Tesla reportedly made a significant change to its Supercharger pricing
- Tesla has changed the way it bills customers for charging sessions at the electric-car maker's Supercharger stations, Electrek's Fred Lambert reported, citing an internal email sent to Tesla employees.
- Tesla owners now have to pay for the electricity used to power systems like the HVAC and battery heater when charging, in addition to the electricity used to fill their vehicle's battery, according to Electrek's report.
- Previously, Supercharger customers only paid to recharge their batteries.
- Tesla once made Supercharger use free for all owners, but has phased out that perk in recent years.
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Tesla has changed the way it bills customers for charging sessions at the electric-car maker's Supercharger stations, Electrek's Fred Lambert reported, citing an internal email sent to Tesla employees.
Tesla owners now have to pay for the electricity used to power systems like the HVAC and battery heater when charging, in addition to the electricity used to fill their vehicle's battery, according to Electrek's report. Previously, Supercharger customers only paid to fill their batteries.
"Owners may see a noticeable increase in billed kWh if they are using energy-consuming features while charging, e.g., air conditioning, heating etc.," the email reportedly says. 'This is more likely in extreme climates and could be a 10-25 kWh difference from what a customer experienced previously."
A Twitter account dedicated to Tesla owners posted on January 10 a similar message that appears to have been sent to Tesla owners that day.
Tesla did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.
Tesla has built a network of over 1,800 Supercharger stations worldwide. The company once made Supercharger use free for all owners, but has phased out that perk in recent years. Last year, Tesla temporarily offered free Supercharger use to buyers of its Model S sedan and Model X SUV.
The reported change to Supercharger pricing also comes as Tesla seeks to become consistently profitable. While Tesla has been profitable in three of the past five quarters, it has not yet been profitable over the course of a full year.
Read Electrek's full report here.
Are you a current or former Tesla employee? Do you have an opinion about what it's like to work there? Contact this reporter at mmatousek@businessinsider.com. You can also reach out on Signal at 646-768-4712 or email this reporter's encrypted address at mmatousek@protonmail.com.
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