Supercharger "fines"? [Idle fees]

[FB49]

Okay, so I pull into a Supercharger location. There are 11 charging stalls, but only 1 is in use when I get there. I have free supercharging for life with my Model S and I plug in and go have dinner at a local restaurant. 35 minutes later my phone app tells me I'm fully charged but the restaurant service has been slow and we are not finished eating yet. 25 minutes after the app announcement, we get back to the car and there are no other Teslas there except mine. Will I be charged anything because I unplugged 25 minutes after my car was fully charged - even though there were no other Teslas charging at the location? Can anyone provide me with a link to Supercharger chargers fees? Thanks.

 

[Snowstorm]

If there are no other cars besides you then it should be ok without charges. I believe idle fees are only imposed if the station is 50% full.

 

[ucmndd]

I believe the app notifications state explicitly now if you’re accruing idle fees.

 

[Darmie]

Idle fees apply when a Supercharger station is at least 50% full, and double when the station is 100% full. To be clear, this is purely about increasing customer happiness and we hope to never make any money from it.

Supercharger Idle Fee

 

[Silicon Desert]

My first thought when you used the word "fine" is that some cop put a ticket on the windshield.
As a side note, even in areas where it might be possible to get an idle fee, the app should ALSO give you an advanced warning when your charging is about to be complete. Some times it is earlier than I would like, yet it gives time to quickly go out to the car and move it.

 

[Darmie]

When on road tripping. I've always moved the slider to 100%. it takes Hours before you get to 100. Even when the car is at 100 it takes a while to complete the charge. We always get just what we need but if there is ever that time that we are taking a bit longer at a restaurant, I'm never concerned about the car completing its charge.

 

[Silicon Desert]

When on road tripping. I've always moved the slider to 100%. it takes Hours before you get to 100. Even when the car is at 100 it takes a while to complete the charge. We always get just what we need but if there is ever that time that we are taking a bit longer at a restaurant, I'm never concerned about the car completing its charge.

That's a good one. We do that sometimes, BUT still run out of time before the wife can scarf down 2,000 crab legs at the all you can eat buffet

 

[ewoodrick]

It doesn't matter how many cars are at the location when you start charging. The idle fees should kick in when over 50% become full. So if a pile of cars arrive, you could get charged.

 

[BlueOvalFan]

So if you are fee supercharging for life, and I’ve never provided a credit card number how would one be billed for idle times. I’m pretty sure Tesla has no idea where I live as in the exact address to mail me a bill. How would they enforce this fine...? Cut me off until we pay up...?

 

[paulk]

If you accrue an idle charge and don't have a credit card on file, you won't be able to supercharge again until putting one on file. that said, the first idle charge i got was waived as a courtesy automatically.

 

[Rocky_H]

If you accrue an idle charge and don't have a credit card on file, you won't be able to supercharge again until putting one on file.

I am almost certain that is false. I have never heard of anyone being prevented from Supercharging because of fees. They will keep a record of them and ask you to pay them at your next service visit.

 

[Silicon Desert]

So if you are fee supercharging for life, and I’ve never provided a credit card number how would one be billed for idle times. I’m pretty sure Tesla has no idea where I live as in the exact address to mail me a bill. How would they enforce this fine...? Cut me off until we pay up...?

They send out Tanya Harding and her boyfriend with a baseball bat to crack your knee caps. Yes, they know where your car is at all times
Seriously though. You might be able to supercharge once or twice, but may not after that unless you pay up. Well, not really. In my case, there was a credit card on file because I used it to make the initial payment upon ordering the car.
You'd be surprised how companies can track you down these days, but for this amount of money, they will just take the simple approach. They will get you at service visit.

 

[Galve2000]

They might refuse to service your car until you pay iddling fee.

 

[maximizese]

I don't know if they still allow a 5-min grace period, but I saw verbiage that was part of their policy. When I'm in a similar situation I'd just leave the restaurant, over the car, and come back to finish my meal.

 

[Exiom]

Tesla increases Supercharger idle fees to decrease wait times - Electrek

Furthermore, Tesla owners cannot let their unpaid balance for those fees, or regular Supercharging fees, exceed $50 or Tesla will block Supercharger access.

I found this on Electrek, however they did not reference the source.

 

[Galve2000]

the elctroteck article is a few months old now.. this is not news.

personally I feel that the 80% limit has discourages most locals from charging at SCers b/c psychologically it's like.. oh now you can only pull a limited amount of electrons -- it may feel like it's not worth the trip to the SCer.

and yes, I know that Tesla even tells you how to bypass the limitation should you need a full charge, but the amount of "bad information" or strange thinking on the part of the Tesla community i've encountered at SCers can be staggering... I suspect people feel they are locked into the limitation.. anyway supercharger overcrowding -- at least in the busy Long Island corridor that I use most often has now dropped somewhat -- and by long island corridor I mean Plainview, NY.

 

[tfraley]

If your charging for idol fee's who are they capping at 80% now.
They should give you a grace period when it finishes? Do they?
Say 10min from when it finishes charging. It's not like gas where you standing there staring at it.

 

[Exiom]

If your charging for idol fee's who are they capping at 80% now.
They should give you a grace period when it finishes? Do they?
Say 10min from when it finishes charging. It's not like gas where you standing there staring at it.

I think they give you 5mins to leave... also they give plenty of warning as you are about to hit your target charge too so that you come back before it finishes...

 

[JerryEVall]

We also have the free sc for the life of the car and we have not seen anything show up in the supercharging section of the charging page even though we've been using sc for the past day due to a roadtrip we're currently on. Does that mean the older models don't even have the means to keep track on the car itself? How would idle fees be charged? For those who do see something on the recent list, how far back in time does it go?

 

[Uncle Paul]

I do not believe the 50% full Supercharger trigger for Idle fees is in effect anymore.
Tesla retains the option to change anyone plugged in after they have stopped charging.
I get a warning when my car is almost charged that I should return soon to avoid idle charges.
Another message is sent to my phone when the charging has ended, and that I have 5 minutes of grace time before they may begin idle fees.

Tesla wants their cars to tie up a Supercharger slot when they are actively charging. You run a risk of being charged if you ignore all their alerts.

People used to plug into a Supercharger, then wander off to a 2 hour movie or a leisurely meal. While this is an enjoyable way to pass the time while charging, it is not what the Supercharger network was designed for. Quickest in and out is their goal.

With the cars now able to get faster charge, and the Superchargers providing more power, it is the goal of Tesla to make Supercharging as quick as possible.

In the past there were complaints that Supercharging took too long. Now I am seeing posts saying that Superchargers indeed are too fast!