Tesla Superchargers for Everyone – The Real Story, Explained
By Edward A. Sanchez – July 21, 2021
This past week, various blog posts and news outlets have proclaimed “Tesla Opening Supercharger Network to All EVs,” with reactions ranging from “About time” to “Elon is my hero” and just about everything in-between. To the uninitiated, it may seem like just a matter of Musk waving his magic wand, a few lines of code in the Supercharger network database, and voila, supercharging for all. The reality is not quite that simple.
If you’ve been a Tesla owner for any length of time or have followed the EV world closely over the past decade, you’ll know that starting with the Model S in 2012, Tesla has employed a proprietary plug design different than all other EVs. Its compact, elegant plug used the same port and plug for both AC Level 1 and 2 charging, and for Level 3 DC fast charging. From a packaging and design standpoint, the Tesla design is arguably superior to the somewhat chunky and clunky CCS and CHAdeMO standards. In North America, Tesla still utilizes this proprietary plug design.
Unlike the U.S. where regulators have largely taken a somewhat hands-off, laissez-faire approach to standards and requirements, the European Union has been more insistent about standardization. Consequently, Tesla announced in November 2018 it would be equipping all of its future models sold in the EU and UK with a CCS2 charge port, the same standard of every other long-range EV in Europe. Initially, despite a common physical port and plug type, Superchargers in Europe were still software-restricted to Tesla vehicles only. Now, whether through backroom strong-arming by EU regulators or a noble gesture of magnanimity by Tesla, the company said it will be opening its high-speed DC Supercharger network to other EVs in some European markets, with Germany and Norway being specifically mentioned.
Will Tesla Superchargers eventually serve power to other EV manufacturers? Right now, that looks like a possibility. Details right now, however, are nonexistent.
In Europe, it is indeed just a case of software compatibility on part of the charging station network and the vehicles. Not an insignificant feat, but not impossible to solve. When it comes to “Superchargers for All” in North America, the potential implementation of making the Supercharger network universal for all EVs is substantially more complex, owing mostly to the Tesla-proprietary plug and port standard. If it were to happen, there are several scenarios of how this could play out:
1) Equip all Supercharger stalls/stations with a tethered CCS1 adapter
This is a possibility, but seems sub-optimal on a number of levels. First of all, there are approximately 25,000 (and counting) Supercharger stalls in the U.S. While it’s not inconceivable to go out to all of these and put tethered adapters on all of them, it seems impractical at a minimum. Also, what happens if these adapters get damaged, stolen, or are otherwise rendered inoperable? Adds a lot more complexity for Tesla, without a whole lot of upside for them. Chances: Not likely.
2) Sell a Tesla Supercharger-to-CCS1 adapter upon request
This is a more likely scenario. As I’ve noted in previous posts, in my observation, people tend to take better care of their own property than public or shared property. The key here will be cost and perceived value. For $150-$200, it could have quite a few eager takers. Right now, the only rough analog to go by is the CCS1-to-Tesla adapter sold by some third-party vendors. It was initially close to $900 but is now around $400-$500. Still a little pricey. Pricing and perceived value will be key to this approach’s success. Chances: Feasible.
3) Replace older Supercharger stalls with dual Tesla/CCS-1 Cords
All hardware has a finite lifespan, and already, Tesla has upgraded and replaced many of its Supercharger stalls with newer-generation hardware capable of faster charging or employing liquid-cooled cords. As the older Supercharger stalls are upgraded or replaced, it’s a strong possibility that their replacements may be equipped with both CCS1 as well as Supercharger cords to allow for other EVs to take advantage of the charging network. After all, Tesla is part of the SAE committee that created the J1772 standard, even though the company ultimately decided to go its own way in creating its plug and port design. The only downside to this approach is that widespread deployment across the Supercharger network will likely take much longer than simply software enablement or selling an adapter. Despite this, this seems like the most likely scenario. Chances: Most likely.
So if you’re looking at that Mustang Mach-E, Audi E-Tron, or holding out for the Hyundai Ioniq 5 or Kia EV6 in the hopes of hooking up to the Supercharger network on future road trips, don’t count your un-hatched chickens quite yet. “Superchargers-for-all” is much closer to becoming a reality in Europe than it is in the U.S. Tesla still maintains a decisive lead in user experience and availability in the U.S. and will likely maintain that lead for quite a while to come.
In time, as more Supercharger stalls are converted to CCS1/Tesla, and if and when a Tesla-to-CCS1 adapter is made available, this may shift more quickly than anticipated, but it’s going to happen a lot more quickly in Europe than North America.
(Images courtesy Tesla)
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