When Tesla first launched its network of Supercharger stations, they were just for Teslas. But with increasing rival EVs, demand for charging station access has steadily risen, prompting Tesla to begin opening its existing charger network to third-party EVs.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted last year that the company’s open-access Supercharger pilot program — already in 13 European countries — would head to the US.
Now, InsideEVs spotted in a recent White House fact sheet that open chargers could arrive by the end of the year: “Later this year, Tesla will begin production of new Supercharger equipment that will enable non-Tesla EV drivers in North America to use Tesla Superchargers.”. To access it, American EV owners will need to use the latest Tesla app and select the Charge Your Non-Tesla option from the menu.
The challenge will be ensuring interoperability. While open superchargers are operating in more than a dozen countries in Europe, only some stations are actually available to non-owners. Only in the Netherlands is every Supercharger open access.
For compatibility in North America, Tesla will need to install adapters at its stations to get around the company’s own proprietary charging plug, as well as consider the software interactions between the charger and non-Tesla EVs.
— Mat Smith
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