Tesla slashes monthly cost of supercharger membership to £8.99 – meaning drivers get cut-price top ups at 42 sites
TESLA has slashed the cost of its monthly supercharger membership, meaning any EV driver can top up for less at 42 sites.
The US electric car company owned by Elon Musk has cut the price of membership by £2 from £10.99 a month to £8.99 in a bid to attract more drivers to use its expanding network of supercharger ultra-rapid public chargers.
As a perk of ownership, Tesla drivers get access to the supercharger network’s lower charging rates while owners of other EVs are charged at a slightly higher per kilowatt-hour of electricity dispensed.
However any EV owner can sign up to Tesla’s supercharger membership programme which gives them the same lower charging prices given to the owners of their own cars, such as the popular Tesla Model Y SUV.
An annual membership has also been introduced now, where EV drivers pay a lump sum of £90 a year, giving them a saving of around £18 over the 12 months.
Tesla currently has more than 140 supercharger sites in the UK, with 42 of those available to non-Tesla motorists and the company is expected to open up more in the future.
Those 42 sites typically offer similar rates per kilowatt-hour compared to rival chargepoint providers, with membership bringing reduced costs for those who charge up frequently.
Tesla says the reduction in membership costs would not be accompanied by an increase in the charging prices available for non-members.
The American automotive company told Auto Express it was just “welcoming more non-Tesla owners into our bubble as we expand the network”.
Tesla introduced its latest V4 supercharger to the UK in August 2023, which are all available to any EV driver, with the new version incorporating a screen displaying live pricing date and a contactless payment pad.
It features a three-metre-long cable and prices are set at 50p per kWh.
The new V4 Supercharger outputs speeds of up to 250kW – the same as the outgoing V3 model.
The new units mean drivers do not have to download the Tesla app in order to charge as with the older supercharger units and they are also in-line with the government’s latest regulations which aim to simplify EV charging.
The V4 Supercharger was first launched in Europe in Harderwijk, the Netherlands, in March.
The Sun Online has contacted Tesla for comment.
Scrap Car's tips to keep your EV healthy
- Avoid rapid chargers – these can reduce your battery’s lifespan
- Protect your car from extreme weather – severe heat or cold can drain your battery and hinder its charging capacity
- Manage your battery with regulated charging – try and keep your charge level between 20% and 80%
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