Tesla Superchargers Switch to Kilowatt-Hour Billing Today
Billing according to the time spent at a charging station is very widespread in Canada, in particular because it was one of the only legal ways of billing customers. However, since last February, Measurement Canada has authorized billing according to the quantity of energy delivered (kilowatt-hour), a provision that has been demanded for a long time by electric motorists. While very few networks currently use it, six months after its legalization, one of the most important networks in the country has just joined: the Superchargers of You’re here.
This means that users of Tesla Superchargers will no longer be billed according to the time they spend at the charging station, but by the amount of energy that is swallowed by their connected vehicle. For urban Superchargers, whose power is limited to 72 kW, the rate is set at around $0.30/kilowatt hour, while for V2 (150 kilowatts) or V3 (250 kilowatts) Superchargers, the rate is 0, $47/kilowatt hour or $0.48/kilowatt hour. Note that these rates are general, that they may vary by region depending on the location of the charging station, and that a $1/minute charge may also be imposed if the vehicle remains connected when it is fully fueled.
Even if this news doesn’t matter at the moment for owners of non-Tesla electric vehicles, it still sets the tone. The Supercharger network is one of the strongest in the country, and its move to this type of billing could be a game-changer in the industry. Also, several car manufacturers have recently announced that they have entered into an alliance with Tesla for the use of Superchargers. It now remains to be seen whether owners of non-Tesla vehicles who use the Superchargers will have the same type of pricing when the network opens next year.
Advantages and disadvantages
On social networks, many are delighted with this news, and hope that other operators will adopt this way of invoicing. For them, it is more transparent because it allows you to pay only for the accumulated energy, regardless of the recharge speed. This also makes it possible to circumvent problems related to the charging station, or to be more equitable in the case of shared power stations, whose power can vary.
If the charging station is less efficient than expected, due to a defect, or if the connected vehicle accepts a lower charging power, the charging speed is negatively affected. It is therefore necessary to stay plugged in longer to obtain the same level of charge, thus increasing the bill in proportion to the time plugged in.
With this new pricing, the price for adding 60 kilowatt hours in 1 hour will be the same as for another vehicle that will recharge 60 kilowatt hours in 15 minutes, whereas with per-second billing, it would have been 4 times higher. Owners of vehicles with low recharging power accepted are therefore delighted with the fairness of this new method because it benefits them, without penalizing owners of more efficient vehicles.
Other electromobilists nevertheless foresee problems, in particular congestion at the charging stations, mainly if a vehicle accepts low charging power. Their argument is that the owners of this type of vehicle risk staying connected for a long time without it being necessary or without a high price encouraging them to leave. These recharges can take more than an hour, depending on the vehicle, blocking access to other motorists.
And the Electric Circuit?
Questioned on the subject, Jonathan Côté, spokesperson and team leader for Hydro-Québec, confirmed that the Electric Circuit had “the intention of moving towards pricing per kilowatt hour, probably in the coming months. However, the exact date and terms of this pricing are not yet known. There are therefore changes to be expected for the largest charging network in Quebec.
