Tesla Supercharging Won't Be Free for Model 3 Owners

Breaking from a previous "free for life" policy regarding use of fast-charging stations by owners of Tesla Motors' all-electric vehicles, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said buyers of the upcoming Model 3 sedan will have to pay to use the automaker's Supercharging stations.

"The obvious thing to do is decouple [free Supercharging] from cost of Model 3," Musk said at Tesla's annual shareholders meeting. "It will still be cheap, and far cheaper than gasoline, but it won't be free unless you buy [an optional charging] package."

Musk said that Superchargers are meant for recharging while on long-distance road trips, but not for daily use if an owner were to live conveniently near a station.

"Driving to a Supercharger, and spending half an hour standing around [charging] for $5 worth of electricity is barely minimum wage,” Musk said.

Added J.B. Straubel, Tesla's chief technology officer: "It's far more convenient and efficient to recharge at home or work. If you do the math and value of time, it doesn’t make sense [to go to a Supercharger]."

Straubel pitched Tesla's "destination chargers" as a way to plan where to stop for the day when driving long distances. Tesla has already partnered with thousands of hotels, restaurants, and shopping centers to create a network of locations where owners can recharge their vehicles.

And Musk said that he has "no issue" if businesses buy destination chargers and charge people to use them.

But whereas Superchargers can provide 80 percent charge in 30 minutes, a destination charger would take four hours to perform the same task. Hence destination charging—or home charging—is more of an overnight proposal.

During the first-quarter earnings call in April, Musk had hinted that Model 3 charging might cost extra, but this is the company's first definitive statement on the issue.

At Tesla’s launch of the Model 3, Tesla CEO Elon Musk talked about the importance of quick charging: “[Supercharging] gives you freedom of travel. It means you can conveniently go when you want, where you want, and how you want...a lot about having a car is about freedom, about going where you want to go, and Superchargers are critical to that.”

But Tesla's Supercharger network already has shown signs of strain. A handful of Supercharger stations in key locations are already experiencing waiting lines, according to Tesla owner forums. Unlike owners of gas-powered cars, Tesla drivers seeing a low-charge indicator don’t have the option of driving down the road to a less-crowded station.

Already, there are forums in the EV community about the etiquette of EV charging when others are waiting—and squabbles have erupted from those waiting behind people wanting to top off. Tesla itself started a furor among owners in 2015 when it sent a chiding letter to those who—in Tesla’s opinion—too frequently availed themselves of the Supercharger network.

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