Yes, you may use a Tesla charging station to recharge your BMW electric vehicle. It can have some restrictions, though, and you might need to purchase other components like an adaptor. BMW electric cars and other non-Tesla vehicles may use any of the numerous Tesla charging stations located throughout the US thanks to a few available Tesla adapters.
I’m Scott, a huge fan of BMWs and a long-time owner of these incredible vehicles. I’m here to chronicle my encounters with BMWs over the years and, hopefully, to be of use to others.
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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.
Uber App
At the foot of each Supercharger post is a label with a special identification number. Simply choose post 4A in the Tesla app to start charging if you are taking the wire from post 4A. Please be aware that your session will time out and you will need to restart it if you don’t plug in within two minutes of choosing a post.
Will Supercharging for Non-Tesla Vehicles be available in the app for Tesla drivers to use so they can charge other EVs and access their Tesla products from a single account?
Yes. The Tesla app provides access to all Tesla goods and services. Tesla owners are able to charge non-Tesla vehicles using their current account.
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 (and make sure it is version 4.2.3 or higher). 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.”
First time Tesla makes Superchargers available to other electric vehicles
In the Netherlands, some vehicles from the Volkswagen Group, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW brands will be allowed to plug into Tesla charging points.
As the most valuable automaker in the world strives to make electric vehicles more widely used, Tesla is extending its charging network to other electric vehicles for the first time through a trial initiative in the Netherlands.
The business announced on Monday that the program will be tested at ten locations throughout the Netherlands. It also noted that Dutch drivers of electric vehicles other than Tesla can use the Tesla stations, or Superchargers, through the Tesla app.
Tesla users can keep using these charging stations, and the business will actively watch each location for traffic congestion.
While other automakers have joined coalitions or invested in start-ups for networks as they rush new electric vehicles to market, Tesla runs more than 25,000 Superchargers globally.
The Combined Charging System (CCS), favored by BMW, Mercedes-Benz maker Daimler, Ford, and the Volkswagen group, which includes Audi and Porsche, is compatible with the Superchargers.
Tesla uses the CCS standard in Europe, which enables a variety of vehicles to charge in locations without an adaptor that use a connector that is identical.
According to Tesla, non-Tesla drivers would be charged higher fees to support a variety of vehicles and make site modifications to fit these vehicles. “This action immediately advances our goal of accelerating the global switch to renewable energy sources.”
Tesla, whose market capitalization last week became the first to reach $1 trillion, overcame supply chain problems and a global semiconductor shortage to deliver a record number of cars during the third quarter as demand increased and its investments in new plants began to pay off.
Can a BMW i3 be charged at a Tesla supercharger?
They are not employed by Tesla’s Superchargers (Level 3). This adaptor isn’t particularly useful unless you frequently stay at B&Bs or motels that only provide Tesla “Destination” chargers or have a Tesla and home charger in your garage.
Can other vehicles use Tesla chargers?
Stations for Tesla charging in North America 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.
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.
Use of Tesla chargers by non-Tesla vehicles
According to a memo from the White House, Tesla is getting ready to allow non-Tesla electric vehicles access to its Supercharger network in the US later this year.
The firm has already made plans to allow all-electric vehicles access to its Supercharger network globally, but the project is now only available in Europe. The decision makes logical given that Tesla, like all other automakers, embraced the CCS standards in Europe and that its Supercharger stations already have CCS plugs.
Tesla employs its own exclusive connector on both its cars and its Supercharger stations in North America. This strategy restricts Tesla owners to the Supercharger network for rapid charging unless they can obtain a CHAdeMO or CCS adaptor, preventing non-Tesla EV owners from utilizing the network.
Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, previously mentioned having an adaptor at the stations for usage by non-Tesla EV owners, but it hasn’t been made clear how the company intends to carry out its plan to open the Supercharger network in the United States.
A recent memo from the White House, which provides information on various initiatives from a number of businesses in the EV sector, has given us an idea of the timetable.
The White House mentions Tesla in an excerpt and states that Supercharger stations will receive “equipment” to allow non-Tesla EVs to access the network for charging:
At its Gigafactory in Buffalo, New York, Tesla is investing in the construction of more fast charging stations to expand its network. At Giga New York, more than 1,600 people produce the Tesla Solar Roof and Supercharger stations, which can charge cars up to 250 kW. Tesla is increasing its ability to produce charging cabinets, posts, and cables as well as power electronics parts that convert alternating current to direct current. Tesla will start manufacturing additional Supercharger equipment later this year, allowing non-Tesla EV drivers in North America to utilize Tesla Superchargers.
Although it seems weird, it makes plausible that the White House would be aware of this news given that they spoke with Tesla about charging concerns in April.
One need to qualify for the $7.5 billion in federal funding to speed up the development of the nation’s electric car infrastructure is that the charging stations being installed be accessible to EVs from several automakers.
Therefore, if Tesla wants access to those monies, it is anticipated to open up its Supercharger network.
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.
Who is permitted to use a Tesla destination charger?
The Supercharger and Destination networks are two separate ones that Tesla runs. While Destination chargers are located at destinations, places where drivers are likely to spend more time, the first enables Tesla drivers to rapid charge on the UK’s main trunk highways.
Both networks are free to utilize for Tesla owners who drive older models. The quick Supercharger points will require payment for use by any Tesla ordered after January 15, 2017, even though each vehicle has 400 kWh in Supercharging credits per year, which is adequate for about 1,000 miles yearly.
All Tesla drivers who are clients of the locations where the points are located are free to utilize the destination chargers. As opposed to the high power 120kW or 150 kW Superchargers, the Fast chargers, which are normally 22kW, are designed to recharge the Teslas over the course of several hours.