Tesla Relaunches Lifetime Free Supercharging Policy to Boost Model S Sales
Tesla has reinitiated the lifetime free supercharging service for the Model S in the United States, a previously canceled policy that returns with the aim of boosting Model S sales at the end of this quarter.
In recent years, sales of the Model S and Model X have continued to decline. However, as Tesla is one of the few automakers that do not disclose specific delivery data for each model, it is difficult to track their exact sales performance.
An earlier report this year indicated that Tesla bundled the sales of its flagship models, the Model S/X, with the Cybertruck, making it challenging for outsiders to accurately gauge the actual sales of the Model S/X.
Nevertheless, the recent recall of the Cybertruck provided an opportunity to estimate its delivery volume. By subtracting the Cybertruck's delivery volume from Tesla's announced total deliveries, it is estimated that the sales of the Model S/X in the second quarter of this year were approximately 12,000-13,000 units, a year-on-year decrease of 31%-37%.
The performance in the previous quarter was even worse. Tesla reported that deliveries of models other than the Model 3 and Model Y were only 22,915 units. Considering that Tesla may have delivered between 12,000 and 15,000 Cybertrucks last quarter, the sales of the Model S and Model X may have hit a historical low, with fewer than 10,000 units sold.
Against this backdrop, Tesla has reintroduced the lifetime free supercharging service for the Model S. Tesla stated on its website:
Tesla once offered lifetime free supercharging as a standard benefit for the Model S and Model X. However, in 2018, Tesla canceled this benefit citing it as "unsustainable," although it has been briefly reinstated as a promotional measure since then. This is the first time in recent years that Tesla has offered lifetime free supercharging again.
However, it should be noted that this "lifetime" is limited to the period during which the owner owns or leases the Model S and cannot be transferred to other owners. Therefore, this benefit does not increase the vehicle's resale value, and its value depends solely on the frequency with which the owner uses the supercharging stations, which varies from person to person. Tesla also clearly stated that this offer does not apply to taxi or Uber and other ride-hailing services.
