Tesla Permanently Removes Super Convenient Feature From Its Cars
Tesla has permanently discontinued putting one super convenient feature inside its cars.
This article is more than 2 years old
Tesla and Elon Musk have gotten a lot of publicity lately. There’s plenty of press occurring for the tech pioneer, from certain defects on Tesla electric vehicles to Musk potentially buying Twitter altogether. Now, an incredibly convenient feature is being removed from Tesla vehicles.
The necessary mobile connector will no longer be included with newer car purchases. Instead, the mobile connectors integral to connecting your phone or audio player will be sold separately for a reduced rate. The connector will be the same as the one offered alongside Tesla Model 1, the first generation EV. It will cost less than $200 for the bundle and include the adapter to allow Teslas to charge on a 110v household outlet.
The news that the latest Tesla models wouldn’t include the mobile connector bundle was confirmed by the CEO himself on Twitter. Musk stated that the usage was extremely minimal for the adapter, so they decided to drop the bundle. Instead, Musk recommends installing a “Tesla wall connector” before purchasing an EV from the company. Musk did acknowledge that the additional purchase for a mobile connector bundle will come with an upgrade, with more plug adapters on the physical connector kit.
Loyal customers noticed something was up with the mobile connector bundle when it disappeared from the Tesla support page. The support changed this past Saturday to indicate that mobile connectors would not come with an EV purchase, conflicting with Tesla’s previous policy. Drivers were skeptical that this was a legitimate policy change since the attached chart showed a Gen 2 connector but had the price for the Gen 1 bundle. Now that Musk has confirmed this adaptation online, skepticism has died down.
When Musk confirmed the policy change online, customers expressed frustration with the additional charge. Tesla received so much negative customer feedback that Musk decided to drop the original payment for the mobile connector bundle from $400 to $200. Though this still isn’t free, the bundle costs significantly less than previously marketed. Musk added that it would be easier than before to contact customer support to receive a charger but didn’t elaborate on how the purchase would be simplified.
There seems to be an unresolved issue for those attempting to purchase the Gen 2 mobile connector bundle. Though the Gen 2 bundle appears on the Tesla site, customers have noticed it won’t add to their cart. Unfortunately, Gen 2 and Gen 1 mobile connectors are out of stock, with no information on when they’ll be available again. The reason could be a supply chain deficit, a phenomenon affecting companies’ manufacturing proficiency worldwide.
Though a mobile connector isn’t a fundamental product to operate a Tesla, many drivers are rightfully concerned about having to purchase the item separately. For EV owners, a mobile connector is a travel necessity, ensuring that they’ll be able to charge their vehicle with whatever outlet they can find. Without specific EV charging stations, a Tesla driver without an adapter won’t be able to recharge the vehicle’s battery. So while it’s not integral to the car’s functioning, mobile connectors are beneficial products that can allow drivers to avoid devastating situations.
