Tesla’s Supercharger Network Now More Costly Than Filling Up Car With Gasoline

Recharging your Tesla using the company’s Supercharger network has now become more costly than fuelling up a gasoline-powered car in Australia, despite the company’s claims on its website.

According to a recent report by Australian-based WhichCar, it has now become more expensive to recharge a Tesla using Australia’s Supercharger network than it is to fill up a gasoline-powered vehicle at a gas station. The alarming news surfaced following a recent price increase to use the Superchargers, as well as allegedly incorrect calculations regarding fuel figures on Tesla’s website.

According to Tesla’s claims on its website, it costs $7 per 100km to charge a Model 3 using the Supercharger network in Australia, versus paying $12 per 100 km for a rival gasoline-powered vehicle. However, WhichCar had found that Tesla used several incorrect figures including, “how much electricity a Tesla Model 3 uses, the cost of electricity at a Tesla Supercharger and the price of petrol.” The report also took into account Tesla’s recent price increase for its Supercharger to $0.52 per kilowatt-hour, which even if one was to recharge the Model 3 Standard Range, the most efficient car from the Tesla line, it would still cost $9.78 per 100 km at a Supercharger.

In comparison, it costs $8 per 100km to fill up a BMW 330i, whilst taking into account Australia’s average cost of $1.38 for premium unleaded. Indeed, mileage for the BMW is 5.8 litres per 100km, which is significantly lower than Tesla’s estimates of 7 litres per 100km. Therefore, it is still a whopping 18% less expensive to fill up a BMW 330i than it is to recharge a Tesla at a Supercharger.

However, taking the same calculations into consideration when comparing a Tesla to a hybrid-powered Lexus IS300h, the difference is even more eye opening. It costs 31% less money to power a Lexus than it does a Tesla that has been charged using the Supercharger! It is also worth mentioning that when Tesla first unveiled its Supercharger network, Elon Musk eagerly lured consumers into the world of electric vehicles with “free electricity and charging”. However, it appears that the “there is no such thing as a free lunch” rule quickly forced Tesla to run face first into a reality check, prompting the $400 billion+ market cap company to start charging for the service.

Information for this briefing was found via WhichCar. The author has no securities or affiliations related to this organization. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.