Transparency with Supercharging rates / Incorrect charging rates applied (Richmond BC)

[VeryRealPerson]

Looking for some assistance on how I can contact/escalate this issue to Tesla. I will just copy and paste the email I am trying to get to Tesla support to describe the situation on lack of transparency/incorrect charging rates applied.

I started with live support which was not helpful. They directed me to email [email protected]. Emailing this address I hilariously get a blocked notification. I searched a few more of the support sites and can not find any other avenues to escalate this to someone.

The email stating the issue:

"Hi,

Live support has directed me to this email to better assist with the issue.

I am assisting a local active Tesla Facebook group for what seems to be incorrect charging rates applied to the following supercharger: Richmond, BC Supercharger | Tesla

According to Tesla Support, the use of "Anytime" is causing many owners to question if the charges applied are incorrect. The chargers are V2 chargers that share 150kW max between 2 stations (1a, 1b shared... 2a, 2b shared). This supercharger location is quite popular and nearly is always full, so many in the facebook group (Including myself) are questioning why the majority of the time charged is in the Tier 2 bracket, if not entirely within the tier 2 bracket.

Navigating to this supercharger indicates there are no considerations for on-peak/off-peak rates. All available material seems to point that this charger is simply a Tier1/Tier2 pricing system.

Based on all available material, it seems this particular supercharger is incorrectly programmed. If not, are you able to provide specific details of this supercharger on how the rates are applied so that I can share with the group and that there is some accountability and transparency as to how the tier 1 and tier 2 rates are considered and applied?

One personal example recently is reference # PPU000125633 on my own account (Customer # 3612742). I was 100% sharing power with the occupied stall next to me and I was looking at the charge rate the entire 20 minutes which did not pass 57kW speeds. The invoice still shows that I am being charged Tier 2 pricing. This is puzzling because not only am I getting <60kW speeds, the supercharger support page linked above states:

" Tier 1 also applies anytime your vehicle is sharing Supercharger power with another car"

Which would dictate that irregardless of speed of charge, tier 1 pricing should be applied if you are sharing power as v2 chargers do between pairs of stalls. This is just one such example. Myself and a few others are under the impression that the majority of charges at this location are applied incorrectly.

I hope this can be resolved or at minimum be provided with greater transparency as to how tier 1 and tier 2 rates are being considered for this location. At the present moment, it seems the tier considerations are completely arbitrary and does not follow any of the documentation online or when viewing the pop-up when selecting the pin to this specific supercharger."

The money is not really the issue for me here. What's bugging me is the principle. If I don't get adequate answers from them I might consider small claims if I am bored enough to see what happens.

You guys got any advice or tips? Anyone experience similar?

 

[MP3Mike]

One personal example recently is reference # PPU000125633 on my own account (Customer # 3612742). I was 100% sharing power with the occupied stall next to me and I was looking at the charge rate the entire 20 minutes which did not pass 57kW speeds. The invoice still shows that I am being charged Tier 2 pricing. This is puzzling because not only am I getting <60kW speeds, the supercharger support page linked above states:

Just because it says you are charging the battery at 57kW doesn't mean you are only drawing 57kW from the Supercharger. You could be drawing 2-6 more kW for cabin heating/cooling and 2-5 kW more for battery heating. (As well as ~0.4kW for other systems, pumps, etc.)

So you were likely drawing 60+ kW from the Supercharger. You might be able to see the real number using Scan My Tesla since it shows a lot of data, but I'm not positive as I haven't used it.

Tesla updates Supercharger billing to add cost of electricity use for other than charging

Tesla has updated its Supercharger billing policy to add the cost of electricity use for things other than charging, like...

electrek.co

The calculation used to bill for Supercharging has been updated. Owners will also be billed for kWhs consumed by the car going toward the HVAC system, battery heater, and other HV loads during the session. Previously, owners were only billed for the energy used to charge the battery during the charging session.

The article mentions that the extra draw could be up to 25kW.

Also, are you positive you were sharing power? How do you know how much the other car was drawing? Maybe it was done and sitting idle, or was charging at a low enough rate that you weren't actually sharing...

 

[GtiMart]

However, the pricing indicates that when sharing tier 1 pricing should apply. The next question is thus: are you 100% sure you were sharing? Being besides someone doesn't guarantee sharing, you need to check the stall numbers/letters. Pulling under 75kW also doesn't guarantee you were sharing, your car could have been requesting less power if the battery is cold or your SOC is high.

 

[VeryRealPerson]

I am 100% sure it shares power. V2 chargers share between 1a, 1b, then 2a, 2b, etc.

Further corroborated by the car beside me leaving and charging speeds suddenly jump up. Or the opposite, someone comes and the charging speed reduces down. I would think that meets the definition of shared power between pairs of stalls.

 

[VeryRealPerson]

Just because it says you are charging the battery at 57kW doesn't mean you are only drawing 57kW from the Supercharger. You could be drawing 2-6 more kW for cabin heating/cooling and 2-5 kW more for battery heating. (As well as ~0.4kW for other systems, pumps, etc.)

So you were likely drawing 60+ kW from the Supercharger. You might be able to see the real number using Scan My Tesla since it shows a lot of data, but I'm not positive as I haven't used it.

Tesla updates Supercharger billing to add cost of electricity use for other than charging

Tesla has updated its Supercharger billing policy to add the cost of electricity use for things other than charging, like...

electrek.co

The article mentions that the extra draw could be up to 25kW.

Also, are you positive you were sharing power? How do you know how much the other car was drawing? Maybe it was done and sitting idle, or was charging at a low enough rate that you weren't actually sharing...

See reply above for why I believe it is shared power between pairs of stalls.

Regarding power draw that 57kW may still draw >60kW. That part is fine with me. The issue is the support page states "Anytime" you share power between stalls it should be tier 1. That's my beef!

 

[GtiMart]

V2 superchargers share, yes. I was asking whether in that particular session you were actually sharing power at that time. The statement doesn't say that tier 1 applies at V2 superchargers, Tier 1 only applies when you would pull more than 60kW BUT you are currently sharing. Sharing is maxed at 75kW (150/2) so Tier 1 extends up to 75kW in that situation.
If you are 100% sure you were sharing during those 20 minutes and you were charged Tier 2 then something seems wrong.

 

[MP3Mike]

I am 100% sure it shares power. V2 chargers share between 1a, 1b, then 2a, 2b, etc.

Further corroborated by the car beside me leaving and charging speeds suddenly jump up. Or the opposite, someone comes and the charging speed reduces down. I would think that meets the definition of shared power between pairs of stalls.

Yes, it can share, but it doesn't always. If your car was requesting 75kW or less, then it wasn't sharing regardless of what the car on the paired stall was doing.

 

[VeryRealPerson]

Yes, it can share, but it doesn't always. If your car was requesting 75kW or less, then it wasn't sharing regardless of what the car on the paired stall was doing.

That is an interesting take, definitely a consideration. Glad im getting these different views!

 

[kayak1]

I think that the bigger issue as that the local government isn't allowing per kWh pricing and thus we are talking about per minute and tiers.

Along with contacting Tesla I might suggest contacting your local government and ask them to allow rational per kWh pricing.

 

[avs007]

Looking for some assistance on how I can contact/escalate this issue to Tesla. I will just copy and paste the email I am trying to get to Tesla support to describe the situation on lack of transparency/incorrect charging rates applied.

I started with live support which was not helpful. They directed me to email [email protected]. Emailing this address I hilariously get a blocked notification. I searched a few more of the support sites and can not find any other avenues to escalate this to someone.

The email stating the issue:


The money is not really the issue for me here. What's bugging me is the principle. If I don't get adequate answers from them I might consider small claims if I am bored enough to see what happens.

You guys got any advice or tips? Anyone experience similar?

I'm pretty sure there is more than one tier. I was just at this SC in Richmond a few weeks ago... On the navi, it says the rates are from 20 cents to 98 cents... I got billed at 52 cents and 20 cents.. Every single stall was filled when I left, and it looks like I was only billed 52 cents for 10 minutes, and 20 cents for 25 minutes. I arrived with something like 15% SoC.

 

[avs007]

I meant more than two tiers...