Tesla Model 3 buyers will have to pay for Supercharger access

Tesla Model 3

During the annual shareholder's meeting, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that, one of its models will not have unlimited access to the Supercharger network.

"...The Superchargers are setup, at least to date, for people who bought cars as free long-distance for life," Musk said. "Obviously, that has, fundamentally, a cost. I don't want to make this some big news headline, but the obvious thing to do is decouple that from the cost of the Model 3."

Instead of including the cost of lifetime access to Tesla's Supercharger network in the price of the vehicle, there will be optional packages for consumers to pick.

"It will still be very cheap - and far cheaper than gasoline - to drive long-distance with the Model 3, but it will not be free long distance for life unless you've purchased that package," Musk added.

While Tesla never promised to have free, lifetime charging for the Model 3, it has been included in previous models. However, Musk admitted the oddity of using Superchargers near your home.

"The best thing to do with an electric car is to charge your car where you charge your phone. Would you really take your phone to a gas station?" Musk said. "Driving to a Supercharger in order to get $5-worth of electricity and spending half an hour of your time, you're like, maybe barely at minimum wage."

Tesla has not announced the price of the access plan, though the the Model 3 starts at $35,000.

Currently, Tesla operates 632 Supercharger stations featuring a total of 3,780 chargers worldwide with an approximate 266 open in the US and another 35 either under construction or permitted for construction. Tesla vehicles can also utilize regular EV charging stations for a cost, but they do not charge a Tesla as quickly.

Source: Venture Beat

Latest in Hybrid & Electric Vehicles
Tesla Roadster 2
Tesla is still taking deposits on its long overdue Roadster, despite promising it would arrive in 2020
Citroen 2CV
The retro EV resurgence is in full swing, as Citroen confirms the iconic 2CV will return with batteries
Tesla Model 3 2025
I’ve driven the Tesla Model 3, but Elon Musk is making it hard for us all to love the brand
EV Camping
I went EV camping in a Rivian R1S, and here’s what I learned
Volvo Gaussian Splatting
Volvo is using AI-generated worlds to make its cars safer and it’s all thanks to something called Gaussian splatting
BYD Han L
BYD’s latest electric vehicle platform can add 249-miles of range in just five minutes – your move Tesla!
Latest in News
Zendesk Relate 2025
Zendesk Relate 2025 - everything you need to know as the event unfolds
Disney Plus logo with popcorn
You can finally tell Disney+ to stop bugging you about that terrible Marvel show you regret starting
Google Gemini AI
Gemini can now see your screen and judge your tabs
Girl wearing Meta Quest 3 headset interacting with a jungle playset
Latest Meta Quest 3 software beta teases a major design overhaul and VR screen sharing – and I need these updates now
Philips Hue
Philips Hue might be working on a video doorbell, and according to a new report, we just got our first look at it
Microsoft
"Another pair of eyes" - Microsoft launches all-new Security Copilot Agents to give security teams the upper hand