Tesla To Charge New Customers For Its Superchargers

Tesla has recently released a notice stating that its new customers would have to start paying to charge their cars at Superchargers.

California-based automaker Tesla is famous for its fast and practical electric cars. Apart from getting charged from regular power sockets, the cars can also be charged at Tesla's charging stations, known as Superchargers. However, Tesla has recently released a notice stating that its new customers would have to start paying to charge their cars at Superchargers. Mostly located on highways, the Superchargers can add a range of 170 miles (273km) in just 30 minutes and help Tesla owners undertake long road trips.

Under new company policy, Tesla Model S and Model X cars ordered after January 15, 2017, will get 400kWh of free Supercharging credits – equivalent to 1,000 miles (16,00km) of driving – annually. According to Tesla, 400kWh covers the annual long-distance driving needs of a majority of Tesla owners, and if the customers cross the 400kWh limit, they will be charged for the Superchargers. Also, the unused credits are not transferable to the next year. In the US, the supercharging fee varies from state to state, whereas other countries have a fixed rate. In some places, customers will have to pay on the basis of kWh, while in some others, they will be charged on the basis of per minute of usage.

Tesla says that the money recovered from the Superchargers will be further invested to set up new Superchargers. For some perspective, the automaker has quoted some figures on its website: if you charge your Tesla using Superchargers while on a round trip from Los Angeles to New York (8,9804km), it'll cost you about $120 (Rs 8174.40). This is much cheaper than the cost of fuel you might have consumed during the trip. However, Tesla vehicles bought before January 15, 2017, will not attract any charging fee at supercharging stations. Also, no details regarding the supercharging of upcoming Tesla Model 3 have been released. The Model 3 is the most affordable Tesla and is likely to be introduced in the Indian market by late 2018.