Supercharger Idle Fee

[ProfessorMoody]

On Friday I stopped at a supercharger, plugged in, and mosey’d to the nearby Starbucks with my laptop. This supercharger location posted 30 minutes max and the time for my charge was @ 20 minutes. Got my Starbucks, signed in on my laptop, and about 15 minutes later headed back to my car. I arrived with car charged to my set limit. That evening I got an email “Supercharger Idle Fee”. Here’s what the email said:

“Idle fees (up to $1.00 per minute) are applied to cars occupying a Supercharger after completing a charging session. Idle fees only apply when at least half the station is in use.” “7 min. idle at $0.50/min.”.

I didn’t know about Idle Fees (I think this is a GOOD thing to keep people from blocking a needed charger location) and thought I’d get back to my car in time (I was 7 minutes late). But the Tesla app only hollers when the charge is complete and does not give an early warning. The estimated charge completion time shown when first plugged in varies, so the initial completion time is not reliable.

Charge times vary during the charge process (heat/state of charge/multiple vehicles using charger/ etc.)., and owners hang out at locations with varying distance from the car, so it’s hard to guess how much time is needed to get back to the car on time (i.e., arrive when charging is complete). So I called Tesla support and recommended:

Ø The mobile app should allow giving an alert prior to charge completion, giving the owner time to get to his car before getting ding’d.

Ø Perhaps this early alert feature might consider how far you are from your car (i.e., phone to car distance), and calculate the time it might take to get back to your car, and thus calculate how much early warning to provide … or just let the owner specify how much lead time is needed to get back to the car. When the car’s variable charge rate calculates “EstimatedCompletionTime – WalkToCarTime”), that’s when to send the alert to the owner.

This would help folks to get back to their car close to when their charge time is complete without having to guess.

 

[Mikeat00]

I’ve gotten notification that “charging is almost complete”. When it gets with in 10% of my set charging limit.

Example from the other week (not verbatim) “Supercharhing is almost complete at 13:58. Battery at 80%. Idle fees may apply after charging complete”

I had it set to charge to 90%

 

[SpiceWare]

I get a "charging almost complete" notification as well on my iPhone. What kind of phone do you have? My understanding is the app works more reliably with iPhones than Androids, at least at one time as I've not kept up with phone issues as mine works well. I suspect that has to do with the shear variety of hardware and os versions encountered with the Android platform - as a programmer I still encounter edge cases on Windows due to the same variety.

The only time I Supercharge is when I'm on a road trip, so I'll have bumped the car to 100%. The notification comes based on when there's enough to resume the trip, which gives more time between the notification and charging complete. I'm also in the habit of monitoring the charge session via my phone.

 

[Skione65]

I’ve gotten notification that “charging is almost complete”. When it gets with in 10% of my set charging limit.

Example from the other week (not verbatim) “Supercharhing is almost complete at 13:58. Battery at 80%. Idle fees may apply after charging complete”

I had it set to charge to 90%

@ProfessorMoody,

^^^^^This above. I get early warnings/notifications via my IPhone X. And got the exact same “almost complete” notice just yesterday at a SuperCharger. Gave me plenty of time to finish my shopping and get to the car with plenty of time to spare.
You should be getting notifications.

Ski

 

[2012MS85]

The easy solution is to bump your trip limit to 100% while you Supercharge and you’ll avoid any charge (unless you’re hanging out at Starbucks for over an hour because of their affordable coffee) The trickle charge between 90-100% takes forever (over a half hour), which buys you the extra time you’re seeking. And if you forget, your convenient Tesla app lets you easily swipe from 90% to 100% from inside Starbucks My iPhone also alerts me when I’m charged to 80% and almost complete, and Tesla even gives that warning to avoid idle fees.

 

[IanMcL]

You can aleays move the charging bar, on the app, when it gets close to complete!

 

[ewoodrick]

Idle fees are advertised in many places. I'm pretty sure that you not knowing about it is indicative that you probably hit some OK buttons without reading what was said. The fact that the sign said 30 minutes is one of those indications that you really did read a notification and chose to ignore it.

You do get notifications. You can set your app up to give these. Did you go back into your phone's alert history list to see if they did occur? Have you ever even seen in the app where the alerts are set? (even though supercharging alerts always come through)

The fact that you got an idle fee is indicative that this is a busy station. And the fact that there is a posted limit is more indicative (or either it is a site owner restriction) it is a busy site.

You could try to call Tesla and give them the "I didn't know" story. But I'd just take it as a learning experience and go explore the app and see the options, look at the details of a Supercharger and see what the idle fees are, and probably even read the sections on the Tesla site about idle fees and cost of charging.

 

[renambot]

I get notification of 'charging is almost complete' also on my Pixel2XL Android phone.

 

[Dana1]

On Friday I stopped at a supercharger, plugged in, and mosey’d to the nearby Starbucks with my laptop. This supercharger location posted 30 minutes max and the time for my charge was @ 20 minutes. Got my Starbucks, signed in on my laptop, and about 15 minutes later headed back to my car. I arrived with car charged to my set limit. That evening I got an email “Supercharger Idle Fee”. Here’s what the email said:

“Idle fees (up to $1.00 per minute) are applied to cars occupying a Supercharger after completing a charging session. Idle fees only apply when at least half the station is in use.” “7 min. idle at $0.50/min.”.

I didn’t know about Idle Fees (I think this is a GOOD thing to keep people from blocking a needed charger location) and thought I’d get back to my car in time (I was 7 minutes late). But the Tesla app only hollers when the charge is complete and does not give an early warning. The estimated charge completion time shown when first plugged in varies, so the initial completion time is not reliable.

