Some bad news for local Tesla drivers. The company has started charging for its Destination Chargers, which have been free for nearly three years since the first locations in Malaysia went live in late 2023. Now, it costs RM0.88 per kWh at these chargers, according to the company’s mobile app’s listings of available charging stations.
For the unaware, Tesla has its DC Superchargers as well as the AC Destination Chargers. As the name suggests, the former is meant for quick charging when you’re at pit stops, while the latter is meant for longer term or even overnight charging. Some Superchargers have been opened up for use by non-Tesla EVs (at RM1.80 per kWh), while Destination Chargers are still exclusive to the company’s own cars.
As of now, the RM0.88 per kWh looks to be a fixed cost regardless of the time of day. Superchargers, on the other hand, can be priced differently depending on the charging station, and some even have on-peak and off-peak rates depending on when you started the charging process. With all of these factors, it is actually possible to have cheaper DC charging with certain Superchargers during off-peak hours than it is with the AC Destination Chargers.
That being said, Tesla owners are not exactly getting the raw end of the deal with the Destination Chargers’ prices. Other Charge Point Operators look to be charging between RM0.80 to RM1.15 per kWh anyway, so what the company is charging is arguably on the lower end of pricing for AC charging. Of course, it’s not quite comparable to costing absolutely nothing, besides the parking fee of where the Destination Charger itself is located.
All in all though, some would say that there’s more good than bad with Tesla Malaysia now charging for making use of its Destination Chargers. If nothing else, the argument can be made that this prevents hogging.
