Superchargers have had an important role in making Teslas popular simply because they help customers deal with the issue of range anxiety which is the biggest problem an electric car owner has to face. A Tesla Model S powered by a 85 kWh battery pack takes 20 minutes for a 50 percent charge, 40 minutes for 80 percent charge and 75 minutes for 100 percent charge using a supercharger. The duration for a similar spec Model X stands at par as well. There was a time when Tesla used to give this service for free to Model S customers when the company was quite new in the business, however, customers were soon charged to avail the service.
The California based carmaker in a tweet has confirmed reintroducing the unlimited free charging scheme on the Model S and Model X. At present, Tesla owners in the US need to pay $ 0.28 (28 cents) per kWh or $ 0.13 (13 cents) to $ 0.26 (26 cents) per minute for using a supercharger. This means a full charge on a Tesla Model S through a supercharger would cost $ 19.5 which is over ₹ 1300 in Indian currency. The free charging service is available to Model S and Model X owners only while Model 3 owners will need to pay for the service.
The offer will help Tesla to sustain sales of both models alongside the Model 3 which is much more affordable. The Model S and Model X were also given an under the skin (mechanical) upgrade to boost its drive range and both models are now compatible with Tesla’s V2 superchargers which have a power range of 200 kWh.