Tesla Opens Supercharger Cards to Non-Tesla EV Owners From $0.22/kWh

Tesla officially announced today that its Supercharging card is now open to non-Tesla owners.

The company currently offers two tiers, with electricity rates as low as 1.5 RMB($0.22) per kWh.

Using the Model 3 as an example, the “Trial Edition” costs 79 RMB($11.6) for 50 kWh, providing up to 250 km of range, or as low as 0.32 RMB($0.04) per km. The “Unlimited Edition” costs 599 RMB($88) for 400 kWh, offering 2,000 km of range, or 0.30 RMB($0.04) per km.

It should be noted that Tesla’s Supercharger pricing follows a “regional differentiation + time-of-use peak/off-peak” model. Nationwide, Supercharger electricity rates range from 1.45 RMB(~$ 0.21)/kWh to 2.5 RMB(~$ 0.37)/kWh.

When using the charging card, however, the cost is not affected by charging time or region.

It’s important to note the usage rules differ between the two versions: The Trial Edition must be activated within 30 days of purchase and is valid for 30 days after activation. The Unlimited Edition also requires activation within 30 days, but its validity period lasts 180 days after activation.

Additionally, the charging card can only be linked to the owner’s account. Once linked, it cannot be modified, unlinked, transferred, or extended.

Data shows Tesla has deployed over 2,600 Supercharging stations and more than 13,000 Supercharging stalls across China.

In terms of charging experience, Tesla’s open stations are equipped with V3/V4 Superchargers, reaching peak power of 250kW, capable of adding about 250 km of range in as little as 15 minutes.

Notably, third-party owners should be aware of certain usage restrictions. For instance, the charging card covers only the electricity cost, not idle fees. Tesla’s Supercharger stations charge an idle fee for vehicles that do not leave within 5 minutes of charging completion: 3.2 RMB($0.47) per minute when available stalls are at or below 50%, and double that when no stalls are free.

Besides Tesla, automakers like Nio and Xpeng opened their charging networks to other brands much earlier.

In the “second half” of the new energy vehicle competition, the completeness of the charging infrastructure has become a key factor influencing consumers’ purchasing decisions. Tesla’s opening of its vast charging network is undoubtedly a major boon for consumers.