate because the car is a Tesla.

WTF, i wasn't asking them to charge it or anything. When i asked why they said because the car is expensive. There were high end BMWs all over the place which i pointed out but they didn't care. I grabbed my keyfob back and went across the street to another garage.

Looks like we are going to have to pay more if we are charging at the garages or not.

 

[RTPEV]

So it looks like it got worse now. I just went to park my Model Y in a NYC garage next to my work where i've parked dozens of times. The guy tells me there is a $15 surcharge on top of the normal rate because the car is a Tesla.

WTF, i wasn't asking them to charge it or anything. When i asked why they said because the car is expensive. There were high end BMWs all over the place which i pointed out but they didn't care. I grabbed my keyfob back and went across the street to another garage.

Looks like we are going to have to pay more if we are charging at the garages or not.

Ask him for the "menu" of car brands and what the charge is for each different kind of brand. Then I guess you could make yourself a decal/magnet to stick on your car that says "Chevrolet" or whatever!

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

I'm not saying Tesla should pay for the electricity. I think the garage should be bearing the cost since they got the hardware for free and it's essentially free advertising (more likely to get Tesla customers) on the in-car navigation.

I do understand your point. Maybe I'm just salty that the garage is charging me $50 to park 3 hours then $20 to charge my car...

Except they have to pay for the electricity, including any additional demand charges, you don't know how much extra they earn in parking fees due to the program, and they're there to make money and can do whatever they like.