With a pilot project in the Netherlands, Tesla, one of the most prestigious automakers in the world, opened its charging network to other electric vehicles. The business declared that non-Tesla vehicle owners would be able to access superchargers at ten different locations throughout the Netherlands via the Tesla app. This indicates that you can use a Tesla charging station to charge your non-Tesla EV. There are a few things you should keep in mind, though.
Tesla’s high-speed superchargers can only be utilized by Tesla vehicles, despite there being charging stations for non-Tesla drivers. Therefore, it is not possible to utilize a Supercharger with a BMW electric vehicle because to the lack of suitable adapters. The truth is that Tesla has thought about allowing other electric vehicles access to its Supercharger network. However, nothing has been officially confirmed by the company, so these are still just rumors.
Tesla’s automobiles need various connectors because European charging standards are different from American ones. Due to the fact that not all Tesla vehicles sold in Europe utilize Tesla’s specialized connector, the charging process is very different from that of other markets, like as North America.
Tesla uses the CCS standard in Europe so that a variety of vehicles can charge at locations without an adapter with a similar plug. Tesla claims that non-Tesla drivers using its charging stations could result in the business spending more money to support a variety of vehicles and make site modifications to accommodate these vehicles. This, it claims, advances Tesla’s objective of accelerating the global switch to sustainable energy.
As rival automakers seek to launch new electric vehicles, Tesla has more than 25,000 Superchargers installed across the world while they have formed alliances or invested in network firms. The Combined Charging System (CCS), which is utilized by BMW, Daimler, Ford, and the Volkswagen Group, which includes Audi and Porsche, allows for the usage of the Superchargers.
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Tesla chargers can be used, but you’ll need to buy an adapter.
Yes, there are restrictions and you must first buy an adaptor before using a non-Tesla charging station to charge your electric car. We go over what you’ll need, what you should be aware of, and a selection of available equipment in the video up above.
1) Using Tesla high-speed Superchargers is not the topic here. Superchargers can only be used by Tesla vehicles, and there are no adapters that would let you use a Supercharger if your EV isn’t a Tesla. There have been reports that Tesla may let other electric vehicles to utilize its Supercharger network, but as of now, these are only hearsay.
2) In this video, we’re focusing primarily on the North American market. Tesla’s vehicles use separate connectors and operate under different charging standards in Europe. The charging process is actually extremely different from what we have in North America because not all Tesla vehicles sold in Europe use Tesla’s proprietary connector any longer.
Tesla HPWC Charging With A BMW i3 – Video
Wouldn’t it be great if other electric vehicles could utilize those charge sites, especially with Tesla destination chargers sprouting up all over the country? (Of course with permission.)
It turns out that different electric vehicles can definitely use the Tesla destination chargers (Tesla HPWC) with the aid of an adapter:
“Using my adaptor, a BMW i3 is charging on a Tesla HPWC EVSE. Additionally, most electric vehicles other than Teslas can now charge in locations where only Tesla HPWC equipment is available thanks to this adapter. It only functions with the Tesla AC charging hardware. CAN’T BE USED WITH THE TESLA DC SUPERCHARGER! With the BMW i3, Nissan Leaf, Toyota RAV4 EV, and Ford C-Max Energi, this adaptor has been utilized with success.”
Of course, the question is: Does having this installed in publicly accessible areas violate the rights of Tesla to use its technology and specified spots? However, having this adapter at home or in private would be useful.
Now, other electric vehicles can use Tesla Superchargers: Here’s How It Works
Other electric vehicle owners are now able to recharge their batteries at Tesla’s Supercharger facilities.
Although now merely a tiny pilot project, Tesla and the electric vehicle industry as a whole will benefit from the Supercharger network’s unlocking. Exclusive access to the Supercharger network has long been one of the biggest advantages of owning a Tesla, even if public charging networks from companies like Ionity and Electrify America are improving.
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has long talked about opening up the network and has previously said that other manufacturers have been given the opportunity to use it, but none have. Currently, that is about to alter.
The trial initiative, which is described in a blog post by Tesla that was published today (November 1), would make 10 Supercharger stations in the Netherlands accessible to other EVs. These vehicles’ drivers must utilize the Tesla mobile app. To begin, they select the brand-new “Charge Your Non-Tesla” option and enter a payment method.
Tesla drivers can continue to use the chargers as usual, however the trial project is only open to Dutch residents who own EVs. EV owners from other countries are not yet eligible. Additionally, Tesla owners who own additional EVs can charge those vehicles using the same Tesla app.
All Superchargers that work with non-Tesla vehicles have the CCS connection, which is currently standard on all fast-charging electric vehicles sold in Europe.
The fee for other EV drivers to access Superchargers is not yet known by Tesla. Instead, the business claims: “Pricing for non-Tesla drivers accounts for additional expenses paid to support charging a wide range of vehicles and modifications made to our sites to serve these vehicles. The Tesla app allows you to view charging prices, which change depending on the location. A charging membership can reduce the cost of charging per kWh.”
Can you use a Tesla home charger for BMW i3?
The DC rapid charging capabilities may or may not be included as standard equipment, depending on the market. All of the Tesla superchargers are only compatible with Tesla vehicles. If you have a compatible adapter assembly, any Tesla destination charger should be able to function on the i3, but they are AC chargers.
