Tesla Inc TSLA has introduced a new “congestion fee” for drivers who charge their electric vehicles beyond a certain level at ‘busy’ Supercharger stations.
What Happened: The fee currently applies only within the U.S. and aims to motivate drivers to charge just enough for their journey and increase Supercharger availability for more drivers.
This fee will supersede idle fees at certain locations. Unlike idle fees, which apply when vehicles stay connected to the charger post-full charging, congestion fees are imposed when the Supercharger is bustling and the battery level exceeds a certain threshold.
When congestion fees are applicable at a particular location, idle fees won’t be, Tesla said.
Users will be alerted via the Tesla app when the congestion fee is applicable and will receive a five-minute grace period to detach their vehicles before the fee kicks in.
The fee is now set at $1 per minute when charging over 90%. However, the EV maker hasn’t defined the threshold beyond which it deems the supercharger as “busy.” Further, there is no upper limit on the congestion fees one can accumulate.
Why It Matters: This new fee comes on the heels of Tesla opening its Superchargers to other electric vehicles, thereby leading to increased demand on the network.
Other EV makers who have signed up to access Tesla’s supercharger network include Ford, General Motors, and Rivian Automotive Inc, among several others.
This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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