The long-awaited launch of non-Tesla Supercharging in the United States has finally become a reality. On March 1, 2023, the company officially announced that the US is the 17th market (after 15 European countries and Australia) to offer non-Tesla Supercharging. To make the stalls compatible with the Tesla’s NACS and CCS1, Tesla had to develop a special adapter for its Supercharging stalls – the “Magic Dock”. This adapter was spotted for the first time in the wild, several days ago in New York.
Tesla drivers can use the Supercharging stalls just like before, while non-Tesla drivers can unlock the CCS1 plug attached on top of the NACS plug, using Tesla’s app. Once charging is complete, non-Tesla drivers need to press a button on top of the CCS1 adapter to unlatch the plug and bring it back to the “Magic Dock”.
Tesla starts in the US with a small number of sites (in California and New York, as far as we know), which can be found in its app. The number of stations with the “Magic Dock” is expected to gradually increase through a retrofit program. Meanwhile, to get some federal funds for the charging infrastructure, Tesla will probably install the “Magic Dock” in all/most of the new Supercharging stations.
Non-Tesla drivers have two tariffs for Supercharging: Pay per use (dynamic price per kWh) and Pay per use with an additional $12.99/month subscription (lowered price per kWh). The difference is up to $0.12/kWh.
The last issue with non-Tesla Supercharging is the physical compatibility related to the short charging cable and different locations of the charging inlet in various non-Tesla electric vehicles. Tesla is aware that there might be issues at some stations and some EVs, so they advise drivers not to obstruct other cars by parking over the lines if the cable cannot comfortably reach their car.
With this launch, Tesla’s Supercharging network might soon become the US’ largest public EV charging network. This is a great step forward for electric vehicle adoption in the US, as it will make charging more accessible and convenient for all EV drivers.
FAQ
Q1: Are electric car batteries recyclable?
A1: Yes, electric car batteries are recyclable.
Q2: Are electric car chargers free?
A2: It depends on the charger and the location. Some electric car chargers are free, while others may require a fee.
Q3: Can electric car batteries be rebuilt?
A3: Yes, electric car batteries can be rebuilt with the right tools and knowledge.
