Tesla to allow salvaged vehicles back on Supercharger network
Good news for Tesla tinkerers with salvaged vehicles. Tesla is establishing a process to allow them back on the Supercharger network – something that has been a big issue for them over the last few years.
In 2020, Tesla blocked access to Supercharging and third-party fast-charging to all salvaged vehicles.
It was a big blow to people who refurbished salvaged Tesla vehicles and got them back in running shape.
The automaker claimed that it was a safety issue, but it didn’t offer any path to inspect the cars and get them approved back on the Supercharger network, which is a big part of the value proposition of Tesla vehicles.
Last year, we got hope that Tesla was going to do the right thing and give back access to the important feature, but it was short-lived.
In 2021, Tesla started giving back Supercharger access to salvaged vehicles without any explanation, but it appeared that it was a mistake since the automaker reverted the move a week later.
But now it looks like it’s happening for real.
Electrek obtained internal Tesla documents that details a new process being put in place to inspect salvaged Tesla vehicles and give them back access to fast-charging.
In the document titled “Salvaged-Titled Vehicle Fast Charging Safety Inspection,” Tesla explains a two-step process that involves inspecting the high-voltage battery pack and all the components related to charging.
If the car passes the inspections, Tesla will reenable fast charging, and if it doesn’t, the company will offer repairs.
Here are the steps Tesla communicated to employees in the documents obtained by Electrek:
- The Salvage-Titled Vehicle Fast-Charging Safety Inspection cannot be started until the vehicle has passed the Salvage-Titled Vehicle High Voltage Safety Inspection.
- If a component fails inspection, diagnosis is required, and component rectification may be required.
- Diagnosis and component rectification are not included in this inspection procedure and may be performed only at customer expense.
- If the customer declines to authorize repair, stop the inspection procedure, note that the vehicle has failed the inspection and reinstall any removed components. Fast-Charging will not be enabled.
- Once the vehicle has passed inspection and fast charging has been enabled, if the vehicle fails the final charging test, any further diagnosis or repair are treated like any other vehicle. If charging has already been enabled and the customer declines further diagnosis or repair, do not disable fast-charging.
This new process is currently being put in place for all Tesla models.
Electrek’s Take
This is great news. It’s important to note that many Tesla vehicles that end up with salvage titles are not necessarily completely destroyed – like the one pictured above. It doesn’t take a lot these days for an insurance company to consider a vehicle totaled.
On paper, it looks like the right thing to do: Offer a path to make sure refurbished salvage-titled Tesla vehicles can safely use fast charging and enable the capability if it is safe.
However, it remains to be seen how it is going to work in practice and whether or not Tesla will actually reenable Supercharging on most of these vehicles without charging for super expensive repairs.
It’s something that we will keep an eye out for.
As for why now and not two years ago, I suspect Tesla opening up its Supercharger network to other EVs might have something to do with it. Tesla has no way of knowing whether or not a VW ID.4 coming to use its Supercharger has a salvage title or not. It would be ridiculous to allow non-Tesla salvaged EVs to use its charging network but not its own vehicles.
It should greatly increase the value of salvaged Tesla vehicles, which is good since Tesla should encourage people who are fixing those since it’s literally recycling.
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Hyundai is about to launch a new electric SUV in China. With its big debut coming up, Hyundai just dropped a sneak peek, and it looks like it could be the IONIQ 4. Check it out for yourself in the video below.
Is Hyundai teasing the IONIQ 4?
We caught our first glimpse of the new EV model last month after Beijing Hyundai released a few official “spy” photos.
Despite the camouflage, you can see a few design elements, like a light bar across the front, slim LED headlights, and a closed-off grille. At first, it almost looks like a smaller version of the IONIQ 9, Hyundai’s first three-row electric SUV, but with a much sportier, shaped profile.
Beijing Hyundai released a new teaser for the upcoming electric SUV this week. The video shows “a wave of high-end operations” as the vehicle dances across the snow.
The video highlights features like real-time torque control, high-speed cornering, and the SUV’s impressive body control while driving around cones.
Hyundai’s new electric SUV is being called “OE” internally, according to The Korean Car Blog, suggesting it could be an IONIQ model.
All other Hyundai IONIQ EV models were also codenamed with an “E” internally, which is raising speculation that this could be the IONIQ 4.
Like most global OEMs, Hyundai is fighting to compete in an intense Chinese EV market, which is dominated by domestic automakers like BYD.
Hyundai opened its first overseas R&D center last year in China to spearhead its comeback. It will work with local suppliers and tech companies to develop EVs designed for Chinese buyers. The new electric SUV is expected to launch in China later this year, followed by three new energy vehicles, including EVs and EREVs.
Beijing Hyundai will release more information on April 16, with the electric SUV set to “challenge the limit of driving performance.”
What do you think of Hyundai’s new electric SUV? Is this the IONIQ 4? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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Charge point provider char.gy has secured a £130 million contract to install 6,000 curbside EV chargers for Brighton and Hove City Council (BHCC) – the UK’s largest installation of its kind.
London-based char.gy has also been awarded a 15-year contract to operate and maintain the charging network.
Installing Level 2 chargers curbside, where most drivers in the UK park, will enable more people to take advantage of cheaper charging rates while juicing up their EVs overnight. (charg.gy’s pay as you go night tariff, between midnight and 7 am, is £0.39/kWh, compared to its £0.59/kWh day tariff.)
John Lewis, chief executive of char.gy, said the project is “a huge moment for the UK and its EV ambitions. This partnership alone will empower thousands of residents to confidently make the switch to electric vehicles, knowing they have easy access to chargers.”
Brighton and Hove City Council is among the first to tap into the government’s Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund, designed to help English local authorities roll out charging solutions for residents without off-street parking. Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood said making EV charging as accessible as possible is “crucial to making the switch to electric a success.”
The UK now has over 75,000 public EV chargers, according to the Department for Transport—and it looks like the country’s on pace to hit its 2030 target. Back in December, the National Audit Office said the rollout is “on track” to meet the DfT’s estimate that at least 300,000 chargers will be needed by the end of the decade.
Read more: Meet the UK’s largest solar + storage EV charging ‘Superhub’
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