Tesla sent an email to European owners warning that the price of charging on its supercharger network would rise sharply again, according to Electrek. In the email, Tesla blamed the price hike on rising “energy prices” in Europe. According to the media check, charging prices have increased by an average of 0.12 euros per kilowatt hour.
One of the biggest advantages of electric vehicles remains their much lower operating costs than internal combustion engine vehicles, thanks to the fact that electricity is usually much cheaper than natural gas. However, due to the war in Ukraine and Russian oil and gas restrictions, the cost of gas and electricity has been soaring, especially in Europe.
In the past, a full charge at a Tesla Supercharger station typically cost no more than $5 or $10. After several price increases, many Superchargers are now charging $0.50 per kilowatt hour, which could result in a cost of $30 for a 60-kilowatt hour charge.
After this latest price increase, Supercharging prices will be higher than €0.60 per kWh at most charging stations in Europe. In most cases, however, these prices are still cheaper than gas, which has also risen significantly in the last year.
This is because, as these prices only apply to superchargers, this represents only a small part of the overall charging for most electric car drivers, as most charging usually takes place at home during overnight stays.
Overall, electricity rates have also been rising, but they are more manageable than those for Superchargers, which are also subject to demand charges.
Tesla is expected to increasingly invest in solar and storage for Supercharger stations to help control energy costs and ultimately Supercharger prices.
Tesla may be waiting for Supercharger V4 to allow for wider deployment of solar and storage at charging stations.
