Tesla car owners may remember that their purchase came with a mobile connector bundled with an adapter allowing them to charge their cars from their household outlets. The connector and adapter coming with the car are a handy and practical offer that helps Tesla owners charge their vehicles wherever they go.
However, this offer is no longer available to future Tesla customers.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently confirmed on his Twitter account that the mobile connector bundle would no longer be included in new Tesla car purchases.
The company will sell the mobile connector separately with a $200 price tag.
Tesla Mobile Connector Bundle Discontinuation Details
According to a report from The Verge, Twitter user Tesla Adri tweeted on April 17 that Tesla updated its website to change the mobile connector's status from being bundled with new Tesla car purchases to being separately sold for $400.
The update looked like a mistake at first glance as the website used a Gen 2 mobile connector bundle but showed the price for a $400 Gen 1 (level 2) bundle.
This same bundle is also available for purchase separately.
Further observation showed that the Gen 2 charger is likely the one being offered to Tesla car customers on new purchases.
Musk later addressed the situation in a reply to Whole Mars Catalog's tweet regarding the matter, saying that the mobile connector's usage statistics were super low, which seemed wasteful, in his opinion.
He also added that Tesla would include more plug adapters with the mobile connector kit due to it no longer being bundled with Tesla cars.
The low usage statistic is attributed to Tesla car owners choosing to install a NEMA 14-50 outlet and use the mobile connector with the NEMA 14-50 adapter for all their charging needs.
On the other hand, using only the mobile connector to charge a Tesla vehicle will only replenish about three to five miles of driving range for every hour of charging, per Inside EVs.
Tesla's CEO would later give a clearer update regarding the mobile connector kit on his Twitter account, saying that the company will no longer bundle the mobile connector with new car purchases "based on feedback received." He also added that Tesla would drop the mobile connector's price to $200 and make it easy to order with the car.
Tesla Owners' Reaction To Mobile Connector Kit Unbundling
Tesla car owners were not ecstatic with Musk's decision to unbundle the mobile connector from new Tesla purchases.
Although the mobile connector isn't a necessity, some drivers say it provides a reliable backup while traveling, becoming invaluable at campsites or when traveling in an area without a charging station.
Other drivers, such as Twitter users Tezler and His & Hers Tesla, have also said to view the mobile connector as a much cheaper alternative to the expansive wall chargers Tesla currently offers.
Currently, both Gen 1 and Gen 2 mobile adapters are out of stock, and it isn't clear when fresh stock would be available for purchase. It is also unclear if a supply chain shortage is affecting Tesla's decision on unbundling the mobile connector.
