Most people would gladly pay 2500 for unlimited supercharging.. that goes for resale too.. just pay it and go charge 50 times
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Supercharging for an Early Model S - Can't Tesla do the right thing?
- Thread starter gatomon
- Start date
ucmndd
Well-Known Member
For what it's worth, their answer and stance has been the same since 2017. The $2500 option on your car in 2014 was to enable the DC fast charging hardware, not for free electricity. Nice of them to have not raised the price in 9 years... with inflation, you've got them beat! 
teslamotorsclub.com
Would like pay-per-use Supercharger access for 2014 Model S
I've had my Model S 60 since 2014, and did not pay for the unlimited Supercharger access since I don't take enough road trips to justify the $2000 up-front cost. Now that the pay-per-use option has been made available to newer owners, that seems like the ideal solution for me since it costs...
teslamotorsclub.com
ucmndd
Well-Known Member
$2500 is like 15k+ miles of supercharging... good deal for a new car but that's a lot to squeak out of a 9 year old S60 - that will probably "super" charge around ~50kw at full tilt - just to break even.
I agree, it's absolutely crazy that you haven't tried a Supercharger in 9 years
CapeOne
Active Member
It's presumably a 60 as the 40 had been discontinued by 2014. FUSC was available on the 60 for $2,000 at time of purchase or $2,500 if added later.
ucmndd
Well-Known Member
It’s crazy they’re asking him to pay the $2500 to enable fast charging like he agreed to 9 years ago?
You’d think someone who invested enough in TSLA “pre-IPO” to lead with that as a qualifier to their story has better things to do than bicker over a $2500 charge.
Tesla almost certainly sold that stripped down 60 to him at a loss. They don’t owe him any favors.
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The CCS adapter only works on late model cars. 21+ I think
You are wrong about the fee. The $2,500 fee was for lifetime, unlimited supercharging period. The car has a list of specs (see image) that includes my options, such a Ultra High Fidelity Sound, Green (PMSG) (paint color, not offered now), etc. The last item on the spec list is Supercharging. I was told by a service person that they thought there are 50,000 Model S cars with my problem. I am not asking for "free" supercharging, I will pay for the energy that I require. I just want them to have them enable the software switch that allows me to charge my car. I did not say I wouldn't pay anything, but it seems unreasonable to charge a large to enable a functionality that is listed as a spec for the car.Pull out the old: "Do what I want or I will try to make you suffer!" card Eh?
The majority of the $2,500 fee was actually to enable the DC fast charging feature that you didn't pay for. ($1,500 if I recall. So only $1,000 of it was for the free Supercharging.) Would you be happier if they offered you pay-as-you-go for $1,500? (Of course, that isn't an option in their system, so they likely can't.)
So unless they spend a lot of effort/time/money to give you an off-book offering, that it appears not many, if any, other people want you're done with them? I guess that's you're right. (Even after they have gone out of their way to temporarily enable free Supercharging to help you get your car serviced when they didn't have to.)
However, there is a supported path to get your car setup how you want it: pay to get FUSC enabled on your car, buy a new S/X by June 30th and fill out the paperwork to remove FUSC from your S, enabling pay-as-you-go Supercharging, and get 6-years of free Supercharging put on the new S/X. Then sell the new S/X at a premium because of the 6 years of free Supercharging. Yeah, a lot of work, and you would likely come out behind...
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Yes but there's an option to retrofit. I think it's fairly cheap, like under $500. It's available for the 2015 model year at least.
I can respect where the OP is coming from and it may not be possible to bring that old MS to current standards therefore the old rules apply. Pay the $2.5k and move on.
I'm pretty sure that, you are wrong on that. It was $2,000 at time of purchase, or $2,500 to add it later. But it was to enable DC fast charging and free unlimited Supercharging. They just didn't spell that out. For example, if you wanted the CHAdeMO adapter to work with your car, it wouldn't as you hadn't paid for DC fast charging. That costs $1,500 as I recall. Then if you later decided that you wanted free supercharging it would only be $1,000 because you had already paid to enable the DC fast charging.
