Tesla Offers Free Charging in China During Coronavirus Outbreak

Tesla is doing its part to help during the deadly epidemic.

Free Ride

Tesla has notified owners in China that they'll be able to charge their vehicles for free for the duration of the nation's coronavirus epidemic.

"To make it easier for you to travel during the coronavirus outbreak, effective today we will temporarily open all Tesla vehicles to be free to charge at the Supercharging station until the epidemic is resolved," Tesla wrote to owners, according to Electrek's translation.

"We hope that during this extraordinary period, you will be able to replenish electricity efficiently and use your car smoothly when needed," it added.

Tesla Travel

To contain the coronavirus outbreak, China has enacted a mass quarantine — forbidding travel into or out of more than a dozen cities and halting public transportation within them.

Free supercharging could help Tesla owners within the quarantined cities get to hospitals, if needed. It could also help Tesla owners outside of the cities move farther away from coronavirus hotspots without worrying about the cost of travel or having to rely on public transportation.

Helping Hand

This isn't the first example of Tesla stepping up during a time of crisis.

In 2017, the company helped owners in the path of Hurricane Irma evacuate by temporarily extending their vehicles' battery capacity via an over-the-air update. It did the same thing for owners affected by 2018's Hurricane Florence and 2019's Hurricane Dorian, as well as offered both groups free Supercharging.

READ MORE: Tesla gives Chinese owners free supercharging during coronavirus outbreak [Electrek]

More on the coronavirus: Is the Coronavirus a Pandemic? Here’s What Experts Say.