Long regarded as the most competitive fast-charging stations on the market, Tesla Superchargers are seeing their prices rise in France. At some stations, the price now exceeds €0.70/kWh during the day for non-subscribers. This is a subtle but significant increase, which could reshuffle the deck in the face of increasingly aggressive competition.
Price rises are now evident at many resorts
Tesla has been using dynamic pricing across its network for several years. The price of charging varies depending on the time of day, how busy the station is, its location and electricity market conditions.
Until now, this strategy has mainly enabled the company to offer very competitive rates, particularly in the face of competition from players such as Ionity and TotalEnergies. However, over the past few weeks, a significant rise in prices has been observed at many French charging stations.
In the Paris region, for example, some charging points now charge particularly high rates during the day. Our colleagues at Génération-nt have noted that at the Parly 2 station in the Yvelines, the price can rise to €0.74/kWh between 10am and 7pm for drivers without a subscription. Other stations, such as Livry-Gargan, also reach €0.70/kWh at certain times, compared with around €0.45 previously. This represents an increase of up to 55% at some sites.
In practical terms, fast charging at Tesla can now cost as much, or even more, than at some competitors traditionally regarded as premium brands.
Charging has become much more expensive for non-Tesla owners
However, not all users are affected in the same way. Tesla owners automatically benefit from the network’s best rates. Drivers of electric vehicles from other brands can access these same terms via the Supercharger subscription, which costs €11.99 per month.
The cost difference quickly becomes significant when charging a full battery. For a 60 kWh battery charged from 10% to 80%, the bill can range from around €17 to nearly €30, depending on the user’s status and the time of day chosen.
On a long journey, the cost becomes even more apparent. A journey from Paris to Lyon requiring two quick charges can now cost a driver using a Tesla Supercharger without a subscription and charging during the day as much as €40.
Tesla is now focusing on “two-speed” charging
Tesla’s strategy now seems much clearer: to make charging during peak hours more expensive whilst maintaining extremely competitive rates at night.
For despite this overall increase, the American manufacturer continues to offer particularly competitive rates during off-peak hours. Between approximately 10 pm and 8 am, the rate drops to around €0.30/kWh for standard users, and can fall as low as €0.20/kWh for Tesla owners and subscribers. At these levels, Tesla remains virtually unbeatable in the ultra-fast charging market.
Charging a 60 kWh battery from 10% to 80% therefore costs a subscriber around €8. Few competing networks are able to offer such competitive rates at fast-charging stations.
This pricing policy is clearly designed to even out visitor numbers at the stations and encourage overnight charging, when energy demand is lower.
The Supercharger subscription is becoming almost essential
With this new pricing structure, the €11.99 monthly subscription takes on a much more strategic importance. Tesla estimates that it becomes cost-effective once you’ve used around 80 kWh from the grid per month, which is the equivalent of two to three fast charges a month.
The savings can quickly add up. With an average difference of around 15 to 30 pence per kWh between subscriber and non-subscriber rates.
Competition is now much more aggressive
This price rise is also taking place at a time when rival networks are becoming more established. Indeed, operators such as Electra, Atlante, Ionity and Fastned now offer more powerful infrastructure, modern charging stations and, above all, subscriptions that are often cheaper.
Electra, for example, offers a subscription for €9.99 per month, allowing customers to charge at €0.29/kWh on its network. Atlante follows a similar strategy, offering preferential rates across several partner networks.
The result is that Tesla no longer automatically enjoys the cost advantage it had just a few years ago. For some electric vehicle drivers, checking price comparison apps before plugging in has now become essential.
Why is Tesla raising its prices?
There are several factors that may explain this trend.
Firstly, the gradual opening up of Superchargers to vehicles from other manufacturers has significantly increased usage of the network. More vehicles means more peaks in energy consumption and, consequently, higher supply costs for Tesla.
Furthermore, the manufacturer continues to invest heavily in expanding its charging infrastructure across Europe. These costs must be covered.
Finally, this increase is also part of a broader commercial strategy: to make owning a Tesla or subscribing to the company’s service even more appealing.
Tesla remains formidable but is no longer unbeatable
Despite this increase, Tesla retains several key advantages: the reliability of its charging points, the simplicity of the payment process, the density of its network and its charging performance.
But Tesla’s dominance is far less clear-cut these days. During the day, Superchargers can now be among the most expensive options on the market for non-subscribers. Conversely, at night, Tesla remains one of the most competitive operators in Europe.
