In what is a big win for electric vehicles globally, the number one electric car maker, Tesla, has begun opening its Superchargers to all EVs. Previously, only Tesla-branded cars could use the fast chargers.
True to the words of the CEO, Elon Musk, Tesla has started welcoming all EVs to its more than 25,000 chargers worldwide. But it is rolling out the access in phases, beginning with the Netherlands.
Non-Tesla drivers will download the Tesla app to charge. The process requires more steps for them, as they have to set the charging to start and stop, unlike the seamless experience Tesla owners enjoy. When the car charges slowly, Tesla will charge them more to compensate for holding up the stall.
Tesla has also indicated it will implement a kind of price surge, where it will charge more during rush hours to make better use of electricity.
In Europe and China, Tesla won’t need extra hardware for non-Tesla cars to use the Superchargers because all the electric vehicles use the same charging standard. It only has to tweak its software. However, the story is different in North America, where Tesla uses a proprietary connector. The company says it will provide adapters at its public stations, which drivers can also purchase.
For many years, non-Tesla drivers could only drive past Superchargers which are among the best maintained public chargers. However, with this move, Tesla will now conform with the aims of its CEO, who wants to promote electric cars globally to combat environmental pollution. According to him, Tesla does not compete with other EV makers but with internal combustion engine cars.
Tesla will continue to expand the public charging network, especially now that more vehicles will be making use of the chargers.
Details of the global rollout will come over the coming months.
Renewable Brief 