Tesla notes that if both the Supercharger spot is busy and your car’s battery is over 90% charged, you will incur a $1.00 additional fee every minute it’s still plugged in after a five-minute grace period. Tesla has not specified its definition of “busy,” but users will be notified through the Tesla app if they are about to be charged.
In its site’s frequently asked questions section, Tesla notes that even customers with Supercharging credits or free Supercharging for their Tesla are not spared from congestion fees. It is also not limited to Tesla vehicles only. Any of the increasingly large amount of vehicles that can use Superchargers are eligible for congestion fees.
To justify the fees, Tesla says: “A customer would never leave a vehicle parked by the pump at a gas station, and the same thinking applies with Superchargers.” It makes sense, and the fees will likely alleviate some charging annoyances. Hopefully, the fees will encourage more charging spots to open up to those cars that need it.