Congestion charges are now in effect at some Tesla Supercharger stations in the US
Translation: Tesla says it will charge drivers an additional $1 per minute to charge their electric car batteries beyond 90%, but only when the stations are “busy.” These fees come ahead of the busiest travel period in the United States — in particular, the days before and after Thanksgiving.
The electric vehicle manufacturer did not say how busy the station would be before the congestion charge kicks in. However, the company wrote on Support page The congestion fee will replace pre-existing “idle fees” at some stations, and Tesla charges idle fees once half of the available chargers at a station are occupied, after vehicles are fully charged.
Tesla Inactivity fees “It’s just about increasing customer happiness and hopefully we’ll never make any money from it,” the page previously stated. This language is not present on the automaker’s updated support page.
As for why Tesla is imposing congestion fees, the company’s expansion plans likely have something to do with it. Tesla is opening up superchargers for electric vehicles from other automakers in order to tap federal funds through the Inflation Reduction Act. This change may help stations handle the influx of vehicles.
The company explained that people who get free charging using their Tesla are not immune to the fees.
Previous reports said that Tesla’s congestion charges would kick in after the car’s batteries reached 80% charge. Whether you’re charging an electric car or a smartphone, chargers slow down at this capacity level to prevent overheating.