The i3 can withstand between 3.7 and 7.4Kw of acv (level 1 or 2) charging, with some models with 3-phase inputs being able to tolerate a little bit more. Tesla superchargers (DC) have a maximum output of 125Kw. The i3’s input can handle up to 50Kw of power, but a converter cable won’t work to rectify the signaling or connector differences between the two. The current CCS standard has a maximum power limit of 50 Kw, but there are updates planned to support up to 350 Kw; however, no vehicles are currently on the market that could make use of that, the standard has not been finalized, and there are no deployed units other than a few units used by the manufacturers to test their prototypes. Audi will likely sell one that can produce 150 kW next year, while Porsche will likely sell one with a 350 kW input capacity the year after that.
Can a Tesla supercharger be used to recharge a BMW i4?
The lengthy response is that we have compiled an A-Z list of electric vehicles with CCS so all you have to do is search to see if your vehicle is listed because the many types of chargers can be confusing.
Notably, vehicles using CHADEMO, like as the Nissan LEAF, won’t be able to utilize the Supercharger network.
*This list will be updated as new electric vehicles become available; it is not exhaustive.
BMW i3 UK charging station compatibility
Concerning Tesla charging stations To put it another way, Tesla creates adapters so that its vehicles can charge elsewhere, yet it now prohibits charging from ANY other brand at its superchargers.
Which chargers can be used with a BMW i3?
A Type 2 plug allows you to charge your BMW i3 at home, the office, or a public charging station. Additionally, there includes a CCS port for quick charging.
Can other vehicles be charged at a Tesla Supercharger?
A White House letter states that Tesla intends to allow non-Tesla electric vehicles access to its Supercharger network in the US by the end of 2022.
As part of a small pilot program, the business has been letting owners of non-Tesla EVs use its Supercharger connectors in a number of European locations. However, the company has remained mum about when non-Tesla EV owners would be permitted to use charging stations in the US. According to a “information document” released on June 28 by the White House and discovered by InsideEVs, those EV owners may be allowed to use Superchargers as early as the end of this year.
The White House reports that “later this year, Tesla will start producing new Supercharger technology that will allow non-Tesla EV users in North America to utilize Tesla Superchargers.”
New Supercharger technology that will allow non-Tesla EV users in North America to use Tesla Superchargers will go into production by Tesla.
An email asking Tesla to confirm these plans received no response (Elon Musk shut down the company’s PR department in 2019). It’s unclear whether the White House intentionally ignored Tesla’s own project announcement. President Joe Biden has faced intense hostility from Musk, and Biden has made a point of avoiding mentioning Tesla when praising the auto industry’s plans for electrification.
Fast, dependable, and abundant, Tesla’s Supercharger network is frequently cited as the gold standard for EV charging infrastructure. However, Tesla’s network has long been restricted to Tesla owners, making it unavailable to anyone operating a plug-in Volkswagen, Ford, or Chevy.
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has long discussed making his Superchargers available to electric vehicles from other manufacturers. The business began doing this last year, initially in Norway before finally branching out to Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Non-Tesla EV customers will need to download the most recent version of Tesla’s smartphone app in order to access the stations if the US version of the pilot program functions the same way as it does in Europe. The option to “Charge Your Non-Tesla” will be presented to them when they want to locate the nearest participating Supercharger location. Tesla owners are still welcome to utilize the stations as usual. Additionally, the business has stated that it will carefully watch each location for traffic and other issues.
Non-Tesla vehicles must require an adaptor to utilize the company’s Superchargers, of which there are over 6,798 plugs in the US, according to the Department of Energy, because Tesla employs a proprietary connector here. (According to the business, there are 35,000 Supercharger plugs worldwide.)
In the US, there are more than 100,000 outlets at about 41,000 public charging stations, including Superchargers. According to the Biden administration, $5 billion will be spent to increase that number to 500,000 chargers by 2030. Federal funds will only be made available to install charging connections that can be used by the greatest number of car owners, in accordance with new guidelines outlined by the White House.
Can someone who doesn’t own a Tesla use a Supercharger?
As it gets ready to launch its Supercharger network in the US, Tesla is developing a new Supercharger membership to provide non-Tesla EV owners.
Tesla is getting ready to launch the network in North America by creating a new CCS adaptor for non-Tesla EV owners after launching the network in Europe, where Superchargers use the industry-standard CCS plug.
The Supercharger network, which is considerably larger than any other fast-charging network in the US and is one of the main benefits of driving a Tesla, already gets congested at times, so the concept of allowing non-Tesla EVs access to it has generated considerable debate among the Tesla community.
We got a sneak peek at Tesla’s strategy to introduce other EVs to the network last night when the company momentarily let US residents to join up for a Supercharger membership in the nation:
Tesla promptly took the option out of the app, which it had apparently prematurely introduced as there are currently no non-Tesla EV stations in the US.
The $0.99 membership price was only a placeholder in the incomplete Supercharger membership in the app and is also very unlikely to be the final cost.
However, it’s possible that Tesla is working on the idea of a “Pay per Use” model and a membership where the cost per kWh is cheaper, which is why it appeared in the app.