What Are The Terms For Accessing Superchargers Open To Non
Tesla Superchargers are available 24/7 and are usually located near facilities such as restaurants, hotels and supermarkets.
You need to use the Tesla mobile app to access and pay for chargingfor non-Tesla vehicles.
To do this, you simply need to create a Tesla account, select the option Charge Your Non-Teslaand select a charging station. You can select your payment method directly on the app. When you are at the charging station, you just need to plug in your vehicle, select the corresponding Supercharger in the app and tap Start Charging. Once you have finished charging, simple tap Stop Charging.
Yes You Can Use Tesla Chargers But You’ll Need To Purchase An Adapter
Yes, you can charge your non-Tesla electric vehicle on a Tesla charging station, but there are limitations and you’ll need to first purchase an adapter. In the video above, we explain what you’ll need, what you should be aware of, and list some of the equipment choices on the market.
First off, we need to be clear about a couple of things.
1) This isn’t about using Tesla high-speed Superchargers. Only Tesla vehicles can use Superchargers, and there aren’t any adapters available that will allow you to use a Supercharger if your EV isn’t a Tesla. There have been rumors that Tesla may open up its Supercharger network for other electric vehicles to use, but so far they are only rumors.
2) We’re talking specifically about the North American market in this video. In Europe, the charging standards are different, and Tesla’s vehicles use different connectors. In fact, not all Tesla vehicles sold in Europe use Tesla’s proprietary connector anymore, so the charging experience is very different than what we experience in North America.
Different Evs Can Use Different Cables
A bit of explanation is in order:
Not every electric vehicle can recharge from every charging station. Every EV comes with a cord that allows it to charge from an ordinary household outlet, but thats the slowest way to recharge your electric car.
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For public fast-charging stations, the situation is different. Not every EV can use every charger. Tesla has its own proprietary plug no other automaker uses and its own network of chargers. Ford uses a J1772 plug a common design used by many non-Tesla EVs. Its compatible with most non-Tesla charging stations.
Teslas come with an adapter that allows them to charge at other charging stations. But other automakers dont provide an adapter that lets their cars recharge at Teslas chargers because Tesla wont allow it. Teslas superchargers arent open to EVs from other brands.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk promised to open the companys supercharger network to everyone last year. But, so far, that hasnt happened.
So the adapter doesnt let the Lightning recharge at Tesla stations.
Why include it, then?
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Cost Of The Charging Session
The prices for charging on the Tesla Supercharger network can vary from one station to the next. In all cases, the cost is higher for non-Tesla EVs than for drivers of the Tesla brand, who benefit from an average price rate of 0.46 per kWh.
Following the increase in electricity tariffs, the latest known price for Tesla charging points on the pilot programme stands at 0.68 per kWh on average. But it is a good idea to check out the rates on the Tesla app before plugging in. A membership is also available to benefit from lower charging rates.
Developing Infrastructure To Charge Electric Vehicles
The SAE J1772 charge port on a vehicle can be used to accept charge with Level 1 or 2 charging equipment. The DC fast charge port uses a different type of connector. In this photo, it is a CHAdeMO.
Consumers and fleets considering electric vehicles which include all-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles need access to charging stations. For most drivers, this starts with charging at home or at fleet facilities. Charging stations at workplaces and public destinations may help bolster market acceptance by offering more flexible charging opportunities at commonly visited locations. Community leaders can find out more through PEV readiness planning, including case studies of ongoing successes. The EVI-Pro Lite tool is also available to estimate the quantity and type of charging infrastructure necessary to support regional adoption of EVs by state or city/urban area and to determine how EV charging will impact electricity demand.
For information on currently available charging infrastructure models, see the Electric Drive Transportation Associationâs GoElectricDrive website and Plug In America’s Get Equipped publication, which include information on charging networks and service providers.
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Why Use Tesla Superchargers
Tesla has stated that it’s installed over 30,000 Superchargers worldwide, so they’re widely available in several countries. Tesla wants every EV driver to be able to use its chargers to encourage more and more drivers to go electric. Along with techniques that help improve your EV’s range, Tesla explains that “access to an extensive, convenient and reliable fast-charging network is critical for large-scale EV adoption.”
Tesla Superchargers are also incredibly fast. Their speeds range from 150kW and 250kW depending on the location, so you can charge your EV as quickly as possible.
Depending on where you live, you may now be able to try them out. Tesla has unveiled its project to expand its network to non-Tesla drivers called the “Non-Tesla Supercharger Pilot.” Let’s see if your EV is compatible with Tesla Superchargers.
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How To Use An Adapter To Connect Your Non
If you own a Nissan Leaf, Toyota RAV4 Prime, Chevrolet Bolt, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Volkswagen ID.4 or any other popular model electric vehicle, you may have started to charge in public places or on the property of businesses. Some of these places where you may wish to charge your vehicle may have what is called a Tesla destination charger. This is a Level 2 charging system that is built by Tesla. However, it is not reserved exclusively for Tesla owners .
The Special Tesla ConnectorLike certain electronics companies that are named after fruit, Tesla opted to use its own charger connectors when the company began building EVs. Perhaps Teslas design is superior to the one that every other automaker in the world opted to standardize on. We arent interested in the debate. We are simply pointing out to you that if you grab the handle of a Tesla destination charger and then try to stick it into the charge port of your non-Telsa vehicle it will not fit. So what now?
Get the AdapterThe simple and proven solution to this problem is to use an adapter. They are low cost, and available for purchase from online retailers like Amazon. The adapter goes between your female J Plug, officially called a J1772, and the Tesla-only male plug. Its that easy.
How Do We Know This Works?Having not used such an adapter ourselves, Torque News reached out to the owner of a Chevy Bolt who did source an adapter and who does use the adapter successfully. Her name is Portia Zwicker.
How Do I Find Tesla Charging Stations
We actually have an entire article dedicated to this subject! If you want to learn more about how to find charging stations then
Tesla has over 10,000 charging stations in North America and over 20,000 worldwide according to forbes.com. As you can see, there are a lot of options, and these options will continue to pop up as Tesla continues to expand. Finding Tesla charging stations can be as simple as searching it up in Google maps or Apple maps. Tesla.com also offers lists of where their charging stations are located. Nowadays finding something is usually as easy as searching it up on the internet.
Tesla and other competitive charging companies like EVgo will continue to build more chargers at a competitive rate. The more widespread these charging stations are and the faster they become at charging, the more popular electric vehicles will become. Having electric charging stations at a greater frequency will allow people to use their electric vehicles to go on long road trips and travel greater distances, which is stopping a lot of people from purchasing electric vehicles at the moment. This increase in charging stations will just continue to push the popularity of electric cars in the future.
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Can Any Electric Vehicle Charge At A Tesla Charging Station
Maybe you have seen more and more electric vehicle charging stations popping up around your town. With the increased numbers of electric cars that are coming onto the road year after year, it is definitely a needed part of city infrastructure. Conventional gas stations allow any internal combustion engine vehicle to be filled up with a universal pump that fits all cars. Electric cars however have a little bit more of a different story.
Can any electric vehicle charge at a Tesla charging station? Electric vehicles not made by Tesla can charge at Tesla charging stations but a Tesla adapter is needed. Tesla supercharger stations however cannot be used by non-Tesla vehicles. However, Tesla has announced that they are working on developing a supercharger station that will work for non-Tesla vehicles.
Different manufacturers of electric cars have different plug shapes that they put on their cars, a lot like different phones may have different shapes for their plugs. Also like phones, adapters can be used to allow your electric car to charge on a charging station that may only have one specific charging head.
Can Other Electric Cars Use Tesla Charging Stations In Europe
We already mentioned that Europe has its own regulations and standards when it comes to electric vehicles and consumer electronics. However, the European Parliamentâs Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection announced the introduction of law around a common charger thatâs meant to take place by 2024, reducing the amount of proprietary charging tech, thus reducing e-waste.
This means that all EV manufacturers will have to use the same charging port if they want to continue selling their products in Europe . However, this system offers a crucial advantage over the one used in the US, and thatâs the presence of an onboard CCS charger system. But what does that mean?
Well, the single charger allows European residents to charge their EVs at any EV charging station, not just Teslaâs â though itâs by far the most widespread charger available. However, it also allows non-Tesla EVs to charge using the companyâs Supercharger network, thanks to the aforementioned onboard CCS charger thatâs fitted on virtually all EVs sold in Europe.
Admittedly, the entire project is still in its test phase, and the Tesla Supercharger network is officially still reserved for Tesla owners. However, to conform to EU laws and regulations and increase EV adoption, Tesla launched the test phase in November last year across 13 of 27 EU countries.
Notable Exceptions
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Charging At Destination Charges
Lets assume you already have a non-Tesla EV and are wondering if you can charge your EV at a destination charger.
What is a destination charger? Basically, these chargers are widely available at places of interest Hotels, Parks, Restaurants. They allow you to charge your EV whilst doing other activities. They provide AC power in a 100 240V output, so unlikely to fully charge your EV while youre at dinner, more of a top-up.
Destination charging stations offer chargers for both Tesla and EV. They offer a J1772 connection which makes them compatible with all CCS EVs. There is no need for any special adaptations, you just plug it in.
However, now that you can purchase an adapter as previously mentioned you now have the added option or advantage of using the Tesla Destination Chargers. Plugin your adaptor and attach it to your car and begin charging. The advantage of this is much more chargers available to you along your journey.
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Access to an extensive, convenient and reliable fast-charging network is critical for large-scale EV adoption, reads a Tesla statement. Thats why, since opening our first Superchargers in 2012, we have been committed to rapid expansion of the network. Today, we have more than 30,000 Superchargers worldwide.
Tesla drivers can continue to use these stations as they always have, and we will be closely monitoring each site for congestion and listening to customers about their experiences.
More customers using the Supercharger network enables faster expansion. Our goal is to learn and iterate quickly, while continuing to aggressively expand the network, so we can eventually welcome both Tesla and non-Tesla drivers at every Supercharger worldwide.
So, what do we reckon folks? Is this a good move from Tesla?
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How Much Does It Cost To Charge A Tesla At Home
Moving on to the least expensive Tesla, the 50 kWh battery on the Standard Range Plus Model 3 will cost approximately $5.79 to fully charge, while the 82 kWh batteries on the other trims will run you about $9.49 each. A Standard Range Plus Model 3 comes out to roughly $0.022 per mile and $2.20 for 100 miles of range.
Prioritising The Tesla Network In The Chargemap Route Planner
You want to benefit from the Supercharger network open to non-Tesla drivers when you travel on holiday this summer? The Chargemap route planner has integrated all Tesla Superchargers accessible to non-Tesla EVs.
You can set up your journey by prioritising the Tesla Supercharger network. The tool then suggests charging stops on this network, providing that your EV is compatible and that there are Tesla charging stations open to all along your route.
You can also select a charging stop yourself at a specific Tesla Supercharger. To do this, you simply need to activate the Stations button and then use the filters so that only charging stations on the Tesla Supercharger network are displayed on your itinerary. If there are any and you want to plan a stop there, tap Charge at this charging station. As an option, you can set the duration of your break and the battery level you want to attain.
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Does It Cost More To Charge Other Evs At A Tesla Charging Station
Tesla charging stations offer to charge to offer vehicles at the same price. At a Tesla charging station, you have a lot of options for how you want to charge your vehicle. You can charge your vehicle and choose to pay by time or by kWh. Prices between choosing the two will be similar, so it is your decision on what choice would help you in your situation.
When using a Tesla charging station, you can also select if to charge at a rate above 60 kW or below 60 kW. Charging your electric car above 60 kW will allow it to charge faster but it does cost more per minute charged than it does at below 60 kW. If you do go that route, you have to really think about how much time you want to spend there because at above 60 kW your car is going to take less time to charge than below 60 kW, so you are going to have to pay for less time.
When comparing Tesla charging stations to other charging stations, there really isnt too much of a difference in pricing. To really figure out how much charging your electric vehicle will cost, it is probably easiest to figure out your cars kilowatt mileage. Basically, an electric vehicles kilowatt mileage is pretty close to mpg for conventional vehicles. An electric cars kilowatt mileage is measured by how many kilowatts it takes to travel 100 miles. The average electric vehicle uses from 27 to 30 kW to travel 100 miles.
The Lightning Is A Battery Backup For Everything
Because the Lightning doesnt just accept a charge. It can also provide one. Ford has advertised the trucks bi-directional charging capability heavily. The truck can serve as a battery backup for an entire house in the event of a blackout, or to power tools and other accessories in the field.
Tools, or other EVs. Bi-directional charging could allow a Lightning owner to provide a quick charging boost to a drained EV to help get it to a charging station. Hence, a Ford spokesperson says, the adapter would let Lightning owners lend a hand if needed.
We should note that the adapter isnt mentioned as a feature in any of Fords marketing materials for the Lightning or mentioned in the owners manual. So Ford may not plan to include them with the truck for anyone but these first few buyers.
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Ev Charging Options Explained
Youve probably heard wildly conflicting stories about how long it takes to charge an electric car. EV critics say it can take 20 hours to fully charge a battery, while electric car buffs will breathlessly tell you that Tesla Superchargers can add up to 200 miles of range in just 15 minutes.
So how long does charging actually take? Well, actual charging speeds depend on a few different factors: the charging equipment, sometimes called Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment , the power source, and the EVs own onboard charging capacity.
Its not as complicated as it sounds – charging options are divided into three broad categories:
