Tesla Announces Its Unique Superchargers Will Soon Work With Other EVs
Image via Tesla
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced on Twitter that the company will be making its Supercharger network open to other electric vehicles (EVs) later in the year.
Most other EVs use an industry-standard J1772 connection for Levels 1 and 2 charging, the Combined Charging System (CCS) connection for DC fast-charging, reports CNET.Some automakers such as Aptera are already using the Tesla Superchargers “low-key,” but this move is about to make their work a lot easier. Nissan and Mitsubishi also have the CHAdeMO DC for fast charging, but it might be phased out to be replaced by the CCS.
However, Tesla’s ports and connectors differ from the status quo: they’re slimmer and can handle both low and fast charging. Also, they have a smaller footprint, making them easy for designers to hide. Tesla users have been able to utilize an adaptor in order to make use of chargers outside the company ecosystem, but it only goes one way as other EVs can’t use the Tesla chargers.
Until now, as revealed by Musk. Third-party charging has been hinted at for a few years now, and this tweet finally confirms it. While this is beneficial to users with non-Tesla EVs, it will also open up a potential new revenue stream for Tesla in the form of adaptors and possibly a fee to use the Superchargers.
Tesla also seems to be exploring the construction of restaurants for drivers to rest at or power up their rides during road trips. With access to Superchargers opening up, it’s possible that all facilities within these dining establishments would be usable by all.
We created our own connector, as there was no standard back then & Tesla was only maker of long range electric cars.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 20, 2021
It’s one fairly slim connector for both low & high power charging.
That said, we’re making our Supercharger network open to other EVs later this year.
[via CNET, cover image via Tesla]
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