Idle fees apply to drivers who keep the connector plugged in after finishing a session. Here’s how you can avoid these charges at Tesla Superchargers.
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Drivers fond of keeping their EVs plugged in despite the battery level being 100 percent aren’t only preventing other consumers from accessing the connectors but exhibit poor charging etiquette. Tesla currently charges $0.50 per minute and $1 per minute when the station is at full capacity. This applies to both Tesla EVs and other EVs that use a Supercharger.
To avoid incurring the above fees, Tesla requests that “vehicles be moved from the Supercharger once fully charged.” The Tesla mobile app offers several functionalities, including the ability to help drivers monitor charging sessions. The app will send two notifications to the driver when the EV has almost completed a charge and once the battery level is full.
How Do Drivers Pay Idle Fees?
They can pay through either the vehicle’s touchscreen or their Tesla account. Drivers can view idle fees alongside the details of Supercharger sessions in the Tesla account. It’s worth noting that idle fees also attract tax and have no upper limit.
Tesla adds that vehicles still charging won’t incur idle fees as long as the session hasn’t been completed. With other electric models starting to use Superchargers, consumers must adopt a healthy charging lifestyle and that starts by disconnecting their vehicles once they finish charging.
Tesla’s network Superchargers may outmatch the likes of Electrify America and Evgo in terms of station density, but the issue of congestion isn’t invisible. While idle fees encourage drivers to free up stalls, EV owners can imbibe good behavior by leaving the station once the battery is at full charge. Doing this not only sets a worthy example for others to adopt, but it’ll improve the EV ownership experience.
Tesla recently unveiled a monthly Supercharger membership package for other EVs. Essentially, drivers of non-Tesla EVs can pay $12.99 monthly and immediately reduce the amount they pay per kilowatt hour. Doing this ensures they get charged the same as Tesla EV owners. Aside from the above advantage, there are no additional perks of subscribing to this plan. Currently, the Non-Tesla Supercharger pilot program accommodates just CCS-enabled models.