Supercharge on a Road Trip with Used Tesla, Just Purchased

The transfer won't happen instantly, but I wouldn't worry, since that car ought to come with free, unlimited Supercharging that stays with it when it's sold.

The seller is a private individual, not Tesla, so I assume the free Supercharging applies, though I'd like to be sure. Can I just ask the seller whether the car has it?

Yes, put the same question to the seller that you posted here: does the car have free unlimited Supercharging? If it does, great. If it doesn't, the charges will most likely land on his account in the meantime, so it would be decent of you to sort something out with him and cover what you use until the transfer goes through.

I bought my 2016 in April 2019 and it came with free charging. I believe Tesla dropped it around the middle of 2019, but that applied to cars bought directly from Tesla. Buying from a private seller, you should be fine.

I don't get why this person is collecting dislikes when what they said is accurate. According to a user linked below, Tesla strips the free unlimited Supercharging from cars once they're sold back to the company, so a car bought directly from Tesla won't come with it, unlike one bought from a third party.

Congrats on the new-to-you car! I did something similar: flew from Miami to Missouri to get a used Model X, then drove it home in one 30-hour push, stopping only for 10 to 25 minutes every couple of hours to Supercharge. Honestly it was easy, so I wouldn't expect trouble. The account transfer can take several days, and you might have to email Tesla with the paperwork, but you'll still be able to Supercharge in the meantime.

Great, that's reassuring. So until the account is transferred, do the Supercharging charges just go to the previous owner?

Right, charges are billed to whoever holds the account, which in your situation is probably the previous owner. That said, a 2015 should have free Supercharging regardless, so I'd not stress over it.

You'll be able to charge provided Tesla hasn't turned off Supercharging on that car (and if they have, walk away from the deal). Whose account gets billed is a separate question, haha.

One small suggestion: before you set off on a long road trip, have the local service center issue an inspection report confirming the car passed a full check and has no issues. You'll want to know it's in excellent shape first. Tesla offers this as a service, and if I remember right it costs only around $120.

Thanks, that's useful to know. The trouble is that the car is probably a few hours from the closest service center, so getting the seller to take it in could be difficult. I believe my friend is arranging for some other service or agency to do the inspection.

Oh, right, I think the pickup location is actually Buffalo, KS. Sorry about the mix-up. My friend is the one organizing all this, so I don't have complete details.

I had the same question when I bought my used Tesla from a private seller roughly 12 hours away. I couldn't get a clear answer anywhere, and Tesla itself didn't help much. If the current owner is able to supercharge the car right now, you'll be fine. When a Tesla is sold, the seller has to remove themselves from the car, and that may take a few days. Until then you'd most likely be charging on the owner's account, so the cost goes to their credit card. Should they manage to take the car off their account, it ends up in "ownership limbo." You can still charge it normally. The charges just wait in a queue and get billed once the car is tied to your credit card. This car sounds like it might come with free supercharging, in which case you don't need to worry. Mine was a Model 3, which didn't have free supercharging that transfers to a new owner.

That's a good question. I'll need to check with my friend on it.

I picked up a used 2018 and Supercharging worked fine for me. That said, the car was likely still tied to the previous owner's account, and until it's moved over to yours you can't attach a credit card for Supercharger payments. If the car comes with free Supercharging, though, you shouldn't run into any trouble.

Here's a slightly unconventional idea: check whether there are CHAdeMO stations on your route and buy the adapter online. It won't match the speed of a Supercharger, but it beats relying on Level 2.

Good thought, but CHAdeMO needs an adapter that runs about $380, and I don't know where I'd even get one. I'll probably fall back on the J-1772 adapter instead.

J-1772 charges far more slowly, though it works as a backup option.

It sounds like you'll be fine. If Supercharging somehow doesn't work out for you, the worst case would be overnight charging at a hotel in Des Moines (I'm assuming this is a MSP to KC drive?). Neither a Tesla destination charger nor a third-party J-1772 charger requires an account. Take a look at plugshare.com.