Tesla Surprises Model S Owners With Curt Supercharger Email

Tesla Model S with Supercharger (Credit: Tesla Motors )

Like a parent scolding a child for skirting the rules, Tesla has been sending out curt emails to certain Model S owners. Their offense has been “abusing” the Supercharger network, or the ultra-fast vehicle chargers Tesla has set up in different parts of the world, allowing for drivers to travel without the fear of not having anywhere to juice up.

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Previously, basically everyone assumed that the Tesla Supercharger network are a resource that one could use without limitations. After all, Tesla has stressed in the past that vehicle owners could use the rapid chargers without incurring a fee, making it a perk for choosing a Tesla versus alternatives such as the BMW i3 or Chevrolet Volt.

Humans will be humans, and apparently in some areas the Supercharger stations are so busy there’s a significant wait to use one.

While it’s natural to assume that the Model S owners who received the email must have done something wrong, a report from electric vehicle enthusiast site Ecomento suggests otherwise. Apparently, some people who got the message are annoyed because they’ve used Superchargers only a handful of times in the past year, if at all.

The email states that the Supercharger network was established for long-distance traveling, as well as occasional local use in a pinch. Owners are asked to limit how much they visit the rapid-charge stations, as well as to move their car as soon as it’s charged so others can plug their vehicle in sooner.

If you’re not an electric vehicle owner, you probably aren’t aware that some who are act like jerks. They leave their car plugged in for far longer than necessary while they gallivant around the area partaking of libations and the local wares. This new email from Tesla is essentially teaching some manners to such people, only it seems to have erroneously been sent to some innocent individuals.

Of course, the whole vehicle charging management issue will be solved soon, thanks in part to the Terminator-like Tesla charging snake-thing. That’s the point when humans will become mere accessories of cars, and all our problems will be solved.

5 Comments

1. Steven Symes

   Sep 3, 2015 at 3:33 pm

   Later in the article I point out that some Tesla owners need to learn manners when it comes to leaving their car in a spot for too long. “Without limitations” referred to how often a Tesla owner can use a Supercharger, which many assumed was whenever, but now they’re learning that’s not the case.

   Reply
2. Steven Symes

   Sep 3, 2015 at 3:34 pm

   Tesla, like any company, isn’t perfect. It could have worded the email better, in my opinion and in the opinion of a number of Model S owners

   Reply
3. Steven Symes

   Sep 3, 2015 at 3:36 pm

   Ed, you’re right, and there will be hiccups with any new way of doing things. Still, I can see why some people who haven’t used the Superchargers much would be miffed to get such an email.

   Reply
4. kaffekup

   Sep 19, 2015 at 6:49 pm

   Suppose Tesla modifies the charger to send a text to the owner: “Your vehicle is charged; please move it, or in five minutes, we will begin draining the charge.”
   While partly a joke, I’m sure they have the capability to actually do this.

   Reply
5. kaffekup

   Sep 27, 2015 at 2:25 pm

   Have the station send a text to the owner: “Your vehicle is charged and ready. Within five minutes, we will begin discharging it. Have a nice day. “

   Reply