Charge times vary during the charge process (heat/state of charge/multiple vehicles using charger/ etc.)., and owners hang out at locations with varying distance from the car, so it’s hard to guess how much time is needed to get back to the car on time (i.e., arrive when charging is complete). So I called Tesla support and recommended:

Ø The mobile app should allow giving an alert prior to charge completion, giving the owner time to get to his car before getting ding’d.

Ø Perhaps this early alert feature might consider how far you are from your car (i.e., phone to car distance), and calculate the time it might take to get back to your car, and thus calculate how much early warning to provide … or just let the owner specify how much lead time is needed to get back to the car. When the car’s variable charge rate calculates “EstimatedCompletionTime – WalkToCarTime”), that’s when to send the alert to the owner.

This would help folks to get back to their car close to when their charge time is complete without having to guess.

Please be courteous to other owners as you’d appreciate yourself. Setting charge limit to 100% to avoid idle fees is discourteous. Charge for 20 minutes and repark your car. Clogging SuperChargers will make everyone’s experience worse if that stuff becomes a habit. Would you want to sit and wait for a charger while some guy idles away at Starbucks? A destination charger is a charge while you shop sort of thing.

 

[azred]

Please be courteous to other owners as you’d appreciate yourself. Setting charge limit to 100% to avoid idle fees is discourteous. Charge for 20 minutes and repark your car. Clogging SuperChargers will make everyone’s experience worse if that stuff becomes a habit. Would you want to sit and wait for a charger while some guy idles away at Starbucks? A destination charger is a charge while you shop sort of thing.

Smart and discourteous or dumb and courteous. Of those two choices I’d rather be smart and then apologize for my bad manners.

 

[ProfessorMoody]

Excellent replies ... just fyi: I have a Samsung Note 8. I have checked "Charging Interrupted" and "Charging Complete" (among others) in the Tesla app. I had my limit set to 80% and was charging from a little under 50%. I was using the standard phone's notification sound but have now set a unique sound for the Tesla app (just in case I think it's something else that can wait).

There was a post indicating that I could see past notifications. Is this history viewable from the Tesla app (I couldn't find it there); if not, where do I look?

Thanks for the comments!

 

[Uncle Paul]

Usually sent like an IM in my IPhone.

Pretty good system.

Sometimes Tesla will waive your first (but only the first) idle fee if you ask nicely. They are pretty good people and can just make this a learning experience.

 

[preilly44]

I've had many Android phones since we got our first Tesla in 2014 and we've always got the "your almost done charging" warning". I think Android is caught to Apple as far as the app goes these days.

 

[Glamisduner]

I don't think moving the charge from 90 to 100% to avoid getting charged an idle fee is discourteous so long as your headed back to your car.

 

[Uncle Paul]

Tesla is encouraging owners to move their cars after they are charged. Makes that stall available for the next guy.

Moving your charge from 90 to 100% will buy you some time without idle fees, but may slightly degrade your entire battery pack. Best not to do it regularly.

If you are charging at a Supercharger, you should plan accordingly. Don't wander over to a full length feature movie or settle into a leisurely dinner and linger over a dessert and cup of coffee.

My favorite thing is to wander down the mall next to my favorite supercharger. They have a special on Dairy Queen cones for $1.00 during the Summertime. Gives me just enough time to grab a cone and catch up on some emails via the malls Wi-Fi. Works out just perfect.

 

[2012MS85]

Please be courteous to other owners as you’d appreciate yourself. Setting charge limit to 100% to avoid idle fees is discourteous. Charge for 20 minutes and repark your car. Clogging SuperChargers will make everyone’s experience worse if that stuff becomes a habit. Would you want to sit and wait for a charger while some guy idles away at Starbucks? A destination charger is a charge while you shop sort of thing.

Please understand that for those of us in the Midwest, there simply isn’t any congestion at Superchargers. It goes without saying that one shouldn’t bump to 100% if you’re charging at a busy location. I’ve documented how I Supercharged at 20 different SC locations from Seattle to Davenport and almost always was the solo Tesla. I’ve never Supercharged when the stalls were even half full; usually it’s just me - or plus one (max two) other Tesla(s) - and 5 or more open stalls. I feel for those of you in CA with constant SC waiting lines, but that’s just never the case where I’ve been (Seattle to Bristol, TN). It should go without saying that folks clearly shouldn’t be “blocking/hogging” a needed SC stall.

 

[renambot]

In Chicago and its suburbs, it's definitively increasing since the summer and the Model3 wave. It could be half-full to full during rush hours. I've never had to wait though, yet.

 

[SSonnentag]

I've plugged in and charging has started, and then I walk 10 minutes across a street to a store, only to receive a notification on my phone that charging has been interrupted. It takes me more than 5 minutes to get back to the car to see what the problem is, and the phone app won't let you attempt to restart charging when there was an unexpected charging fault.

 

[IanMcL]

I have twice had 'Charging interrupted' at Keele Services. On the 2nd occasion, as I was returning to the car, another Tesla pulled out of the adjacent space and prepared a couple of bays further along. How can that affect an an adjacent bay???

 

[zer0frequency]

A question regarding the free super charging for model 3. Are people getting it with newer model 3s now or not? With the recent surge in Model 3s in the market, most of the super chargers are almost always occupied in my area, and its 95% with Model 3s. It seems people are just using the Super Chargers as their primary charging location, which AFAIK is not good for the battery life to begin with, but its also an inconvenience to travels who need to super charge to continue their trip...

I am hoping the rush is due to new owners waiting for their home HPWC installation and will subside ...