Tesla plans to open its network of superchargers to other electric vehicles later this year, Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said on Twitter: "We're making our Supercharger network open to other EVs later this year," Musk said on Tuesday, adding that over time Tesla's charging network will be opened to other electric vehicles in all countries."
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Tesla will open its charging network to other EVs later this year
This is the right way to go. In a world full of EVs proprietary standards and charging networks have no place.
I wonder what happens in a couple of years on a busy travel day along a busy corridor. Will Tesla owners be able to reserve charger time-slots via app and jump the line of non-Tesla owners waiting in line on site?
As EV numbers ramp up and strain the DC charging network capacity, I can see booking time-slot reservations via app becoming a thing.
As EV numbers ramp up and strain the DC charging network capacity, I can see booking time-slot reservations via app becoming a thing.
I think you're right. Also, expect price differentiation per kWh for reserved slot vs. drive up (or a reservation fee), maybe even surge pricing like Uber. Somehow these chargers will need to be managed to cope with demand peaks.
One way to go is to make a proprietary Tesla to CCS adapter. It can support plug and charge, it will be expensive so Tesla can make money on selling the adapters. Best of all no hardware changes are required at superchargers. But honestly I think other networks are catching up with superchargers, so if is not a big deal in a year or two.
More than likely they'll follow their European strategy and add a second connection to each charger.
insideevs.com
Most Tesla Superchargers Now Retrofitted With CCS Plugs In Europe: Video
Tesla gradually retrofitted its Supercharging stations in Europe with plugs for the CCS Combo 2-compatible inlet in the Tesla Model 3. Here is a time-lapse video of the transition.
In Europe they had to do it, but in US they are not obligated. Besides adding a new potentially longer charging cable to the existing superchargers is probably very expensive. Why not sell an adapter that takes care of the problem and makes money for Tesla?More than likely they'll follow their European strategy and add a second connection to each charger.
Most Tesla Superchargers Now Retrofitted With CCS Plugs In Europe: Video
Tesla gradually retrofitted its Supercharging stations in Europe with plugs for the CCS Combo 2-compatible inlet in the