Tesla Reinstates Free Supercharging for Life on Model S
In what appears to be an effort to juice its sales figures as 2024 nears its end, Tesla is bringing back an old incentive: offering Model S buyers free Supercharging for life. There is an asterisk on that offer, but it’s nothing subversive: The offer only applies to the original buyer — and idle and congestion fees may still apply for users in high-traffic areas.
Related: Tesla Announces V4 Superchargers Coming in 2025
Tesla’s Superchargers account for more than half of all DC fast-charging plugs in the U.S., and the automaker’s charging network enjoys by far the highest customer satisfaction ratings of any provider. The downside, which makes this offer even more appealing, is that Tesla’s Level 2 Destination plugs and Superchargers are consistently the most expensive way to charge an EV. (The cost to charge an electric vehicle varies from network to network the same way that gas at the local station might be a few cents cheaper per gallon than it is at another station around the corner.)
Here We Go Again
Long ago, nearly every Tesla purchase for years included free use of Superchargers for life, but the company ended the practice in 2018. Since then, it has periodically revived the offer, but the free charging was only for a limited time, anywhere from a few months to a few years. According to EV and tech website Electrek, this is the first time since 2018 that the offer has applied for the duration of the original buyer’s ownership.
… Or it may not. The second asterisk on the offer is potentially more impactful. In addition to explicitly excluding “vehicles used for commercial purposes (like taxi, ride-share and delivery service),” the disclaimer on Tesla’s website also states, “Tesla reserves the right in its sole discretion to remove the free Supercharging from your vehicle in the event of excessive charging or unpaid fees related to Supercharging.” Were we a Tesla shopper intrigued by this offer, we’d be very curious to know how Tesla defines “excessive charging.”
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