Supercharging letter from Tesla 8-13-2015

[Spidy]

Also he of all people should know that he didn't pay $2000 for the "right" to supercharge, he paid $2000 for the hardware and software in the car for DC charging. He bought a 60 with supercharging option and later upgraded the battery to 85 (the one and only person known to have been able to do that). This $2000 figure keeps getting thrown around as people thinking they paid that amount for supercharging. No one knows what amount of the car price goes for the capital expense of the supercharger network or for the ongoing expense.

Which means that people who don't spend as much time in the forum could easily think the right to use the Superchargers is what they paid for.

More and more people buy the car who have not followed the company for a long time. The only solution here is to exactly outline and limit how superchargers can be used for new customers.

There's another pertinent point here, what is interesting is he has changed his use since a Supercharger opened up at his favourite restaurant.

As the roll out continues, I predict the convenience of matching the charge time to a productive task you may do anyway will simply go up. No doubt Tesla will be on this to an extent with their location targetting, but it's got to be hard as they've stated the criteria for an SpC will have nearby restroom and food facilities, which sot of puts you in those sort of areas.

Just wait until companies start to open up near superchargers :scared:

 

[Krugerrand]

I'm not passing anything off as fact, I'm not sure what you are referring to.

 

[NigelM]

Did Tesla rep use the word "abuse" in the phone call?

If we start trolling every word that any Tesla employee ever says, we're pretty much guaranteed that local communication will cease altogether.

 

[smsprague]

Did Tesla rep use the word "abuse" in the phone call?

Not in my conversation with Nicholas. He just said that I was clearly using the Superchargers as they where intended. We talked about how I used them over the last year and could not come up with a reason why the algorithm flagged me. The personal call was a nice touch and good customer relations by Tesla for following up with me on the letter.

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If we start trolling every word that any Tesla employee ever says, we're pretty much guaranteed that local communication will cease altogether.

Well said.

 

[smac]

OK So this conversation has inspired me to enable Supercharging, despite the fact it galls me to pay for something I won't use, purely be for the benefit of the next owner.

Rather than speculate I have specifically asked Tesla EU what the policy is, that it is not subject to future change, and my purchase is contingent on this IN WRITING.

If there is any possible change in policy it will have a material impact on me in two years time, and I'm not comfortable relying on word of mouth, vague sales assurances, or forum wisdom. At the end of the day I'm entering into a purchase contract here, and like any other contract it really should be clear.

Hopefully this will settle the argument one way or another.

 

[ozweepay]

I can't believe I just read through all of this.

In any case, I think it's super important to realize that we (as owners) are pioneers. We are customers of a company that is doing a lot of things for the first time in history: first completely-electric car designed from the ground up; first long-distance electric; first auto start-up in the U.S. in 100 years; etc.

Tesla came within a hair's breadth of folding in 2008, but barely survived. It's a small miracle we're all here.

Given the challenges in this company, it's amazing the car ever got delivered, it's amazing it runs, and yet Tesla has done far far more than just run. The highest Consumer Reports rating in history! The fastest 4-door production sedan in the world. And very very few people who have ANYthing bad to saw about the car.

So glitches like a poorly-worded and wrongly-targeted email should really be noise here...

Virtually every user of this forum believes in something more than simply owning a luxury car and getting high-class treatment from the company... we believe we are ushering in a kind of change that actually matters.

So I vote for letting this one go...

 

[AmpedRealtor]

I can't believe I just read through all of this.

In any case, I think it's super important to realize that we (as owners) are pioneers. We are customers of a company that is doing a lot of things for the first time in history: first completely-electric car designed from the ground up; first long-distance electric; first auto start-up in the U.S. in 100 years; etc.

Tesla came within a hair's breadth of folding in 2008, but barely survived. It's a small miracle we're all here.

Given the challenges in this company, it's amazing the car ever got delivered, it's amazing it runs, and yet Tesla has done far far more than just run. The highest Consumer Reports rating in history! The fastest 4-door production sedan in the world. And very very few people who have ANYthing bad to saw about the car.

