Our public fast charger pricing guide covers what you pay for the electricity itself. There's a second, easy-to-miss cost that has nothing to do with kWh: real, per-minute penalties for leaving your car sitting at a fast charger after it's done — fees that catch a lot of new EV owners completely by surprise the first time they see one on a receipt.
Quick answer: Tesla charges CA$0.50 per minute if you leave your car plugged in after charging finishes while the Supercharger station is at least 50% occupied, doubling to CA$1.00 per minute if the station is completely full — with a 5-minute grace period after your session ends before fees start accruing. Electrify Canada charges a flat $0.40 per minute if you haven't moved your car within 10 minutes of your session finishing. Both networks will typically send a phone notification when your charge completes and again when idle fees start, though it's easy to miss one if you've stepped away. Other major Canadian networks — FLO, Ivy, and Petro-Canada — don't appear to publish a comparably clear idle-fee policy, which is itself worth knowing: don't assume the absence of a fee, confirm directly with the network if you're planning to be away from your car for a while.
Why idle fees exist at all
This isn't networks nickel-and-diming you — it's a real capacity problem. A DC fast charger is expensive infrastructure serving a limited number of stalls, and a car sitting fully charged in a stall is functionally the same as a car blocking a parking spot: it prevents another driver from using that specific piece of equipment, at exactly the moment demand is often highest (a busy road-trip weekend, a popular highway stop). Idle fees are networks' way of pricing that externality directly, rather than relying purely on social pressure or good manners to keep stalls turning over.
How Tesla's system actually works
Tesla's idle fee structure is the most detailed of any network operating in Canada, and it's worth understanding the mechanics precisely since they're more nuanced than a flat per-minute charge. Fees only activate once your vehicle either reaches 80% state of charge or your charging session otherwise completes, and the Supercharger station is at least half occupied at that moment — if you're at a mostly empty station, you generally won't be charged regardless of how long you sit there. Once both conditions are met, the fee is CA$0.50 per minute; if the station reaches full capacity, that rate doubles to CA$1.00 per minute. A 5-minute grace period after your session ends gives you time to walk back to your car and move it before any fee accrues at all. Tesla typically sends an in-app or in-vehicle notification both when your charge completes and again once idle fees start — useful, but not something to rely on exclusively if you've wandered off to a nearby restaurant or store.
Electrify Canada's simpler, flat-rate approach
Electrify Canada takes a more straightforward approach: a flat $0.40 per minute idle fee once you're 10 minutes past your charging session's completion, with no tiering based on how busy the station is. The longer grace period (10 minutes vs. Tesla's 5) gives you a bit more breathing room, though the fee itself accrues regardless of whether anyone else is actually waiting for your stall.
The networks with unclear or unpublished policies
This is worth stating plainly rather than guessing: publicly available, clearly documented idle-fee policies for FLO, Ivy, and Petro-Canada's Electric Highway weren't something we could confirm in researching this piece. That doesn't necessarily mean they don't charge one — it may simply mean the policy isn't prominently published the way Tesla's and Electrify Canada's are — but the honest, practical advice is the same either way: if you're planning to leave your car charging unattended for an extended period on one of these networks, check directly with the network (app, customer service, or posted signage at the station) rather than assuming either that a fee exists or that it doesn't.
Basic charger etiquette, beyond the fees themselves
A few habits are worth building regardless of whether a specific network charges a fee for violating them. Set a phone alarm or use your vehicle app's charge-complete notification rather than relying on memory, especially at a busy station. If you know you'll be away from your car for a while — grabbing a meal, running an errand — check the station's occupancy in-app first and be realistic about whether you'll actually be back before your session finishes. And if you pull up to a charger and see a fully charged car sitting in a busy stall, it's reasonable, not rude, to knock or leave a friendly note; most drivers genuinely don't realize how long they've been parked once they've stepped away.
The bottom line
Idle fees are real, documented charges on at least two major Canadian networks — Tesla (CA$0.50-$1.00/min depending on station occupancy, after a 5-minute grace period) and Electrify Canada ($0.40/min after 10 minutes) — and they exist specifically to keep busy fast-charging stations turning over for other drivers rather than sitting occupied by fully charged cars. Build the habit of moving your car promptly once charging finishes, and don't assume a network without a clearly published idle-fee policy won't charge you one.
FAQ
How much is Tesla's Supercharger idle fee in Canada? CA$0.50 per minute if the station is at least half full, doubling to CA$1.00 per minute if it's completely full, starting after a 5-minute grace period once your session ends.
Do I get charged an idle fee if the Supercharger station is empty? Generally no — Tesla's idle fee only applies once your session ends and the station is at least 50% occupied. At a mostly empty station, you typically won't be charged regardless of how long you stay.
Does Electrify Canada have an idle fee too? Yes — a flat $0.40 per minute once you're 10 minutes past your charging session's completion, regardless of how busy the station is.
Do FLO, Ivy, or Petro-Canada charge idle fees? We couldn't confirm a clearly published idle-fee policy for any of these three networks. Check directly with the network before assuming either way, especially if you plan to leave your car unattended for a while.
Sources: NotATeslaApp, "Tesla Supercharger Idle and Congestion Fees Explained"; Electrify Canada, FAQ. Network fee policies change periodically — confirm current rates in-app before relying on the figures here.
