Tesla's Superchargers Are Not Free Anymore. Dealbreaker For Aspiring Tesla Owners?

If you’re looking to jump on the Tesla bandwagon and have your eyes set on the most affordable Tesla (Model 3 Standard Range Plus RWD 50 kWh), this might not be the most encouraging piece of news. Tesla has started charging owners S$0.48 per kWh for its Superchargers since 6 April. *For the "standard" Model 3's 50kWh battery pack, it will now cost S$24 for a full charge. Of course, this cost will also be incurred by owners of other Tesla models like the Model S, X and Y, but for the purpose of this study, we will focus on the most affordable version of Tesla you can buy in Singapore today, and run through the thought process of a potential “base-spec” Model 3 buyer as a result of this annoucement.

That’s not all - Tesla will also charge idle fees to “discourage” drivers from occupying the charging spot once they have been fully charged. An idle fee of 50 cents per minute will be imposed when less than half of a Supercharger station’s lots are occupied. The fee will double if all lots are occupied at the station. Fret not, you have a five-minute grace period to move your car once your car’s charge is at 100%. Will this give us more anxiety?

This does not spell bad news when we factor in the rapidly increasing popularity of Teslas in Singapore. This should prevent owners from hogging any of the Tesla Supercharger spots, currently at five locations with two in the works. We reckon that you can leave your Tesla unplugged to prevent incurring idle fees once you have a full charge, and leave it at the same lot and continue your lunch, but that would be totally irresponsible… we beg you not to practice it!

Are there more tempting alternatives if you look elsewhere? The Tesla Model 3 (Standard Range Plus RWD 50 kWh) costs around S$222k under current COE conditions, and still offers a competitive package when pitched against rivals although they are not entirely apple-to-apple comparisons. It is more practical, slots in at S$30k cheaper and offers more range than the BMW i3s. The Kia Niro EV is S$20k cheaper and has a larger 64kWh battery, but is down on horsepower and torque. The closest competitor, perhaps, will be the single motor version of the Polestar 2, which can be had for a couple of grand less than the Model 3, but packs a larger 69kWh battery and slightly more range. But it falls short of the Model 3’s horsepower and torque figures. We reckon that Tesla’s badge appeal and overall package still remains strong despite this additional out-of-pocket expense.

Now that potential Tesla buyers in Singapore might be tempted to look elsewhere more often than ever, let’s take a look at DC charging speeds for "competitors" of the Model 3 mentioned above. The BMW i3s offer a maximum charging speed of 50kW, while the Niro and Polestar 2 offer speeds of 100kW and 116kW respectively under optimal charging conditions. These pale in comparison to the Model 3’s 170kW maximum charge rate. But do they matter?

SP Group’s DC chargers are rated from 50kW to 60kW, and priced at around S$0.47/kWh, effectively rendering this solution for Model 3 owners a lot more “sensible” as a plan B if Supercharger stations are occupied (now that they are pay-per-use, with penalties if you are not punctual!). But they will still have to wait three times longer for a full charge. There are also 50kW DC fast charging options from Shell, “powered” by Greenlots. These 50kW chargers fall below the fastest possible charging rates of the Niro and Polestar 2 (and on par with the i3s). Other than benefitting from at a maximum of 170kW charging speed from a Tesla Supercharger (for the Model 3 Standard Range variant), you might not feel the "pinch" of non-Tesla ownership as much as before.

In summary, we recommend surveying your area for non Tesla-specific charging options, and shortlist two to three non-Tesla Supercharger fast charging stations that are convenient for you. Now that Tesla owners need to pay for juice, you have every right to place more emphasis on the price / convenience factor. This should not still not deter you from purchasing a Tesla. To look at it from another perspective, an aspiring Tesla 3 owner's charging alternative should now be a more relevant proposition. They should not feel discouraged if they do not utilise a Tesla Supercharger. With free rapid charging now not part of the advantage, only time will tell how Tesla Singapore’s future strategies pan out, in order to maintain its thriving sales here in this island city.

There are a couple of cool examples on Carousell if you are keen to purchase a pre-owned Tesla.

Credits: Gerald Yuen