How do I set up Tesla’s charging subscription for a road trip?

Seeking Help
1

I want to get a Tesla charging subscription for a month to save money on a road trip. How do I set it up? Do I need to link it to my Ford Pass app, or is there a different way?

2

You’ll need to download the Tesla app. Once you have it, tap the three bars in the top right, go to CHARGING, and sign up for the membership.

Make sure the Tesla Supercharger you’re going to accepts non-Tesla vehicles. The older 150/120 kW stations won’t work.

You’ll also need an adapter. I use the A2Z one—kinda finicky sometimes, but it does the job.

When you get to the charger:

  1. Open the Tesla app.
  2. Tap the three bars, scroll down, and select ‘Charge Your Non-Tesla Vehicle.’
  3. Choose the station you’re at and tap ‘Charge Here Now.’
  4. Scroll down, hit ‘Start,’ then connect your adapter (make sure it’s already attached to the Tesla handle).

To unplug when you’re done:

  1. Press the button with the five lights next to the charger handle.
  2. Hold the adapter (NOT the Tesla handle), press the lever button on the adapter, and pull the whole thing out.
  3. If the Tesla handle is stuck, press it in further, hold both buttons, and try again.

I made a video showing how to disconnect the A2Z adapter:

Disconnecting A2Z Adapter

3

Everything has to be done in the Tesla app. That’s where you set up the subscription and activate the charger.

4

Zabeen said:
Everything has to be done in the Tesla app. That’s where you set up the subscription and activate the charger.

So I shouldn’t use the Ford app at Tesla chargers? I have the Tesla app but never used it before. Does activating the charger work the same way?

5

@Fabian
I only know how it works through the Tesla app. Not sure if Ford has another way.

6

@Fabian
You activate the charger through the Tesla app. Just make sure you don’t plug in until the app tells you to.

7

@Fabian
Yeah, if you want the Tesla discount, everything has to be done through their app. If you use Ford’s Plug & Charge, you’ll just get the standard (non-subscription) pricing.

8

It’s just like Electrify America. You have to use the app for that network. No Plug & Charge option for Tesla.

9

You might need to turn off Plug & Charge when using Tesla Superchargers. Just a guess, but it seems like it would cause issues otherwise.

10

I did this before my last road trip. Didn’t even bother with the Ford settings—just used the Tesla app and it worked out cheaper! Even with the subscription, I saved more than I spent because EVgo and Electrify America were around $0.50 per kWh at most places.

Here’s what I did:

  1. Downloaded the Tesla app.
  2. Subscribed to the membership.
  3. Used ABRP (A Better Route Planner) to find Superchargers.
  4. Drove to the charger.
  5. Opened the Tesla app.
  6. Found the charger.
  7. The app zoomed into my location and I tapped ‘Charge Here.’
  8. Selected the exact charger I was parked at and tapped ‘Start.’
  9. Plugged the adapter into the cable, then into my car.

When I was done:
10. Stopped charging in the app.
11. Pressed the unlock button on my car’s charging port and removed the adapter.
12. Unplugged the adapter from the Tesla handle and put everything back.

And that’s it! Took less than a minute to set up. Hope this helps!