Pay to Park at new Supercharger

[Cyclone]

at the savannah airport the SpC is in the pay lot, however if you go to the service desk they'll mark your ticket and the first hour is not charged

Just a note that their "policy" (always subject to change) is 3 hours free. I've taken extended breaks at this Supercharger before. Also note that if you are there off-hours, you can drive up to the station that usually has an attendant and hit the button to call an attendant. You might wait a while though. I haven't tried this, but that is what the service desk told me.

 

[brucet999]

Apparently the fact that you were there in an actual Tesla was not proof enough, so she had to see your Tesla key?

It just occurred to me that you could have been driving your other car, that F350 diesel pickup with oversized tires, shown your Tesla key, and gotten free parking!

 

[3PHASE]

Rats! The Model 3 does not have a key, will have to pay then!

Sure, and if you show them the Tesla card they will probably look at you like "cars can't be started with a card"..."and certainly not a phone."

 

[Max*]

It's impossible to park for free at the nation harbor. Those spots used to be pay to park for "regular" people. Then at some point I think it was used for boat parking.

Right across form the SpC is a regular "pay to park" lot.

I think if you sit in the car and SpC, you can get away with not paying. But if you park the car and SpC and leave, you have to pay just like anyone else. Seems fair to me.

 

[Max*]

On the plus side...having to pay to park makes it less likely the SC will get ICE'd.

There's a parking lot about 50 feet away, with regular spots. These used to be metered spots before the SpC were build. So I don't think it'll have any effect on ICEing.

I don't remember the rates, but I vaguely remember this tiny parking lot being cheaper than the bigger one for short stays.

I don't think anyone is asking for free unlimited parking. I think they are asking not to have to pay to have access to the charger while/for charging.

I think Tesla owes it to its customers to protect us from this practice.

It's the location, not practice. This location was paid before the superchargers were put in. Why should it change after they were put in?

 

[Lloyd]

I would expect to pay for parking anywhere land is expensive, supercharging included.

 

[alcibiades]

It's the location, not practice. This location was paid before the superchargers were put in. Why should it change after they were put in?

Because the functional essence of that location has changed.

I would expect to pay for parking anywhere land is expensive, supercharging included.

I wouldn't expect to pay anywhere Tesla puts in a Supercharger. I only "park" at a Supercharger because that is the only way for my car to "charge" at a Supercharger. Tesla oughtn't talk about the great savings of their SC system and at the same time allow fees to access the chargers. Parking while charging is an ancillary (and extolled by Tesla) aspect of having to charge. I'd rather be able to keep moving while I charge, but that's not an option. I'd rather it take as little time as gassing up, but that's not an option. SCs are meant to mitigate the inconvenience. They are not meant to be profit centers for parking companies. Tesla should advocate, not capitulate, for its consumers.

 

[Lloyd]

Because the functional essence of that location has changed.

I wouldn't expect to pay anywhere Tesla puts in a Supercharger. I only "park" at a Supercharger because that is the only way for my car to "charge" at a Supercharger. Tesla oughtn't talk about the great savings of their SC system and at the same time allow fees to access the chargers. Parking while charging is an ancillary (and extolled by Tesla) aspect of having to charge. I'd rather be able to keep moving while I charge, but that's not an option. I'd rather it take as little time as gassing up, but that's not an option. SCs are meant to mitigate the inconvenience. They are not meant to be profit centers for parking companies. Tesla should advocate, not capitulate, for its consumers.

Then you will not get superchargers in heavily developed areas. Only in outlying areas where land and space is more available. I'd rather have the option to pay for the convenience!!

 

[bhzmark]

Then you will not get superchargers in heavily developed areas. Only in outlying areas where land and space is more available. I'd rather have the option to pay for the convenience!!

Exactly right.

Sounds like your interlocutor needs to put the pay-for-parking-superchargers on their ignore list so they aren't suffering in thinking about them. I can't tell who it is though. . . .

 

[PeterHG]

It's incredible to me that people driving cars that cost $80,000 or more can become so cheap and nit-picky when it comes to superchargers. So you insist that parking should be free in an expensive downtown location when you're also picking up 250 miles of free range over an hour? I suppose you also insist that Tesla should be building more downtown superchargers?

Full disclosure--I have free supercharging, but often wish we all had to pay. It would weed out folks who are strangely desperate to top off when they don't need to do so, and it would enable us all to be more confident of not having to wait for a space when we do.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

Oh, got to love the diversity of people.

We're just so triggered by so very different things.

In general, I don't mind the idea of paying for staying in an area that has Superchargers, if that area would naturally be a pay area anyway. I can see it being almost mandatory in some urban settings where free Supercharger slots would otherwise be ICEd immediately... Especially I don't mind paying if the price is well known beforehand and I can plan for the price of the stay (e.g. based on time, no surprises).

Still, I can see the predatory pricing concern. And I can see the counter argument that Tesla did promise free Supercharging. These are legitimate concerns that are expressed in this thread, though I'm not sure how high I'd rate them. Personally, I probably wouldn't be too concerned about them. I'd be OK with there being a price if the Supercharger is clearly inside a non-free (non-free for everyone) parking lot.

(I absolutely loathe the idle charges with minimal grace, though. Not the monetary but the punitive effect of it. I'd be much happier paying twice the price by the minute for staying at a Supercharger for every minute there, than taking a punitive hit if I miscalculate a very unpredictable charge length (charger condition, stall sharing etc.) or Tesla app once again fails to do its thing.

