'Who’s Paying For This?’: Miami Woman Charges Her Tesla. Then She Checks The Bill
“I didn’t have to put my card down anywhere."
A Miami-based Tesla driver was puzzled by the car’s Supercharging costs and who was footing the bill for them. TikTok user Sabrina (@sabrinamatravolgyi) posted a clip detailing her confusion, which has accrued over 867,000 views.
She begins her video by speaking directly into the camera while seated inside her Tesla. From the onset of the clip, she poses a question: “Who’s paying for my car to be charged? Because, I mean, this is what it’s costing,” she says before flipping around her camera’s orientation.
How Much Does It Cost To Supercharge A Tesla?
Her clip then transitions to footage of her EV’s infotainment screen. The display shows various charging statistics. According to her vehicle’s settings, the Tesla’s Charge Limit has been set to max out at 80% of its battery capacity, which is recommended by EV experts, like the charging accessory manufacturer Lectron, to optimize battery health. Tesla itself advises that for daily driving, the charging threshold be set to 80% in order to mitigate battery degradation over time.
Sabrina’s video indicates that the cost to juice up her EV comes at $0.38/kWh. With a current session energy accrual of 23.778 kWh, that brings her supercharging expenditure to $9.04.
The TikToker seems confused as to how she’s being billed for the amount of energy she’s pouring into her vehicle. “I didn’t have to put my card down anywhere. Who’s paying for this?” she asks at the end of her video before rolling her eyes in front of the lens.
Tesla Charging: Automatic Billing
According to Tesla’s website, drivers are instantly “billed to the Supercharging payment method [they’ve] selected in the Tesla app.” Keying in your credit card details in the Tesla app ensures that you have a payment method for utilizing the automaker’s branded chargers. Level 2 destination chargers provided by Tesla are usually free, per Energy Sage. You’ve probably seen these units in parking lots, public spaces or in private lots owned by businesses. However, that may come with some stipulations.
Now Trending
Some shopping malls and retailers may place free-to-use destination chargers as a means of attracting consumers into their establishments, so there may be some parking restrictions or signage that indicates chargers are for customers only. Furthermore, some parking lots/garages may require payment to leave one’s car there. So if you’re looking for a not-so-super charging situation, be sure to learn more about a Level Destination 2 charging area prior to your visit.
FROM THE TRENDING NEWS DESK
Viral bits from across the social media landscape
Our team of experts tracks what's trending so you don't have to—from viral videos to online debates that have everyone talking.
Supercharging Without A Card On Your Tesla Account
The EV maker goes on to explain what happens to Tesla owners without billable cards synced to their app. “If Tesla is unable to automatically bill a stored payment method, you will be billed for any idle or congestion fees at your next Service Center visit,” the brand writes.
Other Tesla owners online have described their experiences supercharging without a card set up in their Tesla mobile app/account. Users on this Tesla Motor Clubs forum post highlighted different scenarios where this was the case. One poster mentioned that they purchased a used Tesla that came with free supercharging for life.
They expressed concern about road-tripping their vehicle back home and how they’d charge it while en route. Others on the app stated that sometimes, owner transfership on Tesla’s back end may take a few days. Despite this, however, they assured the driver they would be able to utilize superchargers.
One Tesla driver said that they, too, purchased a used Tesla and were able to supercharge for free until the Tesla’s ownership was transferred to their name. “I did exactly this. Bought a used Model S with free supercharging. I could use the superchargers fine before my car appeared in my account a week later,” one person said.
Another person said that things didn’t go so swimmingly for them. When they tried using Tesla’s supercharging network, no juice was supplied to their car. When they contacted a Tesla rep about the situation, they were instructed to use third-party chargers. That was, until their car was officially transferred to their name and added to their Tesla account.
Supercharger Retroactive Fees
EVJuicedUp further expounds on Tesla’s retroactive billing. Accounts that aren’t in good standing will display an unpaid balance amount. “Payment is automatically processed when you are done. However, the payment might not be fully complete, or additional idle fees might appear after you are finished charging. These charges then appear on your account as an ‘Unpaid Balance,’” the outlet writes.
Additionally, the website indicates that folks who’ve accrued unpaid balances may be barred from Supercharging their Tesla on their next visit. That amount must be paid before drivers are allowed to fast-charge their EVs.
However, the Tesla account application will notify drivers of an unpaid balance. Car owners can pay off any credit card balances or apply a credit/debit card to their Tesla mobile account to remedy this issue.
Commenters Sound Off
Users who replied to Sabrina’s video stated that utilizing a Supercharger without an active card on an account is not possible. Presumably, this would be the TikToker, or if she’s driving someone else’s car, the person who owns it. Furthermore, one user offered up several different scenarios that could lead to her not being personally charged for the Supercharging session displayed in her TikTok.
“If it’s secondhand, it’s the previous owner. If it’s new, someone in your household set up an account and connected it to a card. The charge won’t start without payment,” they wrote. The user said that after they purchased a used Tesla, their first Supercharging sessions were actually billed to the car’s prior owner. “The previous owner of our old Tesla … paid for 3 charges for us,” they said.
InsideEVs has reached out to Sabrina via TikTok comment for further information.
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
Tesla’s Model Y Price Bump Makes The Ioniq 5 And Mustang Mach-E Look Better Than Ever
Mercedes-Benz's Most Advanced EV Yet Has A New Kind Of Motor And 600 kW Charging
This Supercharger Extension Cable Promises To Fix A Big Pain Point, But Falls Short: Expert
The Skoda Epiq Is Europe’s Big Small Electric SUV
Absurdly Fast EV Chargers Are Coming To America, But Cars Aren't Ready
ChargePoint Wants To Fix The Condo EV Charging Problem With 2,500 New Ports
Tesla Is Now Testing A Virtual Waitlist For Superchargers