Tesla has created an uproar among customers after announcing it will stop including a free universal mobile charging cable (otherwise known as a UMC) with every vehicle delivered, and will also end lease buyouts at the end of lease contracts.
One Twitter user, Tesla_Adri, discovered last week that Tesla had updated its website and configurator, removing the mobile connector as an included extra for new Tesla purchases. At the time, the mobile connector was available for a cost of $US400.
(Editor’s note: the UMC in Australia costs $A860, while a Tesla Gen 3 Wall charger costs $A780 plus installation.)
Tesla just updated the website. The mobile connector is no longer included with a new car. They now list a price for the connector rather than saying "comes with vehicle".
Guessed correctly what the change in the configurator means. https://t.co/IieebFQLUu pic.twitter.com/MBWfUzsdGv
— Tesla_Adri (@tesla_adri) April 16, 2022
On Sunday, CEO Elon Musk defended the decision on Twitter, arguing that: “Usage statistics were super low, so seemed wasteful”. On the flip side, he added that more plug adapters will be included in the mobile connector kit now for sale.
Usage statistics were super low, so seemed wasteful. On the (minor) plus side, we will be including more plug adapters with the mobile connector kit.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 16, 2022
A few hours later, in response to the immediate backlash, Musk tried to mollify the crowd by reducing the price for the mobile connector to just $US200 while also making “it easy to order with car.” The price in Australia has not been dropped.
Based on feedback received, we will drop mobile connector price to $200 & make it easy to order with car.
Note, mobile connector is not needed if you have a Tesla wall connector or to use Superchargers.
Recommend installing Tesla wall connector well before car arrives.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 17, 2022
Musk also suggested that the “mobile connector is not needed if you have a Tesla wall connector or to use [sic] Superchargers. Recommend installing Tesla wall connector well before car arrives.
Perhaps Musk has forgotten that people often use cars to drive to other places, which might not have a wall charger, and where the cable is often used to “trickle charge.”
Less noticeable, but just as notable, was a change to Tesla’s Lease-End Options which, according to their website, now states that “All Tesla vehicles delivered on or after April 15, 2022, are not eligible for purchase.”
Similarly, “Third-party dealerships and third-party individuals are not eligible to purchase leased vehicles.”
The move appears designed to stop the profiteering of some buyers on the second-hand market, particularly in light of supply shortages and delivery delays caused by a mixture of Covid 19 impacts and supply chain issues made worse by the Russia invasion of Ukraine.
https://t.co/9DCT3JYDGf
— Victor "DeFi Toronto" Li 🦇🔊 (@CryptoEcon_Li) April 17, 2022
The move by Tesla drew immediate comparisons with Apple, and its decision to maximize earnings but variously jacking up the price of its devices, removing the headphone jack, ending the supply of USB charging bricks with new iPhones, or the numerous “lock-in” practices.
“Selling a Tesla without a mobile connector is like selling a Macbook without a charging cable,” said one Twitter user. “So stupid.”
The Driven’s view: Dumb as. Tesla already makes a bigger margin on individual car sales than nearly any other car maker, so there is no financial need for this.
As a Tesla owner who often drives long distances for travel, I’ve used the cable frequently. The comparisons with Apple are well deserved. Why did we think Tesla might be different? GP
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.
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