Tesla just brought back one of its customers' favorite perks - but not everyone is eligible

Alexis Georgeson/Tesla

A Tesla Model S parked at a Supercharger station.

• Tesla is offering free access to its network of Supercharger charging stations to some Model S sedan and Model X SUV customers.
• The perk applies to new and used Model S and Model X vehicles that don't include recent drivetrain upgrades and are listed under the "inventory" sections on Tesla's website.
• Tesla had previously given Supercharger credits to Model S and Model X customers until November.
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Tesla is offering free access to its network of Supercharger charging stations to some Model S sedan and Model X SUV customers. The perk applies to new and used Model S and Model X vehicles that don't include recent drivetrain upgrades and are listed under the "inventory" sections on Tesla's website.

A Tesla representative said the free Supercharger access applies for as long as the first customer owns the vehicle.

Read more: Tesla cuts the price of the Models S and Model X

Tesla opened its first Supercharger stations in 2012 and allowed owners to use them for free until 2017, at which point it began offering customers 400 kWh of annual charging credits. The company offered free use of its Supercharging stations to customers who bought the performance version of its Model 3 sedan before August, but did not offer free Supercharger use or Supercharger credits to other Model 3 customers.

In November, Tesla stopped giving Supercharger credits to Model S and Model X customers, and in February, the company ended a customer referral program that included Supercharger credits.

CEO Elon Musk tweeted in January that the referral program had become too expensive.

"It's adding too much cost to the cars, especially Model 3," he said.

In April, Tesla announced drivetrain and suspension upgrades to the Model S and Model X that increased their maximum ranges to 370 miles and 325 miles, respectively. Combined sales for the vehicles during the first quarter dropped by 56% from the prior quarter and by 44% from the first quarter in 2018.

Have you worked for Tesla? Do you have a story to share? Contact this reporter at mmatousek@businessinsider.com.

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