* Tesla bringing back complimentary charging at Supercharger stations
* In January, they phased out free charging after complaints of congestion at stations
* Starting this week, new owners can get access to free charging with referral code system
Last year, Tesla announced that its free charging service for owners would come to an end beginning in January 2017. Up until this year, Tesla owners were able to get complimentary charges by simply pulling into one of the Supercharger stations. But beginning in January, anyone who purchased a Tesla Model S or X was subjected to a fee of $.40/minute for using the stations.
Now, Tesla may be changing its tune. The company is offering a way for new owners to use the Supercharger stations free of charge according to a report from The Verge. Starting this Friday, Tesla drivers who bought their vehicles prior to the January 2017 deadline will be able to give up to five friends or fellow Tesla owners a referral code for unlimited and free charging at the stations.
A spokesperson for Tesla told The Verge that, “existing owners can give free, unlimited Supercharging to up to five friends by sharing their referral code.” Without a referral code, Tesla owners will be able to charge their vehicles for up to 400 kWh of power free of charge, but will have to pay the $.40 fee for each minute spent charging after the vehicle is completely charged.
Tesla implemented charging restrictions following increased complaints of congestion at stations, with some owners charging their cars for several hours despite a 40-minute time limit. Superchargers have the capacity to fully charge a vehicle in under 75 minutes and a half charge in just a half hour — half the time required to charge your vehicle using Level 1 and 2 chargers at home. So if you own a Tesla, make sure your friends do too.
