Tesla opens its Supercharger network to other car brands

Timothy

Following an announcement from Tesla chief Elon Musk that the brand’s proprietary ‘Supercharger’ network would be opened to other brands, 15 of the 98 charging sites in the UK are now available for use by all electric vehicles as part of a Europe-wide pilot.

In a bid to accelerate widespread EV adoption by increasing the number of universally accessible public charging stations, Tesla will now allow non-Tesla EV drivers to access selected Supercharger sites via the Tesla app.

The 30,000-strong Supercharger network, which stretches across Western Europe, North America and China, has long been a key draw of buying into the Tesla brand. Tesla owners enjoy wide coverage, rapid charging, attractive energy rates (including lifetime free use for owners of early models) and often no waiting times, with most sites having a multitude of chargers available.

Supercharger pricing varies depending on location, but non-Tesla owners will pay more than those who drive a Tesla. Non-Tesla owners can benefit from lower charging costs by signing up for a £10.99 monthly subscription.

As an example, the Folkestone Supercharger site (which is part of the non-Tesla pilot) charges non-Tesla drivers £0.61/kWh, reducing to £0.48/kWh with the monthly subscription (prices taken from the Tesla app and correct as of time of writing).

In contrast, Tesla owners pay on average around £0.26/kWh to use Supercharger sites.


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It remains to be seen how the move to open up select charging sites affects availability, but Tesla has reported that similar trials in France, the Netherlands and Norway, have yet to see non-Tesla owners causing Tesla drivers having to wait for a Supercharger to become available. Tesla has also said it will triple the capacity of the Supercharger network over the next one and a half years.

While early Tesla models used Type 2 charging connectors, all European Supercharger stations offer both this and the CCS Combo type connector, which is increasingly the most popular standard across all electric car brands.


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Which Supercharger stations are now open to non-Tesla drivers?

The Supercharger stations now available to all EV users are:

  • Aviemore
  • Dundee
  • Adderstone
  • Manchester Trafford Centre, Flint
  • Aberystwyth
  • Banbury
  • Cardiff
  • Trumpington
  • Thetford
  • Wokingham
  • Birmingham St Andrews
  • Cardiff
  • Uxbridge
  • Grays
  • Folkestone Eurotunnel

More information on these sites (including locations of all Superchargers worldwide) can be found on Tesla’s interactive Supercharger map.


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