Tesla Fixes Free Supercharging Confusion with New Navigation Filter

Image: Tesla

Tesla has introduced a new software feature to help owners with Free Supercharging avoid unexpected bills at third-party stations. The update follows reports from owners who were surprised to find that their lifetime charging perks don’t always apply to Superchargers owned and operated by businesses like Wawa.

The confusion stems from Tesla’s Supercharger for Business program, where companies can purchase and brand their own Supercharger stalls. While these stations look and act like standard Tesla chargers, the host business sets the pricing, meaning Tesla’s free credits often don’t cover the cost.

One Cybertruck owner recently shared their experience last month after stopping at a Wawa-owned site. “We didn’t know how that would work with our free supercharging,” they noted. “We didn’t get charged but then I noticed this message in the app. The first one is on them, from now on I pay for 3rd party.”

Tesla Charging responded to the feedback today by rolling out a dedicated toggle in the vehicle’s navigation settings. The new feature, titled “Only Add Superchargers Accepting Free Supercharging,” ensures the Trip Planner exclusively routes drivers to Tesla-owned sites where their perks are guaranteed to work.

“We’ve now also made it easy for customers with free supercharging to only be routed to Tesla Superchargers,” the company stated. No word on which software update includes this new feature. It could be the new Spring Update which is rolling out now.

The update isn’t just for those with free credits; Tesla noted the routing options are “also available for customers without free supercharging” who may simply prefer charging at official Tesla locations. To use the filter, vehicles must have Online Routing enabled and an active connectivity plan.