Connect with us

Lifestyle

Why Tesla’s Supercharger Credit Program is a win-win for everyone

Published

8 years ago

on

Paid access to Superchargers will likely have an imperceptible impact on most current and new owners. 400 kWh of complimentary charge or approximately 1,000 miles of road trippin’ annually will satisfy most everyday owners. Improper Supercharger etiquette is nearly as bad as ICEing. With the looming onslaught of new Tesla owners, the company had no choice but to establish a workable set of guidelines that will enable the best experience for everyone.

This was an excellent and very diplomatic move by Tesla to help mitigate local Supercharger abuse. It’s really a win-win-win for everyone involved.

  • Current owners will not be affected
  • New owners will still have some free and fair access
  • Tesla will be able to grow and maintain the charging network

Perhaps the most magical aspect of owning a Tesla is the ability to charge at home or work. You don’t have to go out of your way to find a gas station or Supercharger on a regular basis. Everyone’s habits are different, but you really only need Superchargers during an extended road trip.

Remember the numbers that were relentlessly quoted at the onset of modern EV adoption? 95% of American drivers traveled 30 miles or less every day. This is obviously well within any Tesla’s range.

Tesla offers home charging equipment that is, in many cases, unnecessarily fast at 11.5 kW and beyond. A 7.2 kW Level 2 charger can replenish roughly 22 miles of range per hour and would suffice for most owners. Why would anyone go out of their way to abuse a Supercharger, just to get a free charge when you can charge at your home for the evening and slip into your comfy pants ASAP!?

How much is your time worth anyway? Is it really worth it for someone to go out of their way to find a Supercharger, plug-in, wait, and then drive to their next destination? When all you need is to drive from point A to B, and one or both of those points has a plug waiting for you, there is no reason to add a point C.

Advertisement

This shouldn’t deter most new owners from using their Teslas for periodic longer road trips. With the complimentary 400 kWh of Supercharger use, and an expected low-cost rate thereafter, most owners will hardly notice the difference. It will still be the best and cheapest fuel alternative.

I almost want to go on an environmental tangent. A fair amount of owners already have solar installed on their homes. The Tesla solar roof will hopefully become a popular option. Superchargers to-date widely depend on grid energy that comes from the traditional mix of generation methods. Charging at home gives you greater control over your carbon footprint. If you have the option to generate your own power or purchase renewable energy, you have a social and environmental responsibility to charge at home.

Tesla’s move to paid Supercharger use will encourage better management of our resources. You will still get 400 kWh of FREE Supercharger use EVERY YEAR. You’re going to want to use that wisely. It won’t be that difficult for most owners.

Related Topics:

I have a passion for all that is clean, green, responsible and logical. Because of this, I am a big Tesla enthusiast and future owner.

Comments

Lifestyle

Elon Musk seemingly confirms Cybertruck gift to 13-year-old cancer fighter

Diagnosed in 2018 with a rare form of brain and spine cancer with no cure, the teen has undergone 13 surgeries by the time he was 12.

Published

2 months ago

on

March 6, 2025

By

Credit: Tesla

Elon Musk has seemingly confirmed that he will be sending a Tesla Cybertruck to 13-year-old Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel, a 13-year-old Houston boy fighting brain cancer. The teen was recognized as an honorary Secret Service member by U.S. President Donald Trump during his address to Congress on Tuesday. 

A Chance Meeting

The Tesla CEO’s Cybertruck pledge was mentioned during DJ’s short interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. When Collins asked the 13-year-old what he told the Tesla CEO, DJ answered that he asked for a Cybertruck.

“I said, ‘can you do me a big favor, when you get back to Houston can you send us a Cybertruck down there?’” the cancer fighter stated.

Daniel noted that Musk responded positively to his request, which was highlighted by Collins in a post on X. Musk responded to the post with a heart emoji, suggesting that he really will be sending a Cybertruck to the 13-year-old cancer fighter.

Teen’s Cancer Battle Inspires

Diagnosed in 2018 with a rare form of brain and spine cancer with no cure, Daniel has undergone 13 surgeries by the time he was 12. During his speech, Trump highlighted the 13-year-old’s long battle with his disease. 