That looks like a current view, which likely could have been messed up because they temporarily enabled Supercharging for you that one time.
Do you have the original window sticker, or order agreement that shows that?
The problem with Tesla service is that it like it is a phone answering systems without an "operator" option. If a problem arises that does not fit the pre-programmed "tree" in the computer system, then the problem cannot be solved by the service department. In this case, the option of PAYG-SC was not available in 2014 and so it not programmed into the service computer program. Thus, my car is "disabled" by software for a spec "Supercharging" which is included in my purchase of the 2014 Model S. Thus, "TESLA: Unfortunately, there is not an option for that on this VIN." is a symposium of the deficiency of the computer program for service.I think that's the crux of the issue and they're probably telling the truth. It's a system limitation in their inventory/service application that they aren't interested in developing a workaround for the tiny handful of people out there remaining that might want such a thing.
If Tesla was a normal company you could maybe keep barking up the chain and escalating until you found someone interested/empowered enough to help, but Tesla is not a normal company and you'll spend far more than $2500 of your time trying in vain to get to yes.
If you go to the grocery store and find an item that has a shelf price of $1 and then on checkout the scanned price is $2, then can ask some at the store to correct the price error and they will. What is the capability of Tesla to correct errors in their service program ("operator please")?
But, Supercharging was not included in the purchase of your Model S because you didn't pay for it. There was no option to have Supercharging that wasn't free back then, you either had FUSC or you didn't have Supercharging.
Of course, your car had the hardware to be Supercharging capable, but you had to pay to enable it. And the only option to enable it on that car was/is FUSC.
OP was offered the options to purchase FSFL when he purchased his car for $2,000. Was told that if he did not order it with the car, it could be added later for $2,500. Tesla is making good on that offer to this day. Not sure what the OP is complaining about.
Since he was an initial investor and early adopter of Tesla he somehow feels entitled to a special configuration where he can have the Supercharging turned on for free, and he can purchase energy on an AlaCarte basis. This is something that Tesla never offered on his car.
Another first World problem.
Since he was an initial investor and early adopter of Tesla he somehow feels entitled to a special configuration where he can have the Supercharging turned on for free, and he can purchase energy on an AlaCarte basis. This is something that Tesla never offered on his car.
Another first World problem.
CapeOne
Active Member
If "Supercharging" was included with your car (at time of purchase) it should've appeared as a line item in the purchase agreement and/or on the window sticker similar to image below. Just because a car may have the necessary hardware or software doesn't mean the functionality is included at no additional cost. FSD is another example.
You bought a car without pay as you go Supercharging. You were probably happy with your choice.
It's now 10 years later and you are second guessing yourself.
If I go to the store and find an item that has a shelf price of $1 and don't buy it, and then come back 10 years later and want it? Do you think I can?
There are no errors in their service program. You bought the car to then current specs and thought nothing of it.
Apple? Can you upgrade my iPhone1 to USB???
ucmndd
Well-Known Member
Some Wayback machine context from early 2014:
“All Model S vehicles with the 85 kWh battery can use Superchargers as can properly equipped 60 kWh battery vehicles.”
It doesn’t seem you paid for the option for your car to be “properly equipped”.
A snippet of a PDF from the same era:
Draw from that what you will.
Should Tesla maybe reconsider their stance now that pay supercharging is a reality? Maybe.
Are they obligated to? No.
Is there anywhere near “50,000” vehicles in this state? Not a chance. I’d guess the true number is much closer to 500 in 2023.
“All Model S vehicles with the 85 kWh battery can use Superchargers as can properly equipped 60 kWh battery vehicles.”
It doesn’t seem you paid for the option for your car to be “properly equipped”.
A snippet of a PDF from the same era:
Draw from that what you will.
Should Tesla maybe reconsider their stance now that pay supercharging is a reality? Maybe.
Are they obligated to? No.
Is there anywhere near “50,000” vehicles in this state? Not a chance. I’d guess the true number is much closer to 500 in 2023.