For me it isn't about the money, it is about the idea that I get slapped for something I can't realistically avoid. I think all such things in life should come with sufficient grace and policies in place that allow the reasonable, average person to avoid punishment with reasonable care. A 5 minute grace on an unpredictable (could alter 30-60 minutes) charge end is not reasonable and many reasonable, average people with reasonable care will get punished by it....)

Yes, humans are different!

 

[bhzmark]

It's incredible to me that people driving cars that cost $80,000 or more can become so cheap and nit-picky when it comes to

I attribute this to their being just a certain subspecies of human that just likes to complain about all kinds of things and will invent things to complain about even when they haven't suffered any tangible material injury.

 

[Brass Guy]

Does anybody else remember Elon`s statement, "You could leave your wallet at home?"
It's not about paying to park, it's about unexpectedly paying for access to a charger listed on the car's map while traveling.
Sure, I own an expensive car. Not because I have money to spend haphazardly, rather because I'm very careful with it and can splurge on occasion. I knew going into this that it was a stupid financial move, but it's one outrageous thing I desperately desired and my reasoning is well beyond this thread.

 

[BIGAAPL]

As a future Tesla owner I find these threads fascinating. I agree that you shouldn't be charged a surcharge for supercharging. You should be allowed 30 minutes of free parking to charge your Tesla. I think of it the same as would I pay a surcharge to occupy the space in front of a gas pump with an ICE, while I get gas?

 

[scaesare]

I've been trying to sort out how I feel about this. I guess there's two parts in my mind: the principles and the practicality.

The principles:

I'm actually wouldn't be upset to pay for supercharging period. Don't get me wrong, I'm as interested in a free lunch as the next guy, and will gladly take what's offered, but I don't expect that I shouldn't have to bear the cost of my own energy for my personal transportation needs. I pay for it when I charge at home. And I've been used to paying for gas on road trips most of my life. While I accept and enjoy free supercharging when I'm on the road, and appreciate the perk of offsetting some of my charging needs at work, not having them wouldn't be deal breakers. Supercharging is already much cheaper than gas. Paying $10 to supercharge on my vacation wouldn't bother me. I'm thrilled a 120KW global network exists.

The other principle is what people were offered. It was offered for free, and technically supercharging is. Parking isn't in some areas. So I don't think the principle is being violated. However I do think some notification would be useful on the map/guide (and perhaps there already is). And I look at it this way: I'd rather have the pay for option if I need it, even if I'd normally skip it, rather than not have the option at all.


The practical:

When free supercharging was announced, I think there were valid practical reasons: remove barriers to long distance travel and spur adoption of EV's. Also to build awareness of the system capability and of Tesla's brand. Five years later, and I think those goals have largely been accomplished.

A few things didn't exist then, although it's likely Tesla anticipated some of them: A potential order of magnitude (or more) more cars on the road with Model 3 and follow-ons, folks who 'abused' the intent of supercharging by using them to dodge paying for their own charging, people who needlessly leave their cars blocking charging stalls when done, and the valid need for urban-dwellers to have charging options.

So given the above considerations, the supercharging program has, and continues to, evolve. Pay-for-play charging for new owners. Idle fees. New "medium power" urban chargers ("MetroChargers"!) with static power allocation. Locating more superchargers chargers in cites where parking spaces are likely to be at a premium.

These changes are going to be necessary for the system to remain practical and useful. One of the reasons I don't object to them, is because they are largely in addition to the existing infrastructure Tesla has, and continues to, build out. Thus having more options to take advantage of benefits me. If a supercharger in a paid lot offends me, I can ignore it. However if I'm in a bind, $5 to avoid being towed home is probably a handy option.

 

[Economite]

It'd be strange for Tesla to have different policies with respect to this -- I'd think it's a standard contract. But I dunno. Here's to hoping.

There isn't a "standard contract." Tesla doesn't have that much bargaining leverage with parking lot owners.

In some places, Tesla can get away with an agreement where it doesn't pay any rent to the landlord and where the landlord agrees to let Tesla owners park for free. I a few cases, Tesla might even be able to get the parking lot owners to chip in for some of the electricity costs.

But in urban areas (especially urban areas with tight & expensive parking) it is likely very hard for Tesla to find locations where the landlord doesn't either charge Tesla rent or insist on continuing to collect parking fees for the spaces.

 

[alcibiades]

There isn't a "standard contract." Tesla doesn't have that much bargaining leverage with parking lot owners.

In some places, Tesla can get away with an agreement where it doesn't pay any rent to the landlord and where the landlord agrees to let Tesla owners park for free. I a few cases, Tesla might even be able to get the parking lot owners to chip in for some of the electricity costs.

But in urban areas (especially urban areas with tight & expensive parking) it is likely very hard for Tesla to find locations where the landlord doesn't either charge Tesla rent or insist on continuing to collect parking fees for the spaces.

I'm not at the table during these negotiations. Do you have inside info?

 

[David99]

I don't mind paying for parking if I feel it's worth the convenience. I just don't want to have no choice. If I only want to charge my car up and there is no other alternative that's messed up. Tesla should avoid those locations that require payment. As others have said, once you pay for parking you feel like you can leave your car there as if it was a parking spot. Definitely not what should be encouraged.

 

[Max*]

If I only want to charge my car up and there is no other alternative that's messed up.

Nobody is stopping you from sitting in the car and charging for free. It's not gated, it's metered (well it was). The gated lot is across the road.

 

[Brass Guy]

I clicked on the Boston Metro SuperCharger in my car today, and there's a note that reads something like "Parking fees apply." I'm good with that, if all the pay SCs get a note. I just have to read more carefully now when I'm traveling.

I wouldn't mind paying my way (if I had to), but if I'm paying for parking, Tesla`s buying the electricity but not getting my money.