One of the many unique selling points of Tesla vehicles has been cut out with its promise of free fuel for life, after the company announced that it is charging a "small fee" on its Supercharging network starting in 2017.
Following the news, any customer who orders a Tesla Model X or Model S after Jan. 1, 2017 will have to pay "a small fee" when filling up at a Supercharger station. Customers will have some annual credits, but new limitations will require payments past a certain threshold, according to Tech Times. Tesla furthers that the fee will be "less than the price of filling up a comparable gas car."
The Tesla Team explains on their official site that "For Teslas ordered after January 1, 2017, 400 kWh of free Supercharging credits (roughly 1,000 miles) will be included annually so that all owners can continue to enjoy free Supercharging during travel."
"Beyond that, there will be a small fee to Supercharge which will be charged incrementally and cost less than the price of filling up a comparable gas car," the company furthers.
The Verge reported that the change could be cause by Tesla's increment in production to 500,000 units per year in order to meet the anticipated demand for the Model 3. In charging "small fee" on its Supercharging stations, the said fees will subsidize the continued expansion of the Supercharger network.
The company emphasizes the need for this sudden change in order to greatly expand its Supercharger Network, providing customers with the best possible user experience and bringing sustainable transport to even more people.
The Superchargers allow for a full charge in about 75 minutes or a half charge in about 30 - much faster than the standard Level 1 or Level 2 chargers found around the U.S. - and Tesla has built 734 Supercharger stations (with nearly 5,000 chargers) since the network was started in 2012.
Four years ago, Tesla introduced the Supercharger Network, tagged as "the world's fastest charging solution," to enable convenient long distance travel. Today, more than 4,600 Superchargers allow over 160,000 Tesla owners to drive across the continental U.S., from the Arctic Circle to the south of Spain and across all of the population centers in China and Japan, among many other places.
Tesla's Supercharger network consists of more than 630 charging stations across the U.S., allowing owners of Tesla electric vehicles (EVs) to charge their car quickly and easily.