Tesla Opens Select Superchargers to Non-Tesla EV Owners in the U.S.

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Image: Tesla

One of the many perks of owning a Tesla is the ability to access the company’s wide network of Superchargers, but soon, non-Tesla EV owners will be able to do the same. Following a pilot program that was launched back in November 2021, Tesla announced this week that it had officially opened select Superchargers in the U.S. to other EVs, enabling them to charge their vehicles after going through the appropriate steps in the Tesla app. These Superchargers are outfitted with a “Magic Dock” that extends their charging compatibility beyond Tesla EVs.

From a Tesla support page:

Access to an extensive, convenient and reliable fast-charging network is critical for large-scale EV adoption. That’s why, since opening our first Superchargers in 2012, we have been committed to rapid expansion of the network. Today, we have more than 40,000 Superchargers worldwide.

It’s always been our ambition to open the Supercharger network to non-Tesla EVs, and by doing so, encourage more drivers to go electric.

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.

From an Electrek.co report:

Unlike in Europe, where Tesla already uses the CCS connector, we knew that Tesla would have a tougher time opening its Supercharger network in North America because it uses its own proprietary connector in the market.

The move to open source its connector in an attempt to make it the new North American charging standard made the plan murkier late last year, but the automaker confirmed that it still plans to offer a CCS adapter at its charging stations to support non-Tesla electric vehicles.

We recently learned that Tesla’s solution is going to be deploying the “Magic Dock,” a new receiver for the Tesla charge connector on the Supercharger station.

When the Magic Dock is locked, the station can be used normally by any Tesla owner, but when it is unlocked through Tesla’s app, both the charger and the Magic Dock get pulled along with the Tesla Supercharger handle to become a CCS adapter – allowing it to be plugged into most electric vehicles.

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Tsing Mui
News poster at The FPS Review.

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