Non-Tesla EVs Can Access Superchargers, But There’s a Catch – EQ Mag
Non-Tesla EVs Can Access Superchargers, But There’s a Catch
Tesla’s Supercharger stations have been a major selling point for the electric carmaker, but the recent decision to open up some of these stations to non-Tesla electric cars has caused some headaches for Tesla owners. YouTuber Marques Brownlee recently took his Rivian R1T to a Tesla Supercharger in rural New York and found that the charging station was not equipped for his EV’s charging port location, forcing him to take up two parking spots. Brownlee said that while the experience made his Rivian a better car, it could deter Tesla owners who may face longer wait times and more crowded charging stations.
The situation only got worse when a Lucid EV and a F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck showed up. The F-150 Lightning driver, Tom Moloughney, who runs EV charging channel State of Charge, said that the retrofitted charging cord was only long enough to reach the car’s charging port when the driver had pulled so far up the front of his car was practically touching the charging stand and the cord was pulled completely taut — a scenario the driver said felt “too risky.” Similarly, the cable was also not long enough for the Lucid driver.
“If you’re a Tesla owner it’s not a good day,” Moloughney said. “Soon that exclusivity of being able to drive wherever you want and plug in it’s going to get more complicated because Superchargers are going to start to get clogged up with non-Tesla vehicles.”
Despite these challenges, Brownlee said he was happy with the charging experience for his Rivian, which took about 30 minutes and $30 to charge from 30% to 80%. However, he acknowledged that the transition to opening up Superchargers to non-Tesla EVs will take some time and “finagling” to figure out an etiquette for sharing the charging stations.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk called Brownlee’s video “interesting” on Twitter and agreed to begin opening up some of the electric-car maker’s Superchargers to non-Tesla owners earlier this year. While regular Tesla stations have always been open to non-Tesla EVs through a special adapter, the carmaker pledged to make its ultra-fast supercharging stations compatible with other electric cars by the end of 2024. As more EVs hit the market and more charging stations become available, it remains to be seen how this transition will play out and how Tesla owners will adapt to sharing their exclusive Supercharger network.
Source: globalvillagespace
