Tesla will no longer include mobile connectors with every car

Tesla has stopped including its mobile connector with new car purchases, and will instead sell its Gen 2 (Level 1) bundle for a price of at least $200, Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted in a tweet. Tweeted in the series. Confirmed in series. The Mobile Connector Bundle comes with an adapter that allows drivers to charge their cars from a standard 110v home outlet, with other adapters available to purchase separately.

On Saturday night, Twitter user @Tesla_Adri found that Tesla updated its support page to indicate that the mobile connector bundle no longer comes with the car, as it was previously listed as an accessory that " Comes with vehicle." It looks like there may be a mistake on this page, though - the chart shows a Gen 2 Mobile connector bundle, but the price of a $400 Gen 1 (Level 2) bundle (also available for purchase separately) . @Tesla_Adri And the other changes seen by Drive Tesla Canada provide further evidence that the Gen 2 charger is likely to be affected here.

Responding to a user's response to the situation, Musk confirmed that the company will no longer include the Gen 2 mobile connector with new car purchases. "The usage figures were very low, so seemed useless," Musk explained, adding that Tesla "will include more plug adapters with mobile connector kits" in the future. It's unclear which adapters Tesla will begin to include with the kit.

Musk provided another update hours later, saying that, "based on user feedback," Tesla will reduce the price of the mobile connector by up to $200. He also said Tesla will "make it easier" to order a mobile connector when buying a car, and encouraged customers to install the wall charger "well" before their car arrives.

The Gen 2 mobile connector is still listed on Tesla's site as costing $275, and you might not even want to buy one — the mobile connector is currently out of stock, and the same goes for the Gen 1 connector. Is. That said, it's not clear how long the accessory has been out of stock, or whether supply chain constraints are contributing to Tesla's decision. Tesla did not immediately respond to The Verge's request for comment (Tesla disbanded its public relations team in 2019 and has generally not responded to inquiries from the media).

Reactions to Musk's decision have been mixed. While the mobile connector isn't required, as Tesla owners can charge their car with a wall charger at their home or charging station, some drivers say it's convenient to have a mobile connector with them on the go. The accessory can come in handy when traveling to campsites or areas without charging stations, as it allows drivers to plug their car into a standard outlet. It charges very slowly, however, with the Gen 2 charger providing about one to three miles of range after an hour of charging.

Some drivers even say that the Mobile Connector Server is a much cheaper option than expensive wall chargers, while others say they rarely use it. Connectors with a 120v or 240v adapter come standard with other EVs, such as the Nissan Leaf, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Chevy Bolt and all BMW EVs. But as Elecktrek points out, the Kia EV6 also doesn't come with a Level 1 or 2 charging cable.

In 2020, Apple stopped putting chargers with its new iPhones, along with Samsung and Google. While it's easy to see parallels between this situation and Tesla, it's too early to tell whether Tesla's move will create a domino effect among other EV makers.