Tesla Shakes Up Foundation Cybertruck Deals with Free Supercharging, Do You Qualify?

Tesla is rolling out free Supercharging for customers purchasing a Foundation Cybertruck after December 27, 2024. The offer is linked to the buyer’s Tesla account, cannot be transferred, and excludes early adopters. Idle fees stay in place, and the Powershare voucher is off the table.

Tesla’s Foundation Series Revives Limited-Edition Appeal

Founders' and Signature series for early Roadsters, Model S, and Model X are just a few examples of the limited-edition early series that Tesla has introduced on multiple occasions. While it did not accomplish the same for the more mainstream Model 3 and Y, it revived the Cybertruck's practice with the Foundation series.

A fully loaded early model, the Foundation series had a base price of $20,000 plus a number of options that came standard. Its shipment began in late November 2023.

Foundation Cybertruck Sales Extended Amid Strong Demand

The vehicle was selling well enough that Tesla prolonged the Foundation series for nearly a year; non-Foundation configurations were only accepted this October.

Typically, Tesla's limited editions only last a few months and a few thousand vehicles. This led to Tesla selling much more Cybertrucks from the Foundation series—approximately 30,000 units—than from any of its other limited editions.

Tesla Revives Free Supercharging to Boost Foundation Cybertruck Sales

However, Tesla has to get creative in selling off its inventory of trucks that were first advertised at a base price of $40,000 since the pool of buyers ready to pay more than $100,000 for such a vehicle appears to have dried up.

A bonus that was missing from the initial Foundation series trucks is free lifetime supercharging, and Tesla is now offering it to customers who buy one of the few remaining Cybertrucks.

Lifetime Supercharging Makes a Comeback for Select Models

Per Electrek, an ancient bonus that Tesla offered in its early days was lifetime supercharging. They did this to encourage purchase and because it was easier than establishing a payment system around their newly-built network. In 2018, Tesla stopped the free lifetime supercharging era, after multiple revisions of the benefit. It got too much.

Despite a significant drop in Model S sales, Tesla has reinstated the perk to move inventory, demonstrating that the company is prepared to reopen the Pandora's Box of free supercharging if necessary. It has now expanded to Cybertrucks, just two weeks after it did the same for Model S cars.

New Foundation Cybertruck Purchases Required for Free Supercharging

Those who were in the first queue to spend $120,000 on this truck will not be eligible for this benefit retroactively; it is only available to those who buy a new Foundation Series Cybertruck after December 27, 2024. You cannot give or give away your free supercharging perk; it is linked to your Tesla account.

Superchargers still charge you for idling and congestion, and you can't utilize the vehicle to run a taxi service as the original Tesloop shuttle did (which is why that benefit was removed).

After all that, the Powershare voucher that comes with other Foundation Series trucks cannot be used with a Cybertruck that is bought in this manner. You appear to be exchanging one benefit for another, albeit Powershare can wind up costing far more for some setups.