Tesla CEO Elon Musk said several years ago that Tesla would open up Supercharging to non-Tesla electric cars — automakers had only designed cars that were compatible and contribute to the cost of developing the Supercharger network. Despite some hints after a few years that some automakers were planning to partner with Tesla, nothing ever came of it.
More recently, in 2020, the news broke that some Superchargers in the Netherlands let non-Tesla EVs charge for free. In Europe, Tesla uses a required CCS fast charging port that is also used by others in the industry. Presumably, that first access was simply granted to test charging various EVs. In Nov 2021, Tesla has started offering Supercharging to non-Tesla EVs in parts of the Netherlands. early 2022, Tesla has opened up Supercharging to all non-Tesla EVs at some of its stations in Norway and France. It’s not free in these cases, but it works! And Tesla has quickly expanded that program. Tesla has opened stations in the UK, Spain, Sweden, Belgium and Austria in May, and Germany is next.
In the US, the challenge is not only that the government puts less pressure on this, but also that Tesla does not share a charging plug design with the rest of the industry. Most EVs use CCS fast charging, while Tesla still uses its own system. However, also excited to open Supercharging here, it looks like Tesla has a solution. It looks like Tesla will add CCS charging stations in US locations or provide charging adapters for non-Tesla drivers to use at Superchargers.
A hint in this direction comes from a recent White House press release. The press release covers electric vehicle charging claims and plans from several companies in the US: ABB, ChargePoint, Flo, Tesla, Tritium and Volta. The following is the Statement from the White House regarding Tesla (and I emphasize the key parts with bold text):
“Tesla makes investments in its Gigafactory in Buffalo, New York to support the rollout of new fast charging stations to add to the fast charging network. More than 1,600 employees work at Giga New York, producing the Tesla Solar Roof and Supercharger stations, which can charge vehicles up to 250 kW. Tesla is expanding production capacity of power electronics components that convert AC to DC, charging cabinets, poles and cables. Later this year, Tesla will begin production of new Supercharger equipment that will allow non-Tesla EV drivers in North America to use Tesla Superchargers.“
Tesla could develop new CCS charging stations that could use EVs with CCS plugs, and the company could theoretically install a few (or more) at stations where it decides to open up charging to more drivers. However, it seems more practical and logical to develop adapters. Then any EV rider who wanted to use Superchargers could purchase the adapter and use Superchargers along their driving routes. The adapter would theoretically contain some identifying information so Tesla could know who was charging and bill them appropriately, through the Tesla app, much like Tesla drivers are billed and paid.
We will see. Any other thoughts on this development?
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