News
Why are Tesla Superchargers Only for Long-distance Travel?
Before going on vacation around July 4th holiday, PlugInsights sent a short survey to me with questions about Tesla supercharging procedures and also about recent comments by Elon Musk. About half way into the short survey, it delves into Elon Musk’s supercharging “overuse” comment regarding some daily Tesla commuters relying on the free charging stations in southern California.
My first thought, this again. Musk’s comments made some waves last month but why dredge this issue to the surface in the form of a survey from PlugInsights, a division of RECARGO.
Is something afoot at Tesla? Why is the company worried enough to conduct a survey about this topic and especially Musk’s comments at the annual shareholders meeting. One question from the survey actually discusses the actual comments by Musk. “Before today, were you aware that Mr. Musk recently made these statements?”
Below are Musk’s comments at the recent annual shareholders meeting held in June:
(paraphrased via the survey)…”that superchargers are meant for free, long-distance travel” and “that drivers who aggressively use the network for local charging may receive an email reminder that it’s ‘cool to do this occasionally but it’s meant for a long-distance thing.’
So why did Elon Musk comment on this relatively small issue? Ashley Vance recent biography on Elon Musk points out that Musk usually doesn’t get involved in PR, unless an issue threatens one of his companies. So how could this threaten Tesla Motors? My speculation is the very real possibility of battery capacity loss and drastically reduced range with multiple instances of DC fast-charging on a daily basis.
Could these patterns lead to drastically reduced battery packs ranges by year three or four of ownership and possibly lead to Tesla replacing a lot of battery packs, due to their warranty coverage?
My speculation centers around 120 kW of DC energy flowing into the battery pack on a daily basis. Did Tesla test battery packs for multiple, daily DC-charging usage? Maybe not.
Musk mentioned at the annual shareholder meeting that fast charging was intended for destination traveling and implied it wasn’t for daily use by commuters.
The Idaho National laboratory conducted a study on DC fast-charging and its effects on battery packs some years ago and released findings in 2014. Using 2012 Nissan Leafs, the study compared the effects of different types of charging: level 2 charging (3.3 kW) and DC fast-charging (50 kW).
The study revealed after 40,000 miles of testing that there was little loss of initial capacity and that the DC-fast charging battery pack had only lost 3 percent more than the other Nissan Leaf using level 2 battery charging.
However, Tesla Superchargers are dishing out 120 kW DC versus the Idaho study of 50 kW, more than 2x the amount of electricity coming into battery pack. That’s a lot stress on the battery management system to keep heat levels down, plus these car owners are supercharging daily, maybe doing it twice a day?
Many automakers have said that DC fast charging is fine on the battery pack, as long as it’s not done excessively. It seems twice a day could be considered excessive and cause concern for Tesla execs. This could be leading up to some proviso with excessive supercharging and the battery pack warranty, hence the PlugInsights survey on usage and expectations.
What about you, any other thoughts on why this is such an issue for Tesla?
** My other mild theory is Tesla’s rising electricity costs for owners employing supercharging only mode. The results of PlughInsights survey showed that 26% of Model S owners polled have used Tesla Superchargers as a free local alternative to home charging.
News
Tesla Model X lost 400 pounds thanks to these changes
The Tesla Model X has always been one of the company’s most loved vehicles, despite its low sales figures, which can be attributed to its high price tag.
However, the Model X has been a signature item on Tesla’s menu of cars, most notably recognized by its Falcon Wing Doors, which are aware of its surroundings and open according to what’s around it.
But recent improvements to the Model X were looking slim to none, but it appears most of the fixes actually happened under the body, at least according to Tesla’s Vice President of Powertrain, Lars Moravy.
In a recent interview with Car and Driver, Moravy detailed all of the changes to the 2026 iteration of the vehicle, which was about 400 pounds lighter than it was originally. The biggest change is a modification with the rear motor, switching from an induction-type motor to a permanent-magnet design and optimizing the half-shafts, which shed about 100 pounds.
Tesla also got “almost 80 pounds out of the interior bits and pieces,” which “included making parts thinner, different manufacturing process choices, and incorporating airbag-deployment requirements into the headliner fabric,” the report said.
Additionally, the standard five-passenger, bench seat configuration saved 50 pounds by ditching pedestal mounting. This also helped with practicality, as it helped the seat fold flat. Engineers at Tesla also saved 44 pounds from the high-voltage wiring through optimizing the wiring from the charge-port DC/DC converter and switching from copper to aluminum wiring.
