Four years ago, Tesla introduced the Supercharger Network – the world’s fastest charging solution – to enable convenient long distance travel. Today, more than 4,600 Superchargers allow over 160,000 Tesla owners to drive across the continental U.S., from the Arctic Circle to the south of Spain, and across all of the population centres in China and Japan, among many other places. Supercharging has even helped owners drive their Teslas around the world.
Tesla designed their network so that all customers have access to a seamless and convenient charging experience when they’re away from home, as their intention has always been for Supercharging to enable long distance travel. Today they announced a change to the economics of Supercharging – one that allows them to reinvest in the network, accelerate its growth and bring all owners, current and future, the best Supercharging experience.
For Teslas ordered after January 1, 2017, 400 kWh of free Supercharging credits (roughly 1,000 miles) will be included annually so that all owners can continue to enjoy free Supercharging during travel. Beyond that, there will be a small fee to Supercharge which will be charged incrementally and cost less than the price of filling up a comparable gas car. All cars will continue to come standard with the onboard hardware required for Supercharging.
Tesla will release the details of the program later this year, and while prices may fluctuate over time and vary regionally based on the cost of electricity, the Supercharger Network will never be a profit centre. These changes will not impact current owners or any new Teslas ordered before January 1, 2017, as long as delivery is taken before April 1, 2017.
