Tesla’s New Supercharger Congestion Fee: What You Need to Know

Tesla has announced a new congestion fee system at certain Supercharging locations, replacing the previous idle fees. This change aims to improve the availability and efficiency of Supercharger stations. The company has shared a new FAQ on its website detailing these new congestion fees, but we’ve extracted the important points on what you need to know.

These new congestion fees come as Tesla’s Superchargers are slowly expanding to allow non-EVs to charge at select sites with Magic Dock adapters. Here we go…

Congestion Fee Details:

• When It Applies: The congestion fee is charged when a Supercharger station is busy, and a vehicle’s battery charge is above a specified level.
• Notification System: Tesla drivers will receive an alert in the Tesla app if they meet the criteria for congestion fees during their Supercharging session. Congestion fee levels will be shown on your car’s touchscreen.
• Grace Period: Drivers have a five-minute grace period to disconnect their vehicle and leave the Supercharger before the congestion fees apply.
• Fee Structure: After the grace period, a fee of $1.00 per minute is charged in the United States when the battery charge is 90% or above. So far, only the U.S. is listed on Tesla’s website for these congestion fees.
• No Upper Limit: There is no cap on the amount of congestion or idle fees that may accrue.

Purpose of the Fee: The congestion fee encourages drivers to charge their vehicles only as much as needed for their trip, rather than to full capacity. This policy aims to increase the availability of Superchargers for all users.

Applicability and Exceptions:

• All Vehicles: All Tesla vehicles can incur idle or congestion fees at Supercharger stations.
• Active Charging: Congestion fees apply even while the vehicle is actively Supercharging, once it surpasses the designated charge level.
• Idle vs. Congestion Fees: Only one type of fee applies at a time; if congestion fees are in place, idle fees do not apply, and vice versa.
• Free Supercharging: Vehicles with free Supercharging are subject to congestion fees once charging is complete.
• Supercharging Credits: Vehicles with Supercharging credits can also be charged congestion fees.
• Destination Charging Locations: Idle or congestion fees do not apply to Destination Charging locations.

Monitoring Fees: Drivers can monitor Supercharger session details, including any congestion fees incurred, through the Tesla app.

This new fee structure is part of Tesla’s ongoing efforts to optimize the Supercharging experience and ensure availability for drivers when needed.

Back in October, Tesla hacker @greentheonly first discovered evidence of congestion fees, within the company’s 2023.38 software update.