Tesla Vows to Thwart Supercharger Loitering

Tesla Motors Inc. CEO Elon Musk says he will “take action” to combat Model S and Model X electric vehicle owners who abuse the company’s free Supercharger stations by failing to move their vehicles after charging is completed.

Musk was responding on Twitter to increasing complaints about the lack of charging etiquette, which blocks others from using a station. He didn’t say how he proposes to stop the practice.

The situation has become so contentious that abusers are derogatively referred to as “ev-holes” on social media. Musk's followers have suggested several options. Recommendations range from charging users a fee if they go over their charging times to programming a vehicle so it drives away automatically if it lingers too long at the charging station.

Meanwhile, Tesla has begun phasing out free charging. Last month the company announced it would no longer offer free lifetime Supercharging for vehicles ordered after Jan. 1. New customers next year will receive about 1,000 miles (400 kWh) worth of free charging per year. But they must pay an unspecified “small” charging fee for additional energy.