Do You Have to Pay at a Tesla Supercharging Station?
Over the years, Tesla has broken various speed records, produced the world’s fastest production vehicle accelerating from 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds, and even sent their Tesla Roadster into space, where it now orbits the Sun piloted by a test dummy known as ‘Starman.’
And when it comes to charging, Tesla has offered some very forward-thinking programs such as free public charging stations to incentivize drivers to ditch their gas-powered vehicles and switch to Tesla. But these incentive programs have seen many changes since their inception.
In 2008 Tesla’s free charging programs came with the purchase of any Tesla vehicle. However, over the years, programs became tied to the release of certain models. Some of these programs are still only accessible for models purchased in the early days of Tesla. In the following sections, we’ll take a closer look at:
- Timeline of Tesla’s Free Charging Programs
- 2008 - 2017
- 2017 - 2019
- Tesla’s Free Charging Programs By Model
- For Model 3
- For Model S
- For Models Y & X
- Where we stand today and other Considerations
Timeline of Free Tesla Charging Programs
For those who are not paying close attention to the free charging policies provided by Tesla, it might seem like every other week.
There is some news about free charging incentives becoming available or being removed. To clear up some of the confusion, we’ve put together a timeline that outlines the changes to free charging since Tesla’s start in 2008.
2008 - 2017
Between 2008 and 2016, Tesla offered a very enticing incentive program granting unlimited free charging to Tesla owners via the growing Tesla SuperCharger network.
Per Elon, this was a way to support easy long-distance travel and help minimize the apprehension some drivers expressed around the ability of an EV to meet their daily driving range needs. By 2016, Tesla removed the free Tesla Supercharging perk, stating that it wasn’t financially viable to sustain the growing base of Tesla owners.
To keep things fair, any 2016/2017 Tesla Model S purchased by the cut-off date of January 2017 would still have access to unlimited Supercharging. Unfortunately, before you head out and try to purchase a used 2016 Tesla Model S to reap the benefits of free unlimited Tesla Supercharging, Tesla limited this perk to the original owner of the vehicle. If the vehicle is resold, this feature is removed.
In removing this feature, Tesla still tried to provide Tesla owners with some access to free charging at Supercharger stations by providing the new owners with 400kwh of free Supercharging after purchasing a Tesla after January 2017.
In addition, to address some of the concerns and confusion over removing unlimited Supercharging, Tesla also offered a referral program, where anyone who refers a new buyer to Tesla would receive unlimited free Supercharging for the lifetime of the vehicle they own.
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2017 - 2019
Between 2018 and 2019, Tesla removed the unlimited free Supercharging incentive from the referral program and replaced it with a 400kwh annual free Supercharging allowance.
Following this change, Tesla again changed the incentive program to 1000 free SuperCharger miles awarded, which at times was moved to 4000 free SuperCharger miles awarded. These allotted miles had to be used over a certain period of time following the purchase of the Tesla, along with other varying parameters.
Towards the end of 2019, anyone considering purchasing a Tesla Model S or Model X was incredibly fortunate as Tesla reinstated free unlimited Supercharging for the Model S and Model X to incentivize year-end sales.
Tesla’s Free Charging Programs By Model
Since so much has changed over the past couple of years, it seemed wise to categorize Tesla charging perks by Tesla Model. The following sections outline which Tesla models can access free Tesla charging perks between 2020 and today.
Model 3 Free Charging Incentives
Towards the end of 2020, Tesla came out with a time-limited free Supercharging incentive program specifically targeted to increase the sales of the Tesla Model 3. To try and ramp up sales at the close of 2020, Tesla offered new Tesla Model 3 owners one year of free Supercharging.
The reason for this incentive program was to help Tesla reach the five hundred thousand vehicle delivery target set for the end of 2020. This promotion ran from December 12th to December 31st of 2020 and applied to all Tesla Model 3s except for the standard range Model 3, which was excluded from this promotion.
Model Y Free Charging Incentives
Just as we saw with the Model 3, Tesla added the same time-limited incentive program for the Model Y towards the end of 2020.
Between December 12th and December 31st, any newly purchased Model Y would come with one year of free Supercharging. Much like the Model 3, Tesla was looking to drive Model Y sales and contribute to a target of five hundred thousand Teslas sold by the end of 2020.
Tesla ran a year-end incentive in 2020 where purchases between Dec 12th and Dec 31st received 1 year of free Supercharging.
Model X & Model S Free Charging Incentives
As mentioned earlier, in 2019, we did see Tesla provide free indefinite Supercharging for all 2019 Model S and Model Xs. Unfortunately, you're out of luck for those currently looking to capitalize on any new free Supercharging incentives for the Model X and Model Y.
Interestingly, even amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has had a sizable impact on the economy, Tesla decided not to provide any free charging incentives for these models.
Where We Stand Today and Other Considerations
To the disappointment of many, free Supercharging incentives have been discontinued for all newly purchased models. It’s worth noting, however, that Tesla has over 4,500 Destination charging stations.
These are charging stations located in typical destinations such as hotels, restaurants, and resorts. Though these Destination charges take longer than SuperChargers, they are typically free for patrons.
Do You Have to Pay at a Tesla Supercharging Station?
No, you do not have to pay at a Tesla Supercharging station. However, there is a fee for using the Supercharger network.
The fees vary depending on the location and time of day but typically range from $0.20 - $0.40 per kWh. For more information, please see our Tesla Supercharging Rates page.
Bottom Line
Unfortunately, Tesla no longer offers free Supercharging for newly purchased vehicles. Some earlier purchased models may still have free Supercharging. If you are unsure if free charging is available to you, it’s best to contact Tesla directly.
Though it's hard to see that free charging will be available shortly, there are still ways to save money. Destination chargers are an option if you are a customer at one of the locations where these chargers are installed.
And if you're looking for cost savings related to charging at home, Optiwatt is a free app-based service that can automatically optimize your charging schedule to maximize your savings.
For those looking to gain a more detailed look at all things Tesla charging, consider reading our article, The Comprehensive Guide to Maximizing your Tesla’s Battery Efficiency and Battery Life.
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