Tesla Supercharger Idle Fee Settlement

Shenkman v. Tesla challenged the idle fees Tesla charged early California buyers who were promised free Supercharger access, along with the company's practice of cutting off charging privileges over unpaid fees. The settlement refunds idle fees already collected and adds tiered cash payments, topping out at $350 for owners locked out of Superchargers for a month or more. Claims work by attestation against Tesla's own records rather than receipts, though the $350 tier asks claimants to name the year their access was disabled. Forms are due September 25, 2026, ahead of a December 2 final approval hearing.

California citizens (as of June 21, 2021) who bought a Supercharger-enabled Tesla in California before December 16, 2016 and are identified in Tesla's records as entitled to settlement benefits.

Refunds of idle fees paid, plus $10 for former owners, $50 if Supercharger access was disabled under 30 days, or $350 if disabled 30+ consecutive days; current owners also get unpaid idle fees waived and access restored.

No payment amount is ever guaranteed. Pro rata payouts shrink as more valid claims come in, and every payment waits on final court approval and any appeals.

Partial proof: the base payment does not require documents, but higher payment tiers (such as documented-loss reimbursement) do. You can usually file the simple tier with just the claim form, or attach records to claim more.