Those that purchased their Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) vehicle before January 1st, 2017 (and takes delivery before April 1st, 2017) will be grandfathered into the current model, which allows Tesla owners to use the Supercharger Network for free.
However, those that do order the vehicle after January 1st will have some leeway, as they will receive ~1,000 miles per year of free Supercharging credits.
Bears argue it hurts the brand and will turn customers off, while bulls argue about financial savings and how it may boost sales this quarter.
Tesla will not operate the network as a “profit center.” It means they will operate at break-even, only passing along its expenses to the users. The amount of those expenses though are not yet known. This could be an important factor later if it’s indeed material to the customer.
From a business perspective, this is a good choice. They company will stop losing money on its charging network, which will help bolster the bottom line and get its finances in order.
From a customer perspective, this is obviously a loss. Charging will no longer be free and the 1,000 mile credit will only take you so far. Of course, if the cost is relatively low than perhaps this is no big deal for many – especially because they can charge at home, like most do anyway.
