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Tesla’s free unlimited Supercharging ends, makes way for $100 Supercharger credit

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True to Elon Musk’s tweets on Sunday, Tesla has officially retired free unlimited Supercharging for Model S, Model X, and Model 3 Performance purchased using a referral code. In its place, Tesla has rolled out a $100 Supercharging credit for qualifying vehicles instead.

Tesla has been teasing the end of free unlimited Supercharging for around two years now, but so far, the company has been perennially extending the offer as part of its Referral Program. This has allowed the company to roll out a fleet of premium electric cars that are capable of using the Supercharger Network, arguably one of Tesla’s biggest moats (inasmuch as Elon Musk dislikes the term), for free.

In a series of updates on Sunday, Elon Musk discussed some points about free unlimited Supercharging and why Tesla is ending the program. When asked if the program would be extended to customers in countries where Tesla is yet to establish a presence, for example, Musk noted that free unlimited Supercharging is not really sustainable at this point. Musk further mentioned that the retirement of free unlimited Supercharging should have probably happened sooner.

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There is no denying that Tesla’s $100 Supercharger credit for new Model S, Model X, and Model 3 Performance purchased using a referral code carries less value than free unlimited Supercharging. That being said, Tesla’s ever-growing fleet of vehicles, augmented by the company’s intentions to ramp its production even more in the near future, means that there will soon be far more Teslas on the roads than ever before. Thus, Tesla’s decision to retire the offer does seem to be the strategic thing to do.

Contrary to competitors such as Porsche, which has explicitly noted that it would be looking to its fast-charging network as a source of revenue, the California-based electric car maker has maintained that it does not look at the Supercharger Network as a major source of profit. This is exhibited in road trips conducted using the Long Range RWD Model 3, a vehicle that does not qualify for free unlimited Supercharging.

Earlier this year, for example, a family who documented their road trip in a Long Range RWD Model 3 noted that Tesla only charged them around 24 cents per kWh (around $12 per charge) when they use the Supercharger Network, which translates to about 6 cents per mile in energy costs for approximately 200 miles of driving. In a fossil fuel-powered vehicle that averages about 26 MPG, the same trip would have cost about $23 in gas, provided that fuel was priced at $2.99 per gallon.

Overall, it is quite unfortunate to see free unlimited Supercharging go, but considering the growth of the company, the retirement of the program has been inevitable for a while now. That being said, the rest of Tesla’s Referral Program remains mostly unchanged from before.

Following is the list of perks for owners who refer their friends and family to the company.

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Model S, Model X, and Model 3 Performance: $100 Supercharging Credit

Owners can give five friends a $100 Supercharging credit with the purchase of a new Model S, Model X or Model 3 Performance.

As a thank you, starting September 17, 2018, participating owners will be eligible to receive referral awards.

1 to 2 Qualifying Referrals:

Owners can choose either of the options below for each of their first and second referrals.

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  • Signature Black Wall Connector – This matte black Wall Connector is exclusive to the Referral Program and includes an etch of Elon’s signature. This award will start shipping in July 2018.
  • Founders Series Tesla Model S for Kids – Share the Tesla experience with your kids, with this miniature drivable electric Model S – including working headlights, a sound system, and a charge port, just like yours.

3 Qualifying Referrals:

  • Early Access Token for Solar Roof – Be one of the first to get Solar Roof with this early-access token for priority scheduling of a Solar Roof installation. If you do not use this award, the token may be given to a friend.

4 Qualifying Referrals:

Owners can choose either of the options below for their fourth referral.

  • 21” Arachnid Wheels for Model S or 22” Turbine Wheels for Model X – Enhance the performance of your Tesla with these exclusive wheels.
  • One Week with Model S or Model X – Experience a new Model S or Model X for one week—at home or on the road. If you do not use this award, this exclusive test drive may be given to a friend.

5 Qualifying Referrals:

  • Tesla Unveiling Invitation – Experience an official unveiling event. Owners who reach five referral orders will be invited to a future unveiling event. Your VIP invitation will be valid for you and one guest.
  • Founders Series Powerwall 2 – Store energy for future use and provide backup power with this red, limited-production Powerwall 2 home battery.

Race an Electric Semi Truck

One winner each week will get to race a giant electric semi truck around our test track. There will be additional prizes and trophies for the best track times. Each friend who signs up for our newsletter through your referral link gets each of you an entry. Owners can track their entries and the leaderboard in the Tesla App.

Solar: 5-Year Extended Limited Warranty

Owners can give five friends a 5-year extended limited warranty on a new solar energy system installation, and will be eligible to receive referral awards.

1 to 4 Qualifying Referrals:

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Receive $400 cash or $750 in credit per each installed referral. – Credits are valid for 12 months from the referral installation date and can be used toward new Tesla products or accessories.

5 Qualifying Referrals:

Founders Series Powerwall 2 – Store energy for future use and provide backup power with this red, limited-production Powerwall 2 home battery.

Other details of Tesla’s Referral Program can be accessed here.

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Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Tesla analysts believe Musk and Trump feud will pass

Tesla CEO Elon Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump’s feud shall pass, several bulls say.

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The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
President Donald J. Trump purchases a Tesla on the South Lawn, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)

Tesla analysts are breaking down the current feud between CEO Elon Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump, as the two continue to disagree on the “Big Beautiful Bill” and its impact on the country’s national debt.

Musk, who headed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the Trump Administration, left his post in May. Soon thereafter, he and President Trump entered a very public and verbal disagreement, where things turned sour. They reconciled to an extent, and things seemed to be in the past.

However, the second disagreement between the two started on Monday, as Musk continued to push back on the “Big Beautiful Bill” that the Trump administration is attempting to sign into law. It would, by Musk’s estimation, increase spending and reverse the work DOGE did to trim the deficit.

President Trump has hinted that DOGE could be “the monster” that “eats Elon,” threatening to end the subsidies that SpaceX and Tesla receive. Musk has not been opposed to ending government subsidies for companies, including his own, as long as they are all abolished.

How Tesla could benefit from the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ that axes EV subsidies

Despite this contentious back-and-forth between the two, analysts are sharing their opinions now, and a few of the more bullish Tesla observers are convinced that this feud will pass, Trump and Musk will resolve their differences as they have before, and things will return to normal.

ARK Invest’s Cathie Wood said this morning that the feud between Musk and Trump is another example of “this too shall pass:”

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Additionally, Wedbush’s Dan Ives, in a note to investors this morning, said that the situation “will settle:”

“We believe this situation will settle and at the end of the day Musk needs Trump and Trump needs Musk given the AI Arms Race going on between the US and China. The jabs between Musk and Trump will continue as the Budget rolls through Congress but Tesla investors want Musk to focus on driving Tesla and stop this political angle…which has turned into a life of its own in a roller coaster ride since the November elections.”

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Tesla shares are down about 5 percent at 3:10 p.m. on the East Coast.

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Tesla scrambles after Musk sidekick exit, CEO takes over sales

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is reportedly overseeing sales in North America and Europe, Bloomberg reports.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla scrambled its executives around following the exit of CEO Elon Musk’s sidekick last week, Omead Afshar. Afshar was relieved of his duties as Head of Sales for both North America and Europe.

Bloomberg is reporting that Musk is now overseeing both regions for sales, according to sources familiar with the matter. Afshar left the company last week, likely due to slow sales in both markets, ending a seven-year term with the electric automaker.

Tesla’s Omead Afshar, known as Elon Musk’s right-hand man, leaves company: reports

Afshar was promoted to the role late last year as Musk was becoming more involved in the road to the White House with President Donald Trump.

Afshar, whose LinkedIn account stated he was working within the “Office of the CEO,” was known as Musk’s right-hand man for years.

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Additionally, Tom Zhu, currently the Senior Vice President of Automotive at Tesla, will oversee sales in Asia, according to the report.

It is a scramble by Tesla to get the company’s proven executives over the pain points the automaker has found halfway through the year. Sales are looking to be close to the 1.8 million vehicles the company delivered in both of the past two years.

Tesla is pivoting to pay more attention to the struggling automotive sales that it has felt over the past six months. Although it is still performing well and is the best-selling EV maker by a long way, it is struggling to find growth despite redesigning its vehicles and launching new tech and improvements within them.

The company is also looking to focus more on its deployment of autonomous tech, especially as it recently launched its Robotaxi platform in Austin just over a week ago.

Tesla officially launches Robotaxi service with no driver

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However, while this is the long-term catalyst for Tesla, sales still need some work, and it appears the company’s strategy is to put its biggest guns on its biggest problems.

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Tesla upgrades Model 3 and Model Y in China, hikes price for long-range sedan

Tesla’s long-range Model 3 now comes with a higher CLTC-rated range of 753 km (468 miles).

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Credit: Tesla China

Tesla has rolled out a series of quiet upgrades to its Model 3 and Model Y in China, enhancing range and performance for long-range variants. The updates come with a price hike for the Model 3 Long Range All-Wheel Drive, which now costs RMB 285,500 (about $39,300), up RMB 10,000 ($1,400) from the previous price.

Model 3 gets acceleration boost, extended range

Tesla’s long-range Model 3 now comes with a higher CLTC-rated range of 753 km (468 miles), up from 713 km (443 miles), and a faster 0–100 km/h acceleration time of 3.8 seconds, down from 4.4 seconds. These changes suggest that Tesla has bundled the previously optional Acceleration Boost for the Model 3, once priced at RMB 14,100 ($1,968), as a standard feature.

Delivery wait times for the long-range Model 3 have also been shortened, from 3–5 weeks to just 1–3 weeks, as per CNEV Post. No changes were made to the entry-level RWD or Performance versions, which retain their RMB 235,500 and RMB 339,500 price points, respectively. Wait times for those trims also remain at 1–3 weeks and 8–10 weeks.

Model Y range increases, pricing holds steady

The Model Y Long Range has also seen its CLTC-rated range increase from 719 km (447 miles) to 750 km (466 miles), though its price remains unchanged at RMB 313,500 ($43,759). The model maintains a 0–100 km/h time of 4.3 seconds.

Tesla also updated delivery times for the Model Y lineup. The Long Range variant now shows a wait time of 1–3 weeks, an improvement from the previous 3–5 weeks. The entry-level RWD version maintained its starting price of RMB 263,500, though its delivery window is now shorter at 2–4 weeks.

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Tesla continues to offer several purchase incentives in China, including an RMB 8,000 discount for select paint options, an RMB 8,000 insurance subsidy, and five years of interest-free financing for eligible variants.

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