- Tesla introduced again free lifetime Supercharging for the Mannequin S
- It additionally elevated the worth of the automotive by $5,000
- We do some math to see if the promotion is value it, given the current worth hike
Tesla is basically pushing the Mannequin S laborious this vacation season. Whereas the automotive has by no means been a quantity vendor just like the Mannequin 3 and Mannequin Y, it is Tesla’s OG luxurious sedan—and a formidable one at that. However an increasing number of competitors for luxurious EVs has entered the market over the previous few years, and Tesla’s take-rate is down by an estimated 30% or extra. That signifies that promoting prospects on the Mannequin S over rivals has been extra of a chore for Tesla than earlier than.
Lately, Tesla determined to tug the gloves off and use its greatest asset to its benefit: the Supercharging community. Tesla dug deep into its outdated playbooks and revived the limitless lifetime Supercharging perk, which signifies that the client of a brand new Mannequin S would get—you guessed it—free limitless Supercharging for so long as they personal the Mannequin S. However earlier than Tesla did that, it additionally raised the worth of the Mannequin S from $74,990 to $79,990 ($5,000) late final week. That makes us surprise: is the deal actually nearly as good because it sounds?
To determine it out, we did some primary serviette math. Earlier than we dig into the numbers, we have to know simply how environment friendly the Mannequin S is (not less than on paper). The EPA effectivity of the 2024 Tesla Mannequin S All Wheel Drive is 3.6 miles per kilowatt-hour. The Mannequin S Plaid with 21-inch wheels is much less environment friendly at 2.8 miles/kWh.
The U.S. Division of Vitality estimates that 86% of EV homeowners have entry to a house charger. Of these homeowners, the company estimates that roughly 80% of all charging is carried out at residence. my very own charging stats for the previous 12 months, 83% of my charging was carried out at residence—so let’s assume the DoE’s figures are appropriate.
The Federal Freeway Administration says that the typical driver places round 13,476 miles on their automotive annually (https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/onh00/bar8.htm), which signifies that the typical Mannequin S would use round 3,743 kWh of electrical energy. Solely 749 kWh of that vitality could be from Supercharging, in line with the DoE’s figures.
Tesla does not record its common base charge for Supercharging, however a fast go searching its map has charges starting from $0.25 to $0.60 per kWh. Let’s common that out to $0.43/kWh. For 749 kWh of electrical energy, the typical proprietor would spend round $322 per 12 months on Supercharging. Which means that it might take 15.5 years of driving to completely understand the $5,000 price hike with the lifetime of free Supercharging. Something after that might be a web optimistic, so long as you do not take depreciation under consideration.
Now, let’s discuss that in miles. For the drivers who adhere to the 80-20 charging break up and journey the nationwide common, the price financial savings begin to kick in when the automotive hits round 210,000 miles on the odometer. Can a Mannequin S try this? Certain—and then some. However the true worth right here is for these 14%-ers who haven’t got entry to charging at residence. That $5,000 worth hike begins to pay for itself in simply 42,000 miles of Supercharger-only driving.
Now, positive, there are going to be some people who resolve that they’re going to use this perk to solely Supercharge their automotive. Based on the DoE’s projections, that would account for as a lot as 14% of homeowners proper off the bat. If these homeowners would cost all 3,743 kWh from Superchargers, it might imply a financial savings of round $1,610 per 12 months, which achieves cost-neutrality in simply over three years. Over the identical size of 15.5 years, somebody who costs their 2024 Mannequin S AWD would have a financial savings of round $19,950 after the $5,000 worth hike.
So, is it value it? Nicely, that is so that you can resolve. Should you’ve been a Mannequin S and do not thoughts paying the additional worth for the limitless Supercharging trade-off, then, positive. However be warned: limitless Supercharging is certain solely to that car below one particular person’s account, so it will not switch with the sale of the car. It additionally does not embody idle charges or congestion charges and Tesla says it may revoke free Supercharging “within the occasion of extreme charging”—so possibly do not hinge making your complete automotive cost on driving for Uber or Lyft.
