Last year, Tesla announced that it would start requiring payment for its Supercharging services and the details of this move have finally be announced. New owners will be charged moving forward, although those who already have the Model S or Model X in their garages will continue to benefit from free Supercharging. The fees are detailed below.
According to CNBC, only cars purchased after January 15th or delivered after April 15th will be affected. But while older cars definitely have the upper hand in this regard - frees fees all around - there is still a long-term benefit for purchasing the Model S and the Model X. These units will receive 400 kWh of free charging annually, which is good for about 1000 miles of driving. Tesla has not announced whether or not the upcoming Model 3 will be provided any amount of complimentary charging.
In excess of the free charging, fees differ per state - monetary amounts are charged either by wattage or by charging minute, as local regulations dictate. Tesla has stated that the money generated from these charging stations will not be count as profit for the company. The plan is to use the money in order to develop existing or build new Superchargers.
As Engadget notes, California residents will be charged to pay US$0.20 per kWh, but New Yorkers will be charged US$0.19 per kWh. The company provided international examples to quantify the costs. On average, a road trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles will cost about US$15, while a trip from Los Angeles to New York will cost about US$120. And in Europe, a trip from Paris to Rome will cost about EUR60, while in China, a trip from Beijing to Shanghai will require about 400 Yen.
Tesla claims that, on average, the complimentary 400 kWh should be enough for a yearly car. However, one must consider the different factors, such as idle time and traffic. A more detailed list of charges can be viewed here, but the public must wait until fees for the Model 3 are released.
