Tesla will begin charging owners who leave their cars at Supercharger stations after they have completed charging, the company announced today. The new fee is an attempt to increase turnover at the charging stations, which have become increasingly congested as more Teslas are sold.
After charging is complete, Tesla owners will have five minutes to disconnect and move their cars, or they will be charged $0.40 per minute for as long as the car remains hooked up to the Supercharger. Tesla CEO Elon Musk originally hinted at the company taking action on Twitter last weekend.
Tesla owners have in the past complained about fellow owners leaving cars in Supercharger spots for hours. The Tesla blog post notes that no one would ever leave their car parked at a gas pump for that length of time and that Supercharger users should be similarly courteous.
The company says the fee will go into effect immediately, and that it “is purely about increasing customer happiness and we hope to never make any money from it.” Owners will need to set up an account on Tesla’s website to pay any fees incurred.
Update: Musk clarified on Twitter that this will be relative and will only take effect if charging bays are crowded:
Comments
I hope this helps the problem, but pretty sure people who can afford a Tesla don’t give a shit about $0.40/minute.
By Swazaloo on 12.16.16 8:13pm
$24/hr parking is expensive even for people who can afford Teslas. They will be giving several shits.
By NukedKaltak on 12.16.16 8:32pm
People only start to pay "after they have completed charging".
Supercharge isn’t a parking facility.
By Su Kim on 12.16.16 10:01pm
It’s cheaper to park in Midtown Manhattan than this.
By Drew. on 12.16.16 10:24pm
Here a idea Tesla, install more charges.
By knowles276 on 12.16.16 8:27pm
That’s a pretty expensive solution.
By Michael Konen on 12.16.16 9:25pm
Here’s an idea: Charge the offenders, and pay for new chargers with the funds. (Done.)
By Vanon on 12.17.16 12:38am
He can do both.
By TCrimson05t on 12.17.16 2:47pm
They’re installing new chargers at a very rapid pace.
This is mostly a problem at certain high traffic chargers, including Taxi companies that leave their cars at Superchargers after end of shift. Yes, some people really are that selfish.
By Henning on 12.19.16 3:34am
Can’t the Tesla’s just move themselves??
By joeypore on 12.16.16 8:51pm
You’re right O_O. Since Tesla has control over their charging/parking lots anyway I guess it wouldn’t be much of a problem for them to set up an algorithm to move the cars to allocated spaces. Oh well but they need the charger plug to unplug itself then. Or just hire a valley parker lol.
By silentmelodies on 12.16.16 9:17pm
Tesla already has thta figured out
By cy.starkman on 12.17.16 12:06am
Oooh, the Japanese are gonna have fun with this.
By IamMyth on 12.17.16 10:26am
Charging time is the Achilles heel of EVs. You paid $85,000+ for the car, and now you have to hang out for 20-40 minutes, or come back to move the car, or pay the fee. Already inconvenient – more inconvenient now. I’ll stick with petrol until chargers are far more ubiquitous, and range is better.
By not a geek on 12.16.16 9:43pm
You can plug it in at home in any outlet. Don’t know how much it would cost, but superchargers aren’t the only option
By Drew. on 12.16.16 10:29pm
musk did try the switch out battery which was quicker than refuelling. no one liked it
By cy.starkman on 12.17.16 12:08am
The fee is only incurred if you leave your car hooked up for five minutes after it’s finished charging.
By The_Vergen on 12.17.16 12:27am
Right, which means you have to return to the vehicle, or wait with it, an inconvenience either way.
By not a geek on 12.17.16 2:43am
or, have your Tesla drive itself to your location…..once it’s done charging……entirely without need of the owner, or their precious time.
It couldn’t be easier. Electric cars honestly refuel themselves overnight at your home, OR grab a quick free zap (for existing cars, free for life, worldwide at Superchargers)…..beats having to go to a fossil fuel station?
By jaywontdart on 12.17.16 7:42am
This isn’t a thing you can do right now
By dwightk on 12.21.16 8:27am
EV charging is not big problem. Is charging your phone still a big problem? Just make a habit of charging it everyday (while you sleep, if you like). Is driving to a gas station and filling up your tank still a big problem? Now you’ve got a charging station right at home, and optional stations all over the place if necessary.
People worry about EV range: it’s lower than many gas tanks, but it’s growing every year. Most people’s daily trips are well under the limit. And again, stations are all over the place. These are just things people worry about because the technology is still new.
To me, the main problem with EV right now is still: Price, performance, and quality. That’s why people are so excited about the Model 3.
By Vanon on 12.17.16 1:17am
I will spend three minutes at a gas station, not 40.
Three to four times a year I take a 300-500 mile road trip- so while range isn’t a daily problem, a trip would be impractical.
By not a geek on 12.17.16 2:49am
on a 500 mile road trip stopping once for 30-40 minutes isn’t a problem.
By theratchetnclank on 12.17.16 5:56am
Three minutes at a gas station is more than the one minute to plug in while you sleep or work. I never wait for charging because I’m doing something.
By Meatsquad on 12.17.16 9:07am
three minutes at a gas station plus the time it take you go make the trip to and from the station.
OR
three minutes to plug it in at home at night and unplug it in the morning, without incurring time to and from a gas station.
You only need to spend that 40 minutes if you’d rather save on that electricity bill at home. One would assume you’d already have factored that expenditure into your cost-benefit analysis before making the decision to purchase the car. If you haven’t, you have no one to blame but yourself.
By IamMyth on 12.17.16 10:33am