Kevin Shenkman, an early Tesla customer, is suing the automaker for breaking their promise of free charging for life.
The suit alleges that Tesla is violating their commitment by charging users a Supercharger fee if customers leave their vehicles on the chargers for too long.
When Tesla first started producing vehicles, one of the perks of early adoption was free lifetime Supercharging for the car. However, as congestion at Supercharging stations began to become an issue, Tesla imposed a ‘idle’ Supercharger Fee.
This fee was to encourage users not to let their car sit on the charger for more time than necessary.
However, Mr Shenkman alleges that this breaks Tesla’s promise to early adopters and is taking Tesla to court over it. Mr Shenkman is looking to recover costs for early adopters and is also seeking punitive damages and an order for Tesla to stop imposing the idle fees.
Any Tesla purchased between 2012-2016 was exempt from Supercharging fees which started in 2017. Tesla did not respond to media requests about the lawsuit.
