Trade in your old Tesla for a new one, but then pay for charging.

@xguntherc

Feb 17, 2023, 12:46 pm EST
| 1 min read

In Tesla’s early days, the company offered unlimited free Supercharging to convince people to switch to electric vehicles. Those with a fancy Model S or Model X didn’t need to pay for gas or electricity. It’s a huge perk, but now it looks like Tesla wants it back.

Those with an older Model S/X can use any of Tesla’s thousands of Superchargers completely free. And while Tesla eventually stopped offering that freebie to new customers, many still take advantage of it and have yet to replace older vehicles.

In an effort to take away free charging and get those users into a newer vehicle, Tesla is offering an additional $5,000 toward a trade-in for a new EV. Several users on Reddit shared images of an email sent out to owners, and it reads:

“Current Tesla Model S or Model X owners with active unlimited free Supercharging are eligible for an additional $5,000 toward their trade-in value. To qualify, owners must trade in their Model S or Model X with unlimited free Supercharging and purchase a new Model S or Model X.”

Suppose you own an older Model S or Model X that has unlimited free Supercharging associated with it. In that case, the automaker will give you an additional $5,000 when you trade it in for a newer model. A new Model S/X doesn’t get free charging, so you’ll have to decide what’s right for you.

That said, you’ll get a nice discount on a brand-new Tesla. That’s because you’re getting what the vehicle is worth, plus an extra $5,000. While this is a decent incentive that could finally convince someone with a car that’s 8-10 years old to upgrade, it certainly won’t be for everyone.

Tesla wants to get rid of older vehicles with free charging, as the promotion only applies to those models. Not only will this help the company sell new vehicles, but it’ll increase revenue as all those trade-ins will have to start paying to charge the car.

I don’t know about you, but free charging sure is nice. However, early Model S and Model X vehicles are starting to show their age, and replacement battery packs are super expensive, so this might not be a bad deal.