Tesla owners in California with free lifetime Supercharging could be eligible to receive refunds for Supercharger idle fees, but the deadline to submit a claim is quickly approaching.
As we reported last month, Tesla agreed to settle a class action lawsuit over idle fees charged to some early owners who received free lifetime Supercharging with their vehicles. Claims under that settlement are now open, with eligible owners having until September 25, 2026 to apply.
The settlement generally covers California residents who received an eligible Tesla before December 16, 2016, continued to own it after that date, and were California residents as of June 21, 2021. The vehicle’s original purchase agreement must also have described it as “Supercharger Enabled,” “Supercharger Hardware,” or “Supercharger Hardware & Access.”
For owners who qualify, the biggest benefit is a refund of all Supercharger idle fees they actually paid through the date of the settlement. Previously waived or unpaid fees aren’t eligible for a refund.
There are also additional benefits for owners who had their Supercharger access disabled over unpaid fees. Tesla will pay US$50 if access was disabled for less than 30 consecutive days, or US$350 if it lasted 30 days or longer.
Current owners of eligible vehicles will also have unpaid idle fees through the settlement date waived, while Tesla has agreed not to disable their Supercharger access over those fees and to restore access if it was previously removed.
Owners with more than one eligible Tesla must submit a separate claim for each vehicle.
Claims can be submitted through the official settlement website by September 25, 2026. Claims submitted by mail must also be postmarked by the same date.
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