Tesla makes a decision on the future of its flagship Model S and Model X
Tesla also simplified the cooling system by reducing the number of radiators. It also incorporated Nürburgring cooling requirements for the Plaid variant, which saved nearly 30 pounds.
Many Tesla fans will be familiar with the megacastings, manufactured in-house by presses from IDRA, which also saves more than 20 pounds and boosts torsional stiffness by around 10 percent. Tweaks to the suspension also saved 10 pounds.
People were truly disappointed with what Tesla did with the Model S and Model X, arguing that the cars needed a more severe exterior overhaul, which might be true. However, Tesla really did a lot to reduce the weight of the vehicle, which helps increase range and efficiency. According to Grok, every 200 pounds removed adds between 7 and 15 percent to range estimations.
This makes sense considering the range estimations both increased by 7 percent from the Model X’s 2025 configuration to the 2026 builds. Range increased on the All-Wheel-Drive trim from 329 miles to 352 miles, while the Plaid went from 314 miles to 335 miles.
News
Tesla launches its new branded Supercharger for Business with first active station
Tesla has officially launched its first branded Supercharger just months after initiating a new program that allows third-party companies to brand their own charging piles.
The site opened in Land O’ Lakes, Florida, and features eight V4 Supercharging stalls offering up to 325 kW of charging speed. It appears it was purchased by a company called Suncoast Credit Union. This particular branch is located Northeast of Tampa, which is on the Gulf of Mexico.
It features graphics of Florida animals, like alligators:
Here’s a video of the graphics being installed on the Tesla Superchargers at this site: https://t.co/oIfEPNZjAH pic.twitter.com/ENWakZ2qT9
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 20, 2025
Tesla launched this program back in September, and it basically was a way to expand its Supercharger presence and also allow companies to pay for the infrastructure. Tesla maintains it. When it announced the “Supercharger for Business,” it said:
“Purchase and install Superchargers at your business. Superchargers are compatible with all electric vehicles, bringing EV drivers to your business by offering convenient, reliable charging.”
The program does a few things. Initially, it expands EV charging infrastructure and makes charging solutions more readily available for drivers. It can also attract people to those businesses specifically.
Tesla launches new Supercharger program that business owners will love
The chargers can also be branded with any logo that the business chooses, which makes them more personalized and also acts as an advertisement.
The best part is that the customers do not have to maintain anything about the Supercharger. Tesla still takes care of it and resolves any issues:
“We treat your site like we treat our sites. By providing you with a full-service package that includes network operations, preventative maintenance, and driver support, we’re able to guarantee 97% uptime–the highest in the industry.”
It appears the Superchargers will also appear within the in-car nav during routing, so they’ll be publicly available to anyone who needs to use them. They are still available to all EVs that have worked with Tesla to utilize its infrastructure, and they are not restricted to people who are only visiting the business.
Cybertruck
Tesla reveals its Cybertruck light bar installation fix
Tesla has revealed its Cybertruck light bar installation fix after a recall exposed a serious issue with the accessory.
Tesla and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) initiated a recall of 6,197 Cybertrucks back in October to resolve an issue with the Cybertruck light bar accessory. It was an issue with the adhesive that was provided by a Romanian company called Hella Romania S.R.L.
Tesla recalls 6,197 Cybertrucks for light bar adhesive issue
The issue was with the primer quality, as the recall report from the NHTSA had stated the light bar had “inadvertently attached to the windshield using the incorrect surface primer.”
Instead of trying to adhere the light bar to the Cybertruck with an adhesive, Tesla is now going to attach it with a bracketing system, which will physically mount it to the vehicle instead of relying on adhesive strips or glue.
Tesla outlines this in its new Service Bulletin, labeled SB-25-90-001, (spotted by Not a Tesla App) where it shows the light bar will be remounted more securely:
The entire process will take a few hours, but it can be completed by the Mobile Service techs, so if you have a Cybertruck that needs a light bar adjustment, it can be done without taking the vehicle to the Service Center for repair.
However, the repair will only happen if there is no delamination or damage present; then Tesla could “retrofit the service-installed optional off-road light bar accessory with a positive mechanical attachment.”
The company said it would repair the light bar at no charge to customers. The light bar issue was one that did not result in any accidents or injuries, according to the NHTSA’s report.
This was the third recall on Cybertruck this year, as one was highlighted in March for exterior trim panels detaching during operation. Another had to do with front parking lights being too bright, which was fixed with an Over-the-Air update last month.


