Tesla is no longer delivering new cars with charging cables
04-18-22 | 12:18 PM
#1
Tesla is no longer delivering new cars with charging cables
Tesla has announced that, effective immediately, its new cars will no longer be delivered with a mobile charging cable. Anyone who wants one will have to purchase it separately.
According to Electrek, Tesla CEO and co-founder Elon Musk explained that charging cables are no longer included because they're rarely used. "Usage statistics were super low, so [it] seemed wasteful," he wrote. Up until recently, Tesla delivered every new car with a charging cable and a NEMA 5-15 adapter that allowed owners to plug their car into a regular household outlet for slow, overnight charging.
Motorists who still see a use case for a mobile connector can buy one directly from Tesla, either when they order their car or separately after they've taken delivery. Pricing on Tesla's website shows $275 for what the company calls a "Gen 2 Mobile Connector Bundle" that allows charging at 120 volts, and $400 for a cord that allows for Level 2 charging at 240 volts, though Musk wrote on Twitter that Tesla will drop the price of the mobile connector to $200. There's a catch: Both are currently listed as "out of stock" on the company's website, which signals that demand might be higher than Tesla initially assumed.
The move doesn't mean that future Tesla owners will not be able to charge their car unless they buy additional hardware. No cable is required to plug a car into a public charging station, like one of Tesla's Supercharger stations, or into a wall-mounted Level 2 home charger. But having a charging cable aboard allows an EV owner to pick up a few miles of range while parked anywhere else.
Most electric cars — maybe all — currently available new come with a charging cable, but the practice of removing features from a car and charging extra for them isn't new. Spare tires and ashtrays, two things that were standard for decades, are often optional, if they're available at all. About a third of new cars (regardless of powertrain type) do not come standard with a spare tire, according to a Consumer Reports study.
As with a spare tire, driving around without an EV charging cord would seem to be no problem — until the moment it becomes one.
According to Electrek, Tesla CEO and co-founder Elon Musk explained that charging cables are no longer included because they're rarely used. "Usage statistics were super low, so [it] seemed wasteful," he wrote. Up until recently, Tesla delivered every new car with a charging cable and a NEMA 5-15 adapter that allowed owners to plug their car into a regular household outlet for slow, overnight charging.
Motorists who still see a use case for a mobile connector can buy one directly from Tesla, either when they order their car or separately after they've taken delivery. Pricing on Tesla's website shows $275 for what the company calls a "Gen 2 Mobile Connector Bundle" that allows charging at 120 volts, and $400 for a cord that allows for Level 2 charging at 240 volts, though Musk wrote on Twitter that Tesla will drop the price of the mobile connector to $200. There's a catch: Both are currently listed as "out of stock" on the company's website, which signals that demand might be higher than Tesla initially assumed.
The move doesn't mean that future Tesla owners will not be able to charge their car unless they buy additional hardware. No cable is required to plug a car into a public charging station, like one of Tesla's Supercharger stations, or into a wall-mounted Level 2 home charger. But having a charging cable aboard allows an EV owner to pick up a few miles of range while parked anywhere else.
Most electric cars — maybe all — currently available new come with a charging cable, but the practice of removing features from a car and charging extra for them isn't new. Spare tires and ashtrays, two things that were standard for decades, are often optional, if they're available at all. About a third of new cars (regardless of powertrain type) do not come standard with a spare tire, according to a Consumer Reports study.
As with a spare tire, driving around without an EV charging cord would seem to be no problem — until the moment it becomes one.
04-18-22 | 12:40 PM
#3
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 7,460
Likes: 228
From: CA
I bet when they did their usage calcs, it was low because most people that buy Teslas also buy a wall connector which is $500. It fits nicely on the wall and is more convenient (and more elegant) to use. However, its a bad call because most people like to have the mobile connector in their car for emergency use or travel. Or they like to take it to work and charge there.
Overall, its another way for Tesla to squeeze $400 out of their clients. Feels like they are becoming BMW...
Overall, its another way for Tesla to squeeze $400 out of their clients. Feels like they are becoming BMW...
04-18-22 | 01:14 PM
#5
Lexus Champion
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 19,951
Likes: 171
unfortunately a lot of manufacturers do not supply level 1 charging cables (ones you use with your standard household outlet).
Now there is always a lot of holes in stories like this since most of journalists dont actually use EVs so they dont know to ask right questions.
- I assume it still comes with level 2 / AC charging cable (this is for AC charging - in Teslas up to 11 kW)
- US households usually have only 110v plugs, which means maximum charging power was 1.1 kW? Very low.
- Are they removing it from worldwide shipments where we have 220v current and very useful 3.2 kW available from any household outlet?
Now there is always a lot of holes in stories like this since most of journalists dont actually use EVs so they dont know to ask right questions.
- I assume it still comes with level 2 / AC charging cable (this is for AC charging - in Teslas up to 11 kW)
- US households usually have only 110v plugs, which means maximum charging power was 1.1 kW? Very low.
- Are they removing it from worldwide shipments where we have 220v current and very useful 3.2 kW available from any household outlet?
04-18-22 | 01:39 PM
#6
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 7,460
Likes: 228
From: CA
unfortunately a lot of manufacturers do not supply level 1 charging cables (ones you use with your standard household outlet).
Now there is always a lot of holes in stories like this since most of journalists dont actually use EVs so they dont know to ask right questions.
- I assume it still comes with level 2 / AC charging cable (this is for AC charging - in Teslas up to 11 kW)
- US households usually have only 110v plugs, which means maximum charging power was 1.1 kW? Very low.
- Are they removing it from worldwide shipments where we have 220v current and very useful 3.2 kW available from any household outlet?
Now there is always a lot of holes in stories like this since most of journalists dont actually use EVs so they dont know to ask right questions.
- I assume it still comes with level 2 / AC charging cable (this is for AC charging - in Teslas up to 11 kW)
- US households usually have only 110v plugs, which means maximum charging power was 1.1 kW? Very low.
- Are they removing it from worldwide shipments where we have 220v current and very useful 3.2 kW available from any household outlet?
No idea yet if other regions outside of US are affected.
04-18-22 | 01:55 PM
#7
Lexus Champion
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 19,951
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04-18-22 | 02:06 PM
#8
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 7,460
Likes: 228
From: CA
We don't get the Type 2 cable here in the states. All we need to use Level 2 is a J1772 adapter for the Tesla plug. We don't get access to CCS here either.
04-18-22 | 02:51 PM
#9
Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 361
Likes: 86
From: BC
unfortunately a lot of manufacturers do not supply level 1 charging cables (ones you use with your standard household outlet).
Now there is always a lot of holes in stories like this since most of journalists dont actually use EVs so they dont know to ask right questions.
- I assume it still comes with level 2 / AC charging cable (this is for AC charging - in Teslas up to 11 kW)
- US households usually have only 110v plugs, which means maximum charging power was 1.1 kW? Very low.
- Are they removing it from worldwide shipments where we have 220v current and very useful 3.2 kW available from any household outlet?
Now there is always a lot of holes in stories like this since most of journalists dont actually use EVs so they dont know to ask right questions.
- I assume it still comes with level 2 / AC charging cable (this is for AC charging - in Teslas up to 11 kW)
- US households usually have only 110v plugs, which means maximum charging power was 1.1 kW? Very low.
- Are they removing it from worldwide shipments where we have 220v current and very useful 3.2 kW available from any household outlet?
04-18-22 | 05:49 PM
#11
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 31,686
Likes: 73
From: ON/NY
It just gets more expensive to own a EV. 
Just wait till Tesla charges (no pun) for software updates. This won’t make much difference to the Tesla brand. I wonder how many buyers will opt,in and buy it. My guess is very few. I doubt evs from other brand in the future will include the cable.
Just wait till Tesla charges (no pun) for software updates. This won’t make much difference to the Tesla brand. I wonder how many buyers will opt,in and buy it. My guess is very few. I doubt evs from other brand in the future will include the cable.
Last edited by Toys4RJill; 04-18-22 at 05:58 PM.
04-18-22 | 06:02 PM
#12
Lead Lap
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,177
Likes: 300
From: Maryland
LOL I saw saw a post on the Tesla forums of someone that just received his Model S and was happy he got all the other things that have been missing like trunk covers and floor mats but that it was missing the charging cable. Guess he’s in for a rude awakening.
04-18-22 | 08:52 PM
#14
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 7,460
Likes: 228
From: CA
Originally Posted by JeffKeryk
Makes zero sense. You don't need the $500 Wall Charger. A 240V outlet get me 28 to 30 MPH @ 32A. Not to mention solar panels...
04-18-22 | 09:08 PM
#15
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 14,598
Likes: 2,303
From: California
I spoke to my friend who is an electrician, and he told me wall chargers that are hard wired have higher amperage, and are more efficient than the 240v chargers that need to be plugged in. Plus it's just more convenient than pulling the charger out