Tesla Orders after April 17 will not include Mobile Charging Connector
May 17, 2022There will be no mobile charging port in any car purchased after April 17 after Tesla's elimination of the standard inclusion of the device.
A mobile charging cable will no longer be included with all Tesla orders after CEO Elon Musk's announcement over the weekend.
“Usage statistics were super low, so seemed wasteful. On the (minor) plus side, we will be including more plug adapters with the Tesla charging mobile connector kit,” Musk said in an attempt to rationalize the removal of the gadget. Owners and lovers of Tesla reacted strongly to the decision, expressing their displeasure.
Musk Confirmed the News
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, revealed in a series of tweets that the company will no longer include its mobile connectivity with new car orders and will instead sell the Gen 2 (Level 1) package for a reduced $200 price. There are other adapters available for purchase separately from the mobile connection bundle, such as one that allows drivers to charge their vehicles using a conventional 110v household outlet.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk indicated that utilizing statistics demonstrate that the utilization rate of mobile charging connectors is too low (Source)
On Saturday night, @Tesla Adri discovered that Tesla has modified their support website to say that the mobile connection bundle no longer comes with the car. The graphic depicts a Gen 2 mobile connection bundle yet the price is for a $400 Gen 1 (Level 2) bundle (which is also available for purchase separately). Other adjustments noted by @Tesla Adri and Drive Tesla Canada suggest the Gen 2 charger is impacted.
Musk responded to a user's concern by confirming that the Gen 2 mobile connection would no longer be included with new car orders. Tesla will be supplying more plug adapters with the mobile hookup kit in the future, Musk said. Tesla has yet to announce which adapters will be included.
Musk updated a few hours later, saying Tesla would reduce the price of the mobile connection to $200 “based on customer feedback”. And he urged clients to get a wall charger installed “well before” their automobile arrived.
The Gen 2 mobile connection is still advertised for $275 on Tesla's website, and it is now out of stock, as is the Gen 1 connector. To be clear, neither Tesla nor its suppliers have stated how long either attachment has been out of stock. An inquiry from The Verge went unanswered. (Tesla abolished its PR team in 2019 and seldom responds to media inquiries.)
Tesla Car Drivers have different opinions
There has been a wide range of responses to Musk's decision. It's not a need, as Tesla owners can charge their cars at home or at a charging station, but many drivers find it pleasant to have a mobile connection with them when they're out and about in their vehicle. At campgrounds or while traveling in a region where there are no charging outlets, this attachment might come in useful. After an hour's worth of charging, the Gen 2 charger can only provide one to three miles of range. Drivers have varying opinions on whether or not the cellular connector is a more affordable alternative to the pricey wall charger.
Final Thoughts
Many customers argue that the charging connector allows users to charge their devices using any outlet in their immediate vicinity, despite the fact that the power is not very high. However, in an emergency, this is vital. Other electric vehicles, such as the Nissan Leaf, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Chevrolet Bolt, and all BMW EVs, include connectors for a 120v or 240v adaptor as standard. However, as Elecktrek points out, the Kia EV6 does not include a charging connection for Level 1 or Level 2.
For those who don't remember, in 2020 Apple, Samsung, and Google all stopped including chargers with their new iPhones. There are many similarities between this situation and that of Tesla but it is too early to say if Tesla's action would have an impact on other EV manufacturers.