So glitches like a poorly-worded and wrongly-targeted email should really be noise here...

Virtually every user of this forum believes in something more than simply owning a luxury car and getting high-class treatment from the company... we believe we are ushering in a kind of change that actually matters.

So I vote for letting this one go...

^^ agree with this, but also feel that Tesla should take more consideration with its customer and owner communications. These kinds of self-inflicted wounds, as you can see from this thread, upset owners when things could have, and should have, been handled better. Another example was the email that went out regarding the premium center console. That ticked off a lot of people as well, and it was all because of how the customers were treated. I understand that Tesla is in hyper growth mode and that things are going to happen. But maintaining a good relationship with your ownership base shouldn't be difficult. Someone over there just needs to give more thought before sending out emails like these.

 

[markb1]

I don't think anybody knows what the Supercharger 'hardware' really is, and what a hypothetical 60 without said hardware really would have been missing.

I think we have a really good idea of what it is. It's contactors and wiring to bypass the onboard chargers. That's really all it could be.

I don't really know how much that would cost Tesla. They would have to be beefy to handle all that current, so probably not cheap.

 

[stopcrazypp]

^^ agree with this, but also feel that Tesla should take more consideration with its customer and owner communications. These kinds of self-inflicted wounds, as you can see from this thread, upset owners when things could have, and should have, been handled better. Another example was the email that went out regarding the premium center console. That ticked off a lot of people as well, and it was all because of how the customers were treated. I understand that Tesla is in hyper growth mode and that things are going to happen. But maintaining a good relationship with your ownership base shouldn't be difficult. Someone over there just needs to give more thought before sending out emails like these.

Yeah, no defense of the email situation here. Tesla messed up here, and they know it (given they are having SCs call customers to say sorry).

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I think we have a really good idea of what it is. It's contactors and wiring to bypass the onboard chargers. That's really all it could be.

I don't really know how much that would cost Tesla. They would have to be beefy to handle all that current, so probably not cheap.

I remember when the Leaf launched CHAdeMO was a $700 option. Now it is bundled with the 6.6kW option at $1770. It was also previously bundled with LED headlights at $1630.

Keep in mind the CHAdeMO in the Leaf handles only 125 amps max. The Tesla handles 300+ amps, so wiring/contactors would have to be much beefier.

 

[Merrill]

I can't believe I just read through all of this.

In any case, I think it's super important to realize that we (as owners) are pioneers. We are customers of a company that is doing a lot of things for the first time in history: first completely-electric car designed from the ground up; first long-distance electric; first auto start-up in the U.S. in 100 years; etc.

Tesla came within a hair's breadth of folding in 2008, but barely survived. It's a small miracle we're all here.

Given the challenges in this company, it's amazing the car ever got delivered, it's amazing it runs, and yet Tesla has done far far more than just run. The highest Consumer Reports rating in history! The fastest 4-door production sedan in the world. And very very few people who have ANYthing bad to saw about the car.
t
So glitches like a poorly-worded and wrongly-targeted email should really be noise here...

Virtually every user of this forum believes in something more than simply owning a luxury car and getting high-class treatment from the company... we believe we are ushering in a kind of change that actually matters.

So I vote for letting this one go...

I totally agree with this, but still looking forward to Tesla improving their communication skills in the future. As this company matures so should its ability to put information out that is factual, precise and well conceived.

 

[dsm363]

I totally agree with this, but still looking forward to Tesla improving their communication skills in the future. As this company matures so should its ability to put information out that is factual, precise and well conceived.

Agree. They need to improve in this area for sure.

 

[Johan]

OK So this conversation has inspired me to enable Supercharging, despite the fact it galls me to pay for something I won't use, purely be for the benefit of the next owner.

Rather than speculate I have specifically asked Tesla EU what the policy is, that it is not subject to future change, and my purchase is contingent on this IN WRITING.

If there is any possible change in policy it will have a material impact on me in two years time, and I'm not comfortable relying on word of mouth, vague sales assurances, or forum wisdom. At the end of the day I'm entering into a purchase contract here, and like any other contract it really should be clear.

Hopefully this will settle the argument one way or another.

Very interesting! Please keep us posted. If anything is unclear in the written document you hopefully receive please press them regarding the "free" vs. "free unlimited" distinction.

 

[SW2Fiddler]

When did Elon or Tesla ever use the word "abuser" or "abuse"? I don't recall them ever using those words. Can you provide a source?

Not in Elon's Shareholder Meeting comment (I transcribed it verbatim), nor in the letter.
Notwithstanding these Facts (sorry! ), we will here witness something like TM being "asked if they've stopped beating their spouse."

 

[Johan]

Not in Elon's Shareholder Meeting comment (I transcribed it verbatim), nor in the letter.
Notwithstanding these Facts (sorry! ), we will here witness something like TM being "asked if they've stopped beating their spouse."

Thanks for checking!

I never understood that analogy in English: If you never beat your wife to begin with how could you stop? Or is it supposed to be that you're asked a question where no matter if you answer yes or no you lose (either you say no [i didn't stop] or yes [I used to beat her but I stopped now])? If someone asked me that I'd simply answer "No, I have never beaten my wife ever".

 

[NigelM]

Thanks for checking!

I never understood that analogy in English: If you never beat your wife to begin with how could you stop? Or is it supposed to be that you're asked a question where no matter if you answer yes or no you lose (either you say no [i didn't stop] or yes [I used to beat her but I stopped now])? If someone asked me that I'd simply answer "No, I have never beaten my wife ever".

(My bold) Exactly, and even if you deny it everyone will assume that there was something behind it.

 

[Johan]

(My bold) Exactly, and even if you deny it everyone will assume that there was something behind it.

... Which is also very Kafka-esque.

Forget the finer details of the abuse or not question, what worries me here is Tesla's scarily poor PR/communications department! This is not how you want to come across at all and you definitely don't want to inspire lengthy discussions like this online. And the worst part is they're not acting to clear up their error, which they've could have done either by explaining what the actual Fair Usage Policy is or, if they don't want to define it, at least come out and put a more positive twist on this, try to replace it with a gentle reminder of how the network needs to be shared solidarily for the good of all owners.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

Did Tesla rep use the word "abuse" in the phone call?

If we start trolling every word that any Tesla employee ever says, we're pretty much guaranteed that local communication will cease altogether.

It's hardly trolling to ask for clarification to napabill's claim:

I received the call from Nick as well. One thing he mentioned is that the so-called algorithm was for a sample period. May have snagged some people accordingly that were not abusers on a regular basis. He expressed his frustration with known abusers out of Scottsdale, but had no way to deal with it.

 

[Krugerrand]

..., which they've could have done either by explaining what the actual Fair Usage Policy is or, if they don't want to define it, at least come out and put a more positive twist on this, try to replace it with a gentle reminder of how the network needs to be shared solidarily for the good of all owners.

The letter did just that. Seriously. It stated quite gently the purpose of the Supercharger Network and gently the advantage of home charging. The ONLY two things people are bent about was the grammar of the opening two? sentences, in particularly the use of the accusatory 'you' (did this, so please stop), and that some of those 'you's' received the e-mail in error being either no where near a local Supercharger or having not used said local Supercharger in excess.

 

[NigelM]

It's hardly trolling to ask for clarification to napabill's claim:

It is if you're deliberately looking for a word to be offended about. Some folks starting getting pleasant calls from their local Tesla staff; it's a shame if you want to dig something bad out of an attempt at positive communication.

 

[AmpedRealtor]

It's hardly trolling to ask for clarification to napabill's claim:

NapaBill communicated directly with Nicholas Thompson - one of the best Service Managers on the face of the earth. Nicholas would not have used such a word. At the end of the day, what difference does it make, and what good would come of this? Let's be happy that the SvC folks are quietly reaching out to owners to smooth things over. That is the right thing to do, and without the high profile.