Tesla will end free access to Superchargers for new owners

Tesla Motors no longer will provide free access to its Supercharger Network to vehicle owners, the company said in a blog post today.

The 4-year-old network offers 4,600 electric vehicle chargers worldwide that can provide up to half of a charge in 20 minutes. Tesla owners have had unlimited access to the chargers for free since its introduction, however, the benefit will not be extended to cars ordered after Jan. 1, 2017.

Tesla called the update a “change to the economics of Supercharging,” allowing the company to “reinvest in the network, accelerate its growth and bring all owners, current and future, the best Supercharging experience.”

Cars ordered before the January deadline and delivered before April 1, 2017, still will have free access to Superchargers. Customers who order after Jan. 1 will receive 400 kilowatt-hours -- about 1,000 miles -- of free charging credits annually, then will pay a fee “less than the price of filling up a comparable gas car,” the company said.

In May, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said at a shareholders meeting that the upcoming Model 3 would not have free access to the Supercharger Network.