Thinking of buying a Tesla because you can benefit from free charging at one of the company’s superchargers?
Well, think again.
On Monday, the company announced that it is ending unlimited use of its supercharging network for any vehicle ordered after Jan. 1. 2017. Any vehicle ordered or sold before then will still benefit from free charging.
After Jan. 1, vehicle owners will get credits worth about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometres) each year. After those are used, owners will have to start paying a fee, details of which will be announced later this year, Tesla says.
The company adds that prices will fluctuate over time and vary by region because of the cost of electricity. But they say the supercharger network will not be a profit generator.
The move means that the Model 3 will not benefit from free charging since none will be delivered before April 1. Any new car ordered before Jan. 1 must be delivered before April 1 to benefit from the free charging.
Any Tesla already on the road will continue to have free charging for life.
In the blog, Tesla says the charge will allow it to grow the network of Superchargers, “providing customers with the best possible user experience and bringing sustainable transport to even more people.”
There are currently 734 charging stations, with a total of 4,605 superchargers, around the world.
Related links:
Tesla.com