Tesla has stopped including its mobile plug in new vehicle purchases and will instead sell the accessory separately at a cheaper price of $200, Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed in a series of tweets. The mobile connector comes with an adapter that allows drivers to charge their cars from a standard household socket, with other adapters sold separately.
Based on the feedback received, we will lower the mobile connector price to $200 and simplify ordering by car.
Note that a mobile connector is not required if you have a Tesla wall connector or are using Superchargers.
It is recommended to install the Tesla Wall Connector well in advance of the car’s arrival.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 17, 2022
On Saturday evening Twitter users @Tesla_Adri found out that Tesla updated its support page to indicate that the mobile connector costs $400. Tesla previously listed the mobile connector as an accessory that “comes with the vehicle.”
In response to a user’s reaction to the situation, Musk confirmed that the company will no longer include connectors with purchases. “Usage stats were extremely low, so it seemed wasteful,” Musk explained, adding that Tesla “will be adding more connector adapters to the Mobile Connector Kit in the future.” It’s unclear which Tesla will include with the kit.
Musk provided another update hours later, stating that Tesla would lower the price of the mobile connector to $200 “based on user feedback.” He also said that Tesla will “make it easy” to order the mobile plug when buying a car and encouraged customers to have a wall charger installed “long before” their car arrives.
The mobile connector is still $400 on Tesla’s website, and you couldn’t buy one even if you wanted to — the mobile connector is currently out of stock. However, it’s unclear how long it’s been sold out, or if a supply chain flaw contributed to Tesla’s decision. Tesla did not immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment (Tesla disbanded its PR team in 2019 and does not typically respond to media inquiries).
Reactions to Musk’s decision have been mixed. Although a mobile connection is not essential as Tesla owners can charge their car using a wall charger installed in their home or at a charging station, something driver Say it’s comforting to have the mobile connector with you when you travel. The accessory can come in handy at campsites or when traveling in an area without charging stations, as it allows drivers to plug their car into a standard 120V outlet.
Something driver also say the Mobile Connector Server is a significantly cheaper alternative to expensive wall chargers, during Other say they rarely use it. Plugs with a 120V or 240V adapter are standard on other EVs such as the Nissan Leaf, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Chevy Bolt and all BMW EVs.
In 2020, Apple famously stopped including chargers in its new iPhones, with Samsung and Google following suit. While it’s easy to see parallels between this situation and Tesla’s, it’s far too early to tell if Tesla’s move will have a domino effect on other electric vehicle makers.