Tesla's free charging at its more than 700 Supercharger stations will end in 2017 with new drivers being charged a still undisclosed amount to power up the batteries in their electric vehicles.
Wired magazine said that, as of Jan. 1, anyone ordering a Tesla will get 400 kilowatt hours of free supercharging credits per year, which should last about 1,000 driving miles. But those who have purchased Tesla vehicles before that time will continue to charge up for free, Wired noted.
"… 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," Tesla said in a blog post Monday. "All cars will continue to come standard with the onboard hardware required for Supercharging.
"We will release the details of the program later this year, and while prices may fluctuate over time and vary regionally based on the cost of electricity, our Supercharger Network will never be a profit center," Tesla continued.
The Los Angeles Times reported that with the average U.S. electricity price of 12.9 cents per kilowatt-hour, it would cost $9.68 to fully recharge a Tesla Model S with a 275-mile battery at home.
The Tesla blog stated that its goal is to expand its Supercharger Network but added there are other options for electric car buyers.
"Just as you would charge your cell phone, we believe the best way to charge your car is either at home or at work, during the hours you’re not using it," stated the Tesla blog. "For travelers, the Supercharger Network has become a powerful, unique benefit of Tesla ownership. As we approach the launch of Model 3, this update will enable us to greatly expand our Supercharger Network, providing customers with the best possible user experience and bringing sustainable transport to even more people."
Tasha Keeney, analyst for the industrial innovation fund at ARK Invest, told the Los Angeles Times that Tesla stations are used 5 to 10 percent of the day, but they are used as social gathering placed for other Tesla owners. She told the newspaper that Tesla owners charge their vehicles at home about 90 percent of time.
"(Electric vehicles) are the way forward," Keeney told the Times. "Tesla is in a really good position with 30 percent of the market. We don't see that changing."
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