Tesla goes full Apple, car charging hardware now sold separately

Tesla goes full Apple and stops delivering cars with included charging hardware, now sold separately

Electrek.co by Fred Lambert

[{"selector":"#anim-b33aa872-8d4f-4f78-b694-d1b7920c7592","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Tesla changed its long-standing policy to deliver every vehicle with a mobile charging cable and instead, it started selling them separately for $400 for level 2 charging and $275 for level 1.

[{"selector":"#anim-43389b0c-6220-467f-9de7-2ab93db86bb2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] The move is reminiscent of Apple removing the included USB charging brick with the iPhone.

[{"selector":"#anim-8d2575e5-28ee-45cd-af6f-52aa31dc07e9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Tesla CEO Elon Musk has reduced the price by $75 of the currently out of stock mobile charger in response to the backlash.

[{"selector":"#anim-a84fdc35-7c58-42f5-94c2-ebea9f65d1f4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] With charging being one of the biggest concerns for electric vehicle buyers, it made sense for Tesla to include a mobile charging cable with every vehicle sold.

The included charging kit evolved over the years.

[{"selector":"#anim-8e14f9b4-adea-4ab2-9a7f-1c7a81d42b20","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

[{"selector":"#anim-9e598111-ee55-4858-91fc-9ed6fd33c5c1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Tesla used to include a charging cable with both a NEMA 14-50 (level 2) connector and a connector for a regular outlet (Level 1).

[{"selector":"#anim-2dda0116-4519-4032-a7f0-bde2f684f01d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] The automaker later decided to drop the NEMA 14-50 connector from the included bundle and only included the NEMA 5-15 adapter, which is for a regular outlet. You could buy the Level 2 connector separately.

[{"selector":"#anim-097a752e-5b8e-42f2-bba4-b0c18ce5b797","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] With a max power output of 1.3kW, the included connector enabled charging speeds between two and three miles of range per hour. It’s not much, but it is still better than nothing and suitable for overnight charging.

[{"selector":"#anim-e4c6448c-fd84-4fb3-a25b-cb97d809a893","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more about why Elon Musk decided to stop supplying the cable with new Tesla vehicles and read Electrek's take at Electrek.co. Learn more