Advertisement

“Joining us in the gallery tonight is a young man who truly loves our police. The doctors gave him five months at most to live. That was more than six years ago. Since that time, DJ and his dad have been on a quest to make his dream come true,” Trump stated.

Daniels officially received an honorary badge from U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran, to much applause during the event.

Surprisingly Partisan

While Daniels’ story has been inspiring, Trump’s focus on the 13-year-old cancer fighter has received its own fair share of criticism. MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace, while referencing Daniels’ love for law enforcement, noted that she is hoping the 13-year-old never has to defend the U.S. capitol against Trump supporters. “If he does, I hope he isn’t one of the six who loses his life to suicide,” Wallace stated.

Anti-Musk and Trump accounts on X have also thrown jokes at the cancer fighter’s honorary badge, with some dubbing the 13-year-old as a “DEI hire” that should be looked into by DOGE.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Lifestyle

Tesla owner highlights underrated benefit of FSD Supervised

Published

3 months ago

on

January 31, 2025

By

Credit: Tesla

Elon Musk has been pretty open about the idea of FSD being the difference maker for Tesla’s future.

If Tesla succeeds in achieving FSD, it could become the world’s most valuable company. If it doesn’t, then the company would not be able to reach its optimum potential.

FSD Supervised’s safety benefits:

  • But even if FSD is still not perfect today, FSD Supervised is already making a difference on the roads today.
  • This was highlighted in Tesla’s Q4 2024 Vehicle Safety Report.
  • As per Tesla, it recorded one crash for every 5.94 million miles driven in which drivers were using Autopilot technology.
  • For comparison, the most recent data available from the NHTSA and FHWA (from 2023) showed that there was one automobile crash every 702,000 miles in the United States. 

FSD user’s tale:

  • As per an FSD user’s post on social media platform X, FSD Supervised was able to help him drive a relative to a medical facility safely even if he was exhausted.
  • During the trip, the driver only had to monitor FSD Supervised’s performance to make sure the Tesla operated safely.
  • In a vehicle without FSD, such a trip with an exhausted driver would have been quite dangerous. 
  • “This morning, Tesla FSD proved to be an absolute godsend. I had to take my brother-in-law to the hospital in Sugar Land, TX, which is 40 miles away, at the ungodly hour of 4 AM. Both of us were exhausted, and he was understandably anxious about the surgery.
  • “The convenience of sending the hospital’s address directly from my iPhone to my Tesla while still inside my house, then just a single button press once inside, and 40 miles later we were precisely in front of the hospital’s admissions area.This experience really underscores just how transformative this technology can be for society,” Tesla owner JC Christopher noted in his post.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

Continue Reading

Lifestyle

Tesla Optimus “stars” in incredible fanmade action short film

Published

3 months ago

on

January 14, 2025

By

Credit: @SoKrispyMedia/YouTube

There are few things that prove an enthusiast’s love towards a company more than a dedicated short film. This was highlighted recently when YouTube’s SoKrispyMedia posted a 10-minute action movie starring Optimus, Tesla’s humanoid robot, as well as several of the company’s most iconic products. 

The video: 

  • Shot like a Hollywood action flick, the video featured a rather humorous plot involving a group of thieves that mistakenly targeted a Tesla Model 3 driver. 
  • The Model 3 driver then ended up speaking to Tesla for assistance, and some high-octane and high-speed hijinks ensued.
  • While the short film featured several Tesla products like the Model 3, Superchargers, and the Cybertruck, it is Optimus that truly stole the show.
  • Optimus served several roles in the short film, from an assistant in a Tesla office to a “robocop” enforcer that helped out the Model 3 driver.

Cool inside jokes: 

  • The best Tesla videos are those that show an in-depth knowledge of the company, and SoKrispyMedia definitely had it. 
  • From the opening scenes alone, the video immediately poked fun at TSLA traders, the large number of gray Tesla owners, and the fact that many still do not understand Superchargers.
  • The video even poked fun at Tesla’s software updates, as well as how some Tesla drivers use Autopilot or other features without reading the fine print in the company’s release notes.
  • The video ended with a tour de force of references to Elon Musk products, from the Tesla Cybertruck to the Boring Company Not-a-Flamethrower, which was released back in 2018.

Check out SoKrispyMedia’s Tesla action short film in the video below.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

Continue Reading

Trending