Do You Have to Pay to Charge a Tesla?

To all Tesla owners and those planning to buy Tesla car, in this article I will be answering one the common question people ask all time which is: Do you have to pay to charge a Tesla? The answer is not straight forward because it all depends on what I’m going to talk about here.

Tesla has different charging options which includes charging at home, charging at Tesla Superchargers, destination and public charging. Are they all free charging? Let’s find out.

Is Charging Tesla at Home Free?

Charging Tesla at home is not free because you will have to pay electricity bill base on your local electricity rate.

Let’s say your rate is $0.15 per kWh and you want to charge a Tesla Model 3 with a 50 kWh battery from 0 to 100% you will have to pay around $7.50. Charging at off-peak time can save you money if your utility provider offers discounts at that time.

Also note that getting a Tesla Wall Connector for your home charging is not also free, it cost around $500 and you still need to hire an electrician to do the setup for you.

If you are on budget you can go with mobile connector, most Tesla cars comes with it. The only problem with mobile connectors is that they are very slow in charging your car.

Is Charging Your Tesla At Superchargers Free?

Charging your car at Tesla Superchargers are not free. Old models purchased before 2017 may still have free unlimited charging but for new purchases, No.

Most Tesla superchargers charge per kWh. In the U.S., it costs around 25 – 50 cent per kWh depending on location and demand.

Also note that if you leave your car plugged after charged, Tesla charges idle fee to discourage people who leaves their car plugged in the station instead of moving it for other people to use chargers.

Is Destination Charging Free?

Yes, destination charging is free. Destination chargers are found in hotels, restaurants, shopping centers, etc.

They are always free for customers who are using their facilities or buying their products. However, some places may charge small fees. It might interest you to know that destination chargers are slower compared to Tesla superchargers.

If you want to make use of destination charger, I will suggest you always call or ask questions to confirm the availability and rate of chargers in the destinations you want to go to.

Are Public Charging Stations Free?

No, public charging stations like ChargePoint and EVgo does not offer free charging for your Tesla cars. They often charge per hour or kWh and prices are different. For example, what ChargePoint is charging per hour might not be same with what EVgo is charging

Is Free Charging Still a Thing?

At the early days of Tesla, they use to offer free Supercharging as promotional package but it’s no longer available.

If you remember I said earlier that old models purchased before 2017 might still be enjoying free charging. The free charging promo ended in 2017.

Meanwhile, free charging might still be available through partnerships, giveaways and referral programs. Sometimes Tesla runs limited time promotions which they offer free charging and other freebies especially in holidays and special events.

Have any questions about Tesla charging? Let me know in the comments below.