There were mixed reactions when Tesla announced that its free Supercharging will end by 2017. This will only apply however for Tesla vehicles purchased after Jan. 15, 2017. Meanwhile, this could mean that an incremental demand and value of pre-owned Tesla vehicles will increase as the old terms, which is the "free forever" Supercharge program, apply to these vehicles.
Newly purchased Tesla vehicles, after Jan. 15, 2017, will come with an annual limited amount of free charging. When Tesla made the announcement last year, they insisted that the collected fee from the Supercharger networks will be used for new Supercharger stations across the State and for other countries. They specifically noted that "Supercharging will never be a profit center."
No more unlimited free charging at Supercharger stations for new Tesla customers https://t.co/x7pT8xSczt pic.twitter.com/WEoquUuWuO
— Road & Track (@RoadandTrack) November 7, 2016
Destination charging will still remain free for Tesla owners, as the establishments such as hotels, restaurants, and other forms of businesses will pay the fees. Tesla is also encouraging EV owners who are making local journeys to recharge at home, at work, or in a public charging station. This is so that the Supercharger networks be used for long-distance driving.
Meanwhile, it has been specified by Tesla that Model S and Model X EV are under the old program. They come with "free Supercharger access for the life of the car." According to CarAndDriver, this was also confirmed by Tesla Communications Manager Alexis Georgeson. The unlimited Supercharger privileges are only applicable to the vehicle, and no the owners.
So, when a pre-owned EV, assuming the vehicle is bought before the new program was enacted, then the unlimited charging will go with the vehicle and with new owner. This could potentially raise the value and demand of older Tesla EV, which are all under the unlimited charging program.
In the meantime, if you are an owner of the newly purchased Tesla EV under the new program, you are entitled to an annual 400 kWh allowance, which will cover approximately 1000 miles, as reported by Engadget. The vehicle owner will then be charged via the registered Credit Card by either a kilowatt/hour or per minute basis, depending on the State or country.
Also, idle fees will be billed for Tesla EV occupying a Supercharger station after being fully charged. Noteworthy is that this new policy is applicable to all Tesla owners. This is to encourage fully charged EV to open up a spot for incoming or waiting vehicles. Fees vary per country and state but this is detailed on Idle Fee support page.
In other Tesla news, Model 3, the upcoming cheapest EV from the company, will not come with a free Supercharger access. Also, there will not be credit rollover for unused Supercharger allowance as it will automatically reset after 12 months.
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