Back when Tesla was the sole dominator of the electric car industry, one of the brand’s most tempting selling points didn’t actually have to do with the vehicles themselves, and it was the unlimited free access to Tesla Superchargers.
People who bought and took delivery of their Tesla prior to April 2017 also received the benefit of unlimited free charging for their vehicle at Tesla’s nationwide supercharging docs, yet after that date, Teslas no longer came with that option - except for a short period to promote sales in 2018. However, in mid-August, Tesla revived the option once again for Model S and Model X sales, but it was cut off later on towards the beginning of 2020 as a result of the Covid pandemic.
This back and forth of Tesla’s free supercharging perk is extremely confusing, but the present reality is that it isn’t an option on new Teslas anymore. Here’s why:
What Are Tesla Superchargers?
Tesla Superchargers are charging docs placed all over the United States and Europe, and they do just what you’d imagine - they charge up your Tesla way faster than if you were to plug it in at home. A Tesla supercharger can fill up the battery from 0 to 80% in just half an hour for the price of about $0.25 per KW, but owners with the unlimited free supercharging perk get the service without having to spend a single penny.
Why Tesla Superchargers Aren’t Free Anymore
The main reason behind Tesla’s removal of the free supercharging program - or at least the latest one, is directly associated with the Covid-19 pandemic that hit during the beginning of 2020. As the world’s economy struggled, Tesla’s sales and production rates also dropped, and as a result, Tesla was forced to reduce the starting price of several models as well as remove the unlimited supercharging perk indefinitely.
Even after discontinuing the perk for new or re-sold models, Tesla still spent over $23 million on free supercharging for owners that already had the option before Tesla restructured the program. Basically, since Tesla’s major selling boom, the company has actually spent more on free supercharging than it’s actually generated from additional sales by offering the perk.
How To Know If Your Tesla Qualifies For Free Supercharging
Even though no new Tesla’s come with free supercharging perks, there are some older models that still boast it, so here’s how the rules work:
If your Tesla was purchased with the free supercharging option before April 2017, then the perk should still be active as of now, at least if you’re the original owner. Pre-2017 supercharging perks are also supposedly fully-transferable, meaning that they should remain active even if sold to another person. However, after several revamps of Tesla’s supercharging policies, it’s hard to tell whether the perk is still transferable.
Between 2018 and 2019, the Performance Model 3 was sold with unlimited supercharging, yet it was not transferable from the get-go, and only the original owners of the vehicle bought in that period still have the perk.