Tesla is bringing back free Supercharging for new Model 3 Premium and Performance orders in North America, bundling one year of complimentary charging with new purchases.
The automaker also used the announcement to take a shot at non-Tesla EV owners using the Supercharger network, claiming they pay a “~40% premium” — but the actual figure is closer to 30-35% based on available data.
Free Supercharging returns for Model 3
Tesla North America announced the new incentive on X today, confirming that new orders of Model 3 Premium and Performance now come with one year of free Supercharging.
The move is the latest in a long series of free Supercharging offers Tesla has deployed over the years to boost sales. The automaker has previously offered free Supercharging on Model S and Model X as part of the Luxe Package, and has used similar incentives for inventory vehicles and trade-in promotions.
Notably, this new offer applies to custom orders — not just inventory — and is limited to the higher-trim Model 3 Premium and Performance variants, not the base Model 3.
Tesla’s non-Tesla pricing claim doesn’t quite add up
In the same announcement, Tesla claimed that “all Teslas pay the lowest Supercharging rates” and that non-Tesla EVs pay a “~40% premium or need a subscription.”
The ~40% figure is on the high end of what data supports. Our analysis found that the non-Tesla Supercharger premium sits at about 30-35%, with some variation depending on location and time of day. At peak hours in high-cost markets like Los Angeles, the premium can reach 35-37% — with non-members paying about $0.60/kWh versus $0.45/kWh for Tesla owners. During off-peak hours, the gap narrows to as low as 23%.
Non-Tesla EV owners can eliminate this gap entirely with a $12.99/month Supercharging Membership, which grants them the same per-kWh rates as Tesla vehicles. The membership pays for itself with roughly 80-100 kWh of charging per month, depending on location.
This pricing structure has been in place since Tesla first opened the Supercharger network to non-Tesla EVs in 2023. It’s not new — but Tesla actively highlighting it in marketing is.
Supercharger pricing has been a rollercoaster
Tesla’s Supercharger rates have fluctuated significantly over the past few years. In 2022, prices spiked to $0.50/kWh and above in California and across Europe as energy costs surged. Tesla then implemented a price reduction in late 2024 of roughly 7% as the network hit all-time utilization highs.
Today, most US Supercharger stations sit in the $0.30-0.45/kWh range, with high-demand areas reaching $0.50-0.60+ at peak. Tesla has also rolled out dynamic live pricing — launched as a pilot at about 10 California stations in May 2025 and since expanded to 550+ stations — that adjusts rates based on real-time utilization rather than fixed peak/off-peak schedules.
Author: Fred Lambert
Source: Electrek
Reviewed By: Editorial Team
