Tesla has reintroduced free Supercharging for life, a long-discontinued incentive, in an effort to boost Model S sales at the end of the quarter.
Sales of the Model S and Model X have been declining for years, though tracking the exact numbers is challenging since Tesla doesn’t report deliveries by individual model, unlike most automakers.
Earlier this year, it became evident that Tesla’s strategy of bundling Model S and X sales with Cybertruck deliveries makes it difficult to determine how many of its flagship vehicles are being sold.
Some Cybertruck recalls provided insight into Tesla’s Q2 deliveries. By subtracting those numbers from Tesla’s overall reported figures, it’s estimated that Model S/X sales were around 12,000-13,000 units. This represents a decline of 31-37% compared to the same period last year.
The situation was even more challenging last quarter. Tesla reported only 22,915 deliveries for vehicles other than the Model 3 and Model Y. With an estimated 12,000-15,000 Cybertrucks delivered, Model S and Model X sales likely hit an all-time low of under 10,000 units.
Now Tesla has brought back free Supercharging for the life of the Model S. The automaker wrote on its website:
Customers who purchase or lease a new Model S are eligible for free Supercharging during your ownership of the vehicle. Order must be placed on or after December 13, 2024. Offer is tied to your Tesla Account and cannot be transferred to another vehicle, person or order, even in the case of ownership transfer. Used vehicles, business orders and vehicles used for commercial purposes (like taxi, rideshare and delivery services) are excluded from this promotion. You are still responsible for Supercharger fees, like idle and congestion fees, when applicable. Stackable with other promotions. Tesla reserves the right in its sole discretion to remove the free Supercharging from your vehicle in the event of excessive charging or unpaid fees related to Supercharging. Promotion subject to change or end at any time.
Tesla once offered free lifetime Supercharging as a perk for Model S and Model X vehicles. However, the automaker discontinued the program in 2018, citing it as unsustainable. While Tesla occasionally revived the offer as a temporary sales incentive, it was only for limited durations, ranging from a few months to a few years.
Now, for the first time in a while, Tesla has brought back free Supercharging for life. However, this time the offer is explicitly tied to the original owner or lessee of the Model S and is non-transferable. As a result, it doesn’t add resale value to the vehicle and is only as beneficial as the amount of Supercharging the individual driver uses—something that varies significantly between users.
Tesla has also clarified that this perk cannot be used for commercial purposes, such as by taxis or ridesharing services like Uber.
