Tesla Adds Supercharger Prices and Wait Times to Tesla App

April 7, 2023

By Kevin Armstrong

You can now view Supercharger pricing in the Tesla app

Not a Tesla App

Tesla recently updated its app to provide users with real-time information on wait times at Supercharger stations. The app displays whether there is no wait, an estimated wait time, or the station is simply busy. This new feature is designed to help Tesla owners plan their charging stops more efficiently and reduce wait times at popular charging locations.

Know Before You Go

In addition to wait times, Tesla has now updated its app to provide users with a graph displaying the expected congestion at a specific Supercharger station based on the time of day. This predictive feature can help drivers plan their charging sessions during less busy times, further streamlining their charging experience and minimizing downtime.

Implementing this feature is expected to improve customer satisfaction, allowing Tesla owners to make informed decisions about when and where to charge their vehicles. It also addresses a long-standing concern among electric vehicle (EV) owners — the uncertainty and inconvenience surrounding charging station availability.

Tesla App Now Displays Supercharger Prices

Tesla has also introduced a new feature that displays Supercharger pricing information within the app. Users can now easily view the cost of charging at a particular station, as well as any variable rates depending on the time of day. This update aims to provide greater transparency and help users better understand the costs associated with charging their vehicles.

Supercharger prices can vary based on local electricity rates, demand, and regional pricing strategies. By offering this information within the app, Tesla owners can make more informed decisions about which Supercharger stations to use and potentially save money by selecting stations with lower prices or charging during off-peak hours.

Unfortunately, Supercharger prices are only shown when you're viewing a specific charger. If you're viewing the list of nearby Superchargers, prices are still absent. However, that may change in a future update.

Availability

These enhancements come with a configuration change on Tesla's end and do not require an app update. As long as you have the latest Tesla app, v4.19.5 you should now be able to view Supercharger wait times and pricing on Android and iOS.

This enhanced pricing transparency is another step towards improving the overall user experience for Tesla owners. With a better understanding of the costs and wait times associated with Superchargers, drivers can plan their trips more effectively, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free EV ownership experience. As the EV market continues to grow, these features will likely become increasingly important to both new and existing Tesla owners.

Tesla Increases Price of Model S; Starts Offering Free Lifetime Supercharging

December 14, 2024

By Karan Singh

Not a Tesla App

For the first time in quite a while, Tesla has increased the price of one of its vehicle offerings. The Model S Long Range and the Model S Plaid have both received a hefty price increase. However, not all is bad - as Tesla also added a new benefit for buyers.

Price Increase

The price increase for the Model S is $5,000 - currently only in the United States. This price increase will likely impact other markets, including Canada, in the coming days.

The Model S Long Range now starts at $79,990, while the Model S Plaid now starts at $94,990. The Model S and Model X now have the same starting price. Interestingly, that’s also the same pricing point for the Cybertruck AWD and Cyberbeast Trimotor non-Foundation Series.

The vehicle configuration does not appear to have changed, so the new pricing is simply an increase rather than the addition or removal of features. Tesla previously cut the price of the Model S and Model X by 15% in 2023, so this could simply be an adjustment to ensure that the vehicle pricing stays in line with inflation and other factors.

Free Lifetime Supercharging

For those on the fence about ordering a Model S, Tesla has brought back Free Lifetime Supercharging when you order a new Model S on or after December 13, 2024. As always, Free Lifetime Supercharging is restricted to the buyer’s Tesla account and to that specific vehicle. It cannot be transferred to another vehicle or another owner after ownership transfer. It’s worth noting, that it also doesn’t exclude the owner from receiving Supercharger idle fees or congestion fees. There is currently no end date for this promotion.

There are currently no changes to the Model X, neither a price increase nor the addition of Lifetime Superchargering. However, when Tesla makes changes to one of their premium vehicles, it usually affects the other one as well. So be on the lookout for potential changes to the Model X offering in the coming days.

We’ve seen Tesla value Lifetime Supercharging at $5,000, so this falls in line with the price increase we’re seeing. It’s possible that Tesla will begin to bring back Lifetime Supercharging as a perk for buying into their more premium Model S and Model X cars, or this could be another temporary promotion to get buyers who are on the fence to go ahead and make their purchase while this promotion lasts.

Tesla’s Optimus Robot Learns to Walk Without Vision [VIDEO]

December 13, 2024

By Karan Singh

Optimus Falls - but catches itself!

Not a Tesla App

Tesla recently showed off a demo of Optimus, its humanoid robot, walking around in moderately challenging terrain—not on a flat surface but on dirt and slopes. These things can be difficult for a humanoid robot, especially during the training cycle.

Daily walks help clear your mind pic.twitter.com/dUsW58trS6
— Tesla Optimus (@Tesla_Optimus) December 9, 2024

A Look Behind the Curtain

Most interestingly, Milan Kovac, VP of Engineering for Optimus, clarified what it takes to get Optimus to this stage. Let’s break down what he said.

Optimus is Blind

Optimus is getting seriously good at walking now - it can keep its balance over uneven ground - even while walking blind. Tesla is currently using just the sensors, all powered by a neural net running on the embedded computer.

Essentially, Tesla is building Optimus from the ground up, relying on as much additional data as possible while it trains vision. This is similar to how they train FSD on vehicles, using LiDAR rigs to validate the vision system’s accuracy. While Optimus doesn’t have LiDAR, it relies on all those other sensors on board, many of which will likely become simplified as vision takes over as the primary sensor.

Today, Optimus is walking blind, but it’s able to react almost instantly to changes in the terrain underneath it, even if it falls or slips.

What’s Next?

Next up, Tesla AI will be adding vision to Optimus - helping complete the neural net. Remember, Optimus runs on the same overall AI stack as FSD - in fact, Optimus uses an FSD computer and an offshoot of the FSD stack for vision-based tasks.

Milan mentions they’re planning on adding vision to help the robot plan ahead and improve its walking gait. While the zombie shuffle is iconic and a little bit amusing, getting humanoid robots to walk like humans is actually difficult.

There’s plenty more, too - including better responsiveness to velocity and direction commands and learning to fall and stand back up. Falling while protecting yourself to minimize damage is something natural to humans - but not exactly natural to something like a robot. Training it to do so is essential in keeping the robot, the environment around it, and the people it is interacting with safe.

We’re excited to see what’s coming with Optimus next because it is already getting started in some fashion in Tesla’s factories.