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Tesla’s free unlimited Supercharging ends, makes way for $100 Supercharger credit
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.
Sorry, it’s not really sustainable at volume production & doesn’t incent optimal behavior. We probably should have ended this earlier.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 17, 2018
-->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.
-->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.
-->- 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:
-->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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News
Tesla Model Y is still China’s best-selling premium EV through October
The premium-priced SUV outpaced rivals despite a competitive field, while the Model 3 also secured an impressive position.
The Tesla Model Y led China’s top-selling pure electric vehicles in the 200,000–300,000 RMB segment through October 2025, as per Yiche data compiled from China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) figures.
The premium-priced SUV outpaced rivals despite a competitive field, while the Model 3 also secured an impressive position.
The Model Y is still unrivaled
The Model Y’s dominance shines in Yiche’s October report, topping the chart for vehicles priced between 200,000 and 300,000 RMB. With 312,331 units retailed from January through October, the all-electric crossover was China’s best-selling EV in the 200,000–300,000 RMB segment.
The Xiaomi SU7 is a strong challenger at No. 2 with 234,521 units, followed by the Tesla Model 3, which achieved 146,379 retail sales through October. The Model Y’s potentially biggest rival, the Xiaomi YU7, is currently at No. 4 with 80,855 retail units sold.
Efficiency kings
The Model 3 and Model Y recently claimed the top two spots in Autohome’s latest real-world energy-consumption test, outperforming a broad field of Chinese-market EVs under identical 120 km/h cruising conditions with 375 kg payload and fixed 24 °C cabin temperature. The Model 3 achieved 20.8 kWh/100 km while the Model Y recorded 21.8 kWh/100 km, reaffirming Tesla’s efficiency lead.
The results drew immediate attention from Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun, who publicly recognized Tesla’s advantage while pledging continued refinement for his brand’s lineup.
-->“The Xiaomi SU7’s energy consumption performance is also very good; you can take a closer look. The fact that its test results are weaker than Tesla’s is partly due to objective reasons: the Xiaomi SU7 is a C-segment car, larger and with higher specifications, making it heavier and naturally increasing energy consumption. Of course, we will continue to learn from Tesla and further optimize its energy consumption performance!” Lei Jun wrote in a post on Weibo.
Elon Musk
SpaceX’s Starship program is already bouncing back from Booster 18 fiasco
Just over a week since Booster 18 met its untimely end, SpaceX is now busy stacking Booster 19, and at a very rapid pace, too.
SpaceX is already bouncing back from the fiasco that it experienced during Starship Booster 18’s initial tests earlier this month.
Just over a week since Booster 18 met its untimely end, SpaceX is now busy stacking Booster 19, and at a very rapid pace, too.
Starship V3 Booster 19 is rising
As per Starbase watchers on X, SpaceX rolled out the fourth aft section of Booster 19 to Starbase’s MegaBay this weekend, stacking it to reach 15 rings tall with just a few sections remaining. This marks the fastest booster assembly to date at four sections in five days. This is quite impressive, and it bodes well for SpaceX’s Starship V3 program, which is expected to be a notable step up from the V2 program, which was retired after a flawless Flight 11.
Starship watcher TankWatchers noted the tempo on X, stating, “During the night the A4 section of Booster 19 rolled out to the MegaBay. With 4 sections in just 5 days, this is shaping up to be the fastest booster stack ever.” Fellow Starbase watcher TestFlight echoed the same sentiments. “Booster 19 is now 15 rings tall, with 3 aft sections remaining!” the space enthusiast wrote.
Aggressive targets despite Booster 18 fiasco
SpaceX’s V3 program encountered a speed bump earlier this month when Booster 18, just one day after rolling out into the factory, experienced a major anomaly during gas system pressure testing at SpaceX’s Massey facility in Starbase, Texas. While no propellant was loaded, no engines were installed, and no one was injured in the incident, the unexpected end of Booster 18 sparked speculation that the Starship V3 program could face delays.
-->Despite the Booster 18 fiasco, however, SpaceX announced that “Starship’s twelfth flight test remains targeted for the first quarter of 2026.” Elon Musk shared a similar timeline on X earlier this year, with the CEO stating that “ V3 is a massive upgrade from the current V2 and should be through production and testing by end of year, with heavy flight activity next year.”
Considering that Booster 19 seems to be moving through its production phases quickly, perhaps SpaceX’s Q1 2026 target for Flight 12 might indeed be more than feasible.
News
Elon Musk makes a key Tesla Optimus detail official
“Since we are naming the singular, we will also name the plural, so Optimi it is,” Musk wrote on X.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk just made a key detail about Optimus official. In a post on X, the CEO clarified some key wording about Optimus, which should help the media and the public become more familiar with the humanoid robot.
Elon Musk makes Optimus’ plural term official
Elon Musk posted a number of Optimus-related posts on X this weekend. On Saturday, he stated that Optimus would be the Von Neumann probe, a machine that could eventually be capable of replicating itself. This capability, it seems, would be the key to Tesla achieving Elon Musk’s ambitious Optimus production targets.
Amidst the conversations about Optimus on X, a user of the social media platform asked the CEO what the plural term for the humanoid robot will be. As per Musk, Tesla will be setting the plural term for Optimus since the company also decided on the robot’s singular term. “Since we are naming the singular, we will also name the plural, so Optimi it is,” Musk wrote in his reply on X.
This makes it official. For media outlets such as Teslarati, numerous Optimus bots are now called Optimi. It rolls off the tongue pretty well, too.
Optimi will be a common sight worldwide
While Musk’s comment may seem pretty mundane to some, it is actually very important. Optimus is intended to be Tesla’s highest volume product, with the CEO estimating that the humanoid robot could eventually see annual production rates in the hundreds of millions, perhaps even more. Since Optimi will be a very common sight worldwide, it is good that people can now get used to terms describing the humanoid robot.
-->During the Tesla 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting, Musk stated that the humanoid robot will see “the fastest production ramp of any product of any large complex manufactured product ever,” starting with a one-million-Optimi-per-year production line at the Fremont Factory. Giga Texas would get an even bigger Optimus production line, which should be capable of producing tens of millions of Optimi per year.
Tesla Model Y is still China’s best-selling premium EV through October
SpaceX’s Starship program is already bouncing back from Booster 18 fiasco
