Unveiling the Economic Efficiency of Tesla Superchargers: A Comprehensive Analysis of Charging Costs, Factors, and Options

In the ever-evolving realm of automotive technology, electric vehicles (EVs) have emerged as a beacon of hope, promising a cleaner and more sustainable future for transportation. While the environmental benefits of EVs are undeniable, a common concern among potential EV buyers is the perceived higher cost of charging compared to gasoline. However, a closer examination of Tesla Superchargers, the world's largest and fastest-growing EV charging network, reveals a compelling case for their economic viability and affordability.

Summary:

Among the fast charging networks that are very successful in Europe, we find Tesla where we least expected it. Since opening its chargers to all brands of electric cars, it has gained many customers looking for the fastest charging at the lowest cost. How has the price of Tesla Supercharging evolved, and why does the brand manage to slash prices?

The image was only a fantasy not so long ago, but a reality today: dozens of Tesla Supercharger terminals occupied by electric vehicles of all brands. Since the opening of most Tesla Superchargers in France and Europe, many motorists have chosen to stop there rather than at Ionity, Fastned, or Totalenergies in particular.

Despite a location that sometimes leaves something to be desired, with an almost systematic detour necessary to connect, Tesla Supercharging stations always attract more people. One of the reasons is simple: a price that knocks out almost all the competition. Let's see how the price of Tesla Supercharging has evolved, and what explains the current price.

Tesla Superchargers are popular

Almost all Tesla owners will tell you that superchargers are a strength of the brand. Numerous, easy to use, and very reliable, they currently represent the Holy Grail of fast charging. If this observation is that of the car drivers of Elon Musk's firm, it is starting to spread quickly among the competition as well.

But how can owners of vehicles from other brands find out? If for a long time, Superchargers were reserved for Teslas, they have gradually opened up to everyone, today even becoming the norm. This is how we frequently end up with an image like the one seen below, where the majority of the 28 available terminals are occupied by all kinds of electric vehicles.

"It's crazy to think that some players in electric mobility find it enough to install 2 or 4, even 6 charging stations.

This is Vierzon at the moment (not even on the highway…)" pic.twitter.com/7YS4uYWJ9q

— Bob Jouy (@bobjouy) November 5, 2023

Peugeot e-208s, a Hyundai Ioniq 5, and even a Renault Mégane E-Tech, among others, are visible in the photo above, alongside the various Teslas on the market. The owners of these vehicles are not mistaken, because with 28 terminals available and a price well below the competition, this Vierzon Supercharger is popular.

Tesla displays a price at the time of writing of 0.42 €/kWh during peak hours and 0.33 €/kWh during off-peak hours on this Vierzon Supercharger. This price is the highest possible, namely for a non-Tesla, without a subscription. Subscribers (12.99 euros per month) or Teslas benefit from a rate of €0.31/kWh during peak hours, and €0.28/kWh during off-peak hours.

As a reminder, EDF's base rate currently is €0.23/kWh, which makes Superchargers really cheap. The fact that a subscription is offered at 12.99 euros also allows Tesla to attract customers who will remain loyal since once subscribed, you have every interest in charging as much as possible at Tesla to benefit from an attractive price.

The price of Tesla Superchargers has not always been that of today, with periods of increases or decreases without this being announced in advance. Let's take a look at how this price has evolved, and try to explain what pushed Tesla to get to this point, while other players don't bother to change their prices as frequently.

A price that fluctuates, for better and for worse

Since the end of 2022, Tesla seems to be in a hunt for customers, with a strategy of lowering Supercharging prices across Europe, while others continue to display much more expensive prices.

In this case, the three largest fast charging networks found along the highways maintain a price incomparable to that of Tesla:

• Ionity: €0.59/kWh (€0.39/kWh with subscription at €5.99/month)

• Totalenergies: €0.59/kWh

• Fastned: €0.59/kWh (€0.44/kWh with subscription at €11.99/month)

The keenest observers will notice that the non-subscription prices are exactly the same for these three giants of the sector: €0.59/kWh. At the same time, the highest tariff at Tesla is €0.43/kWh, a saving of 27%.

France pic.twitter.com/ucqxe1gxLZ

— Maik (@Electric_Maik) October 24, 2023

In the image of the post above, we can see the evolution of the price of Supercharging in Besançon (which represents the average price in France) since the end of 2022. Statistics across Europe show a comparable trend in different countries.

As you can see, at the end of 2022, Supercharging cost almost as much as a charge from one of the three players mentioned above. Since then, Tesla has wanted to attract more customers, and to do this, there is a radical solution: offering an unbeatable price.

For Tesla, which is not in an expansion phase like the others, but which already has a large established network, it is time to make its terminals profitable in the best possible way. By offering a price much lower than the competition, the American brand ensures that it attracts most electric motorists who want to preserve their wallets while traveling.

In essence, it is more profitable for Tesla to see its stations filled at 80% with a rate as low as today's, than to leave them at a much lower occupancy rate, but with a price per kilowatt hour very high. This is the strength of Tesla, which has stations with 12, 16, 20, or even 28 terminals, while others only offer 4 or 6, and are easily congested.

Last year's holiday season was a great test for Tesla's network, especially at prices crushing all the competition. It remains to be seen how long Ionity, Fastned, or Totalenergies will hold out at prices sometimes twice as high before capitulating and starting to win back customers.

The most difficult will undoubtedly be to bring in Tesla drivers, who benefit from the perfect integration of Superchargers in the route planner, in addition to an attractive price and unrivaled charging simplicity.