Would like pay-per-use Supercharger access for 2014 Model S

[lightningrob]

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 $0.20/kwh which would cost me about $100/year assuming I used it 10 times using 50kwh each time. Much more cost-effective than paying $2000 (actually 2500 after purchase) for the buffet.

However, Tesla keeps telling me that I don't have access to the per-use plan because I'm "grandfathered into" the unlimited plan. IMO this is insulting to my grandfather (rest his soul) who was a nice man and would never have tried to rip me off like that. Is my case so unusual, or are there others like me who would benefit from the use-based payment plan?

If anyone from Tesla is reading this, Elon keeps saying you appreciate us early adopters for funding Tesla's initial models and R&D that has let them get to mass market products, but I'm not really feeling that appreciation in a tangible way. How about putting some money where the proverbial mouth is, and letting early owners like me get the same thing that the new kids on the block are getting.

 

[gabeincal]

I think this should be an absolute no brainer for Tesla. A M3 owner for 35k gets to supercharge, but early adopters who didn't buy supercharging don't?

 

[TexasEV]

The cost of enabling supercharging in 60s was to pay for the DC charging hardware and software IN THE CAR. It wasn't to cover the cost of electricity. Even if you only wanted to enable DC charging to use CHAdeMO only and not supercharging, it would cost almost as much. If you want to supercharge, I think you should pay for it as the rest of us early 60 owners did.

 

[lightningrob]

The cost of enabling supercharging in 60s was to pay for the DC charging hardware and software IN THE CAR. It wasn't to cover the cost of electricity. Even if you only wanted to enable DC charging to use CHAdeMO only and not supercharging, it would cost almost as much. If you want to supercharge, I think you should pay for it as the rest of us early 60 owners did.

If that's the case, then why don't the new owners (S or 3) need to pay for that? Isn't it the same hardware?

 

[Derek Kessler]

If that's the case, then why don't the new owners (S or 3) need to pay for that? Isn't it the same hardware?

They do. It's standard equipment, so it's built into the price of the car.

 

[azred]

Cheapskate

 

[jsmay311]

The cost of enabling supercharging in 60s was to pay for the DC charging hardware and software IN THE CAR. It wasn't to cover the cost of electricity. Even if you only wanted to enable DC charging to use CHAdeMO only and not supercharging, it would cost almost as much. If you want to supercharge, I think you should pay for it as the rest of us early 60 owners did.

What? I thought the SC hardware was already included on every S60 and paying to enable SCing was just an electronic thing done remotely.

This thread seems to think so: Process of adding supercharging to an S60 after delivery

And, anyway, the unit cost of software is zero, and how much could the DCFC hardware really cost? I've always imagined that's it's just a few thick cables and a relay switch -- assuming that the DCFC communication stuff is handled by an existing ECU (or w/e).

Is it actually significantly more than that?

 

[TexasEV]

You're correct the hardware and software are already in the car and activating it is done remotely, similar to the autopilot hardware and software now. Still not sure why you think Tesla should give it to you for free when everyone else paid for it (whether as a separate line item or built into the price of the car).

 

[AnxietyRanger]

You're correct the hardware and software are already in the car and activating it is done remotely, similar to the autopilot hardware and software now. Still not sure why you think Tesla should give it to you for free when everyone else paid for it (whether as a separate line item or built into the price of the car).

Giving such old owners the new option of paying per use would sound like a reasonable compromise though. I do not see OP asking a freebie. Just the new price.

 

[TexasEV]

There is no new price. The price of the car did not drop when pay per use supercharging was introduced. The cost of DC charging capability is built into the price of the car, as it always had been except for the early 60s where it was an option. Pay per use vs. free use is unrelated to capability. Buy the capability, and free use is still a better deal than pay per use.