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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 flexes its most impressive and longest Full Self-Driving demo yet

Tesla is flexing a lengthy Full Self-Driving demo from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

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tesla full self-driving demo from san francisco to los angeles
Credit: Tesla

Tesla its most impressive and longest demo of the Full Self-Driving suite, showing a zero-intervention trek from the San Francisco Bay Area to Los Angeles. The drive required no interventions from the vehicle operator, the video showed.

It also included a quick Supercharging stop about two-thirds of the way in.

Tesla has been extremely confident in the performance of the FSD suite since releasing it years ago. However, with improvements in data comprehension and storage with its neural nets, as well as a more refined Hardware system, FSD has made significant strides over the last year.

I took a Tesla Model Y weekend-long Demo Drive – Here’s what I learned

Tesla’s prowess with driving tech has established the company as one of the industry leaders.

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In a new video released on Tuesday, Tesla showed a drive of roughly 360 miles from San Francisco to Los Angeles, a trek of about six-and-a-half hours, with zero interventions using Full Self-Driving:

Full Self-Driving is not fully autonomous, but it does operate under what Tesla calls “Supervised” conditions. This means that the driver does not have to have their hands on the wheel, nor do they have to control the accelerator or brake.

Instead, Tesla’s internal cabin-facing camera tracks eye movement to ensure the driver is ready to take over at any time and is paying attention.

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The version of FSD used in this example is likely the version that the public has access to; the only differentiating factor would be the Hardware version, as older vehicles do not have HW4.

With Tesla’s Robotaxi suite in Austin operating since late June, the company stated that those vehicles are using a version that is not yet available to the public. It does not require anyone to be in the driver’s seat, which is how the vehicles are able to operate without anyone in the driver’s seat.

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Elon Musk’s new $29B Tesla stock award gets strange synopsis from governance firm

Did CGI not realize that Tesla Shareholders supported Musk being paid not once, but twice?

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elon musk speaking
Credit: TED

Elon Musk was recently awarded around $29 billion in Tesla stock as the company’s Board of Directors is attempting to get its CEO paid after his original pay package was denied twice by the Delaware Chancery Court.

But a new and strange synopsis from the Corporate Governance Institute (CGI) says the award is potentially a strength move to “endorse the will of a powerful CEO.” The problem is, in the same sentence, the firm said the new award brings up a “question of whether the board exists to steward a company in the interests of all stakeholders.”

The problem with their new analysis of Musk’s pay package is that shareholders voted twice on Musk’s original pay package of $56 billion. They voted to give Musk that sum on two separate occasions.

Musk’s original $56 billion pay package was approved by shareholders twice; once in 2018 and once again last year. Last year’s vote was in response to Delaware Chancery Court Kathaleen McCormick’s decision to revoke the “unfathomable sum” from Musk.

Shareholders still showed support for Musk getting paid. Tesla said in its new award to the CEO that this is a way to give him compensation for the first time in seven years.

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CGI said in its note (via TipRanks):

“When a board builds its strategy around a single individual, it creates a concentration risk, not just operationally, but culturally and ethically. If that individual becomes a source of volatility, the company becomes fragile by design.”

What’s strange with this type of narrative is the fact that Tesla’s valuation has skyrocketed with Musk at the helm. Go back to 2020, and the stock is up over 200 percent. Since Musk’s $56 billion pay package was introduced in 2018, shares are up well over 1,000 percent.

Tesla engineer explains why Elon Musk deserves new pay package

Musk’s 2018 pay package was also not awarded to him without performance-based incentives. He was required to reach certain growth goals, all of which were accomplished through the launch of new vehicles and the advancements of its driver-assistance suites, like Autopilot and Full Self-Driving.

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It is tough to agree with CGI’s perception of Musk’s new pay plan, especially as it is much less than what shareholders voted on twice. Musk deserves to be paid for his contributions to Tesla.

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Tesla Robotaxi is headed to New York City, but one thing is in its way

Tesla is working to hire Vehicle Operators in New York City, but the company still needs some regulatory hurdles to go through.

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tesla store in New York City
Credit: Tesla

Tesla Robotaxi will be headed to New York City, but there is one huge thing that stands in its way: approval to test autonomous vehicles.

Tesla is expanding its Robotaxi platform across the United States as it currently operates in Austin, Texas, and the Bay Area of California.

The company has also been seeking approvals in several other states, including Nevada, Arizona, and Florida.

However, the company is also working to expand to major metropolitan areas across the U.S. that it has not explicitly mentioned, as it attempts to reach CEO Elon Musk’s goal of giving half of the country’s population access to the platform by the end of the year:

It appears New York City is next on the list, according to a job posting on Tesla’s Careers website.

The company says it is hiring a Vehicle Operator for Autopilot in Flushing, New York, a section of the borough of Queens. Queens is connected to Brooklyn and Long Island, so it seems more ideal than launching in Manhattan or the Bronx, where traffic is heavy and charging is not as readily available.

Tesla’s job posting states:

“We are looking for a highly motivated self-starter to join our vehicle data collection team. As a Prototype Vehicle Operator, you will be responsible for driving an engineering vehicle for extended periods, conducting dynamic audio and camera data collection for testing and training purposes. Access to the data collected is limited to the applicable development team. This role requires a high level of flexibility, strong attention to detail, excellent driving skills, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.”

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It also lists the hours of operation as Tuesday through Saturday or Sunday through Thursday, with its three shifts listed as:

  • Day Shift: 6:00 AM – 2:30 PM or 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM
  • Afternoon Shift: 2:00 PM – 10:30 PM or 4:00 PM – 12:30 AM
  • Night Shift: 10:00 PM-6:30 AM or 12:00 AM-8:30 AM

We wouldn’t count on New York City being the next place Tesla launches Robotaxi. According to a report from CNBC, a spokesperson for the NYC Department of Transportation confirmed Tesla has not yet applied for permits that are needed to operate its ride-hailing service.

For what it’s worth, it could just be the first step in Tesla’s plans. It also has Vehicle Operator job postings in other regions. Houston, Texas, as well as Tampa, Miami, and Clermont, Florida, are all listed on Tesla’s Career postings.

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