New Tesla purchases will no longer come with the brand’s Gen 2 mobile connector. Instead, buyers can opt to add the charging kit for the reduced price of $200.
The Gen 2 Mobile Connector Bundle, which includes a 20-foot cable, a 220V-240V adapter and storage bag, will now cost $400 when purchased separately. The Level 1 kit plugs into a standard 110-volt household outlet, adding about two to three miles of range to the car’s battery per hour. That’s significantly slower than plugging into a wall connector or public charging station.
The move comes as Tesla prepares to ramp up production at its new Gigafactories in Austin and Berlin.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in a series of tweets over the weekend that the change was prompted by customer feedback. Explaining the decision to sell the bundle separately, Musk tweeted “Usage statistics were super low, so seemed wasteful. On the (minor) plus side, we will be including more plug adaptors with the mobile connector kit.”
Historically, Tesla had made plug adaptors available for purchase separately from the kit. It is not clear which adaptors the kit will now include.
Musk also said that the mobile connector is unnecessary for drivers who use a Tesla wall connector or the automaker’s Supercharger network. He said that he recommends that buyers install a Tesla wall connector before the car arrives.
Even though most Tesla drivers top up through a wall connector or Supercharger station, some say the mobile connector kit is useful when camping or traveling through remote areas without charging stations.
It is too soon to tell if other EV makers such as General Motors, Ford, Nissan or BMW will follow Tesla’s lead. The Kia EV6 all-electric sedan does not come with charging cables.
