Gone are the days of unlimited free supercharging for as long as you own your Tesla. The company implemented these early programs to incentivize and encourage early adopters to use the superchargers as well as to promote the company. So what is the deal now? How long do the supercharger referral miles last?
Tesla Supercharger miles on all Teslas will not last forever and will expire after 6 months. If you used up the supercharger miles beforehand, the next referral will reset to the next 6 months. You can view the expiration date of your Supercharger miles on the Loot Box on your Tesla Mobile app.
Check out the rest of the article to get some additional background, which will give you a clearer understanding of Tesla’s business decisions.
What to Know About Tesla Supercharger Miles
Tesla supercharger miles earned through a referral link expire six months after they’re issued. The miles are applied to your loot box within the Tesla app, and the expiration date appears underneath the display of how many free Supercharger miles you have left.
Many users were disappointed with this expiration date, as the coronavirus pandemic kept many people at home instead of cruising around in their Teslas.
Superchargers are designed to charge Teslas quickly so you can get back to driving. To charge, all users need to do is plug the charging connector into the charge port on their vehicle. Then, you can relax, grab some road trip snacks, or do whatever else you’d like while monitoring your charge status with the Tesla app.
Speaking of which, I wrote a related article where I asked the question: “Why Can’t I Charge My Tesla to 100%?” I gave some interesting reasons and solutions. Check it out when you’re done reading!
The app also tells you how much charge you’ll need to get to the next Supercharger, so you don’t necessarily need to charge to 100% every time.
The Trip Planner programmed in all Teslas can inform you where Supercharger stations are on the road. Nearly all of these stations are open 24 hours a day, and if they’re not, this will be indicated on the Trip Planner.
Tesla owners are either charged per kilowatt-hour or by the minute. Payment is processed in your Tesla account. If you do have free Supercharger miles, this is indicated in your Tesla account, and you won’t be charged.
The following video explains how to use your free Supercharger miles:
Extending Tesla Supercharger Miles
It is not possible to extend Supercharger miles obtained from the referral program. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, Tesla extended the expiration date by one month, and many Tesla users felt like this was not enough.
However, many Tesla users also overestimate the value of these miles. One thousand miles (1,609 km) of supercharging costs approximately $50, which is certainly not nothing, but it also isn’t a devastating amount to let go of if you cannot use your free Supercharger miles.
Some users have tried to get an extension on their miles by speaking to Tesla Customer Support but were unsuccessful in extending the deadline. Believe it or not, Tesla isn’t super inclined to ensure that their users get free miles.
The End of Tesla’s Referral Program
Before September 2021, Tesla’s referral program rewarded those who promoted their vehicles and those who purchased their vehicles with 1,000 free Supercharger miles (1,609 km) if someone purchased a Tesla through their referral.
This program was intended to get their user base to promote and market their products without spending on advertising themselves.
CEO Elon Musk claims that the referral program had to end because supporting the program added to the cost of the Model 3 Tesla.
As of September 18, 2021, vehicles were no longer eligible for Supercharger mile rewards. Currently, solar roof and solar panel products are eligible for referral rewards. If someone uses your referral code for these products, you’ll receive $300 for solar panels and $500 for a solar roof.
Tesla’s Referral Program Timeline
The below timeline outlines what Tesla’s referral program rewards were throughout its history, so readers can understand how free Supercharger miles came to be. Let’s take a look at the history of Tesla’s referral program:
Solar Panel Comeback!
Solar panels are added back to the referral program, with a $300 reward for referrers and buyers.
End of referral program
The referral program ends for everything except the solar roof.
Referrer Miles Doubled
Tesla doubles Supercharger miles to 2,000 (3,218 km) each for referrers and new buyers through the end of October 2019.
Incentives increased
Referrers and new buyers each get 1,000 free Supercharger miles (1,609 km) and entry to win a Series Model Y or a Roadster signed by Elon Musk and Franz von Holzhuasen
End of Program
Elon Musk announces that the referral program will end.
Extended to new buyers
Referrers and new buyers each get six months of free Supercharging
Extra Creds
Referrers and new buyers get a $100 Supercharging credit when a referral code is used
Buyers Discounts
Referrers get a $1,000 discount on the Model S and X and an invitation to a Tesla unveiling event
Official Launch
Tesla launches a referral program that rewards referrers with $1,000 in credit
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Check My Supercharger Miles?
How Do I Get Free Supercharger Miles?
Check out these 20 great gift ideas for yourself or a Tesla fanboy.
Contact Us if you have any questions or queries.
