You may not know it, but some Tesla Model S and Tesla Model X owners are entitled to free and unlimited charging at Superchargers from US manufacturers. All thanks to the old referral program. Over time, that advantage disappeared, and today Tesla is taking a drastic step to try to get rid of it.
Tesla’s referral program went through several phases, before disappearing altogether in September 2021. While some jumped at the chance to win electric Roadsters – which are still waiting – many have had a head start for years, which is just starting to come. to cost Tesla dearly: Free and unlimited Supercharging.
Then it was enough to sponsor a relative to buy a Tesla electric car, and the reward was simply enormous. But it is beginning to cost the American manufacturer dearly. For this reason, Elon Musk’s firm has taken a drastic measure to try to recover the vehicles that benefit from it.
A free Supercharge valued at $5,000
At current Supercharger prices (around 0.40 euros per kilowatt hour in France), heavy riders save big if they take advantage of free ÜberCharging. A person who drives around 20,000 kilometers a year, who charges exclusively with a Tesla Supercharger, saves about 1,600 euros a year to charge your car.
Plus, it can encourage Tesla Model S or Model X owners to drive more often, thinking they’re driving for free. Tesla understood that unlimited free Supercharging could be a problem for themand that’s why this benefit stopped at the end of 2018, with a few exceptions.
Today, it is such an advantage that many owners are reluctant to change vehicles if the current one allows them to charge for free. To try and help them take the plunge, Tesla just reached out to Tesla owners with free Supercharging. If you order a new Tesla Model S or Model X, if Tesla returns your current vehicle, will receive a surcharge of $5,000 in the estimated price as can be read on the manufacturer’s website.
Many advantages for Tesla
In other words, Tesla is willing to add $5,000 to the trade-in price of a used vehicle to make sure it doesn’t keep charging up in plain sight.. This news comes just as Elon Musk’s firm is preparing to open its Supercharger network to other brands in the United States, and the timing is probably not trivial.
In fact, Superchargers shouldn’t be too busy with people who are, in essence, costing Tesla money by charging for free, while others line up to be able to load paying the builder.
Finally, this incentive for the manufacturer to take over your current Tesla with an eye toward ordering a Tesla Model S or Model X it could also mean that sales of the brand’s flagship products are not looking good. The latest indiscretions regarding an imminent upgrade to the driving computer and in-vehicle cameras are undoubtedly partly responsible for this. For now, it’s urgent to wait, but maybe that $5,000 will convince some to take the plunge.
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