arijaycomet
Member
Tesla’s own web site uses language which explains Superchargers as connecting dots between cities. Sure if you live in an apartment or condo that doesn’t have Level 2 charging and you want to degrade your battery by only fast charging, feel free. But as most owners do not drive 200+ miles per day, and most owners have L2 charging at home, the need to supercharge “near your home” should be minimal.
Part of why Tesla superchargers are reaching higher than normal capacity is that people often use them to bolster their charge unnecessarily. I’ve seen this first hand, having spent the last 9 years as a Tesla owner. You’re 100% correct that any Tesla owner is entitled to use the charger, but if you have L2 at home and don’t NEED the SpC then it makes more sense to leave it open for those who need it.
Same argument could be made when you visit your local shopping center that has L2 charging. I’ve owned Nissan Leafs and Mini Cooper SE that are 75-120 mile range EVs, yet been blocked not by ICE’d cars but by 200+ mile range EVs , especially Tesla. Looking at the tags, these are cars within their own county, so clearly close to home (as most grocery shopping is done “close to home”). Yet they are charging on a L2 charger, and in some cases I’ve asked the owners if they show up and they admit they “just wanted the good parking spots” — yet for me, in my other non Tesla EVs over the years, I’ve -needed- that 30min of 32A charging just to get home, or to work, or whatever. Again, dealing with 1/2 or in some cases 1/3rd the range of a Tesla, those chargers are a necessity. Same goes for someone passing though town, who NEEDS that SpC to get across the country to another city, versus the locals.
There are use cases for all scenarios, so I do not discount the fact that some locals may need a supercharger (heavy driving day, need to bolster your charge for a 2nd round of driving, where perhaps you have 300+ miles in a single day that still spiders out from a central hub “near home” etc). But those cases are outliers for most users on a daily basis. People who supercharger “just because they can” make the load heavier, and can interrupt the lives of others. Charging etiquette is all I think the other reply was suggesting. Not saying “dont use it” just “think before you use it, for those who may NEED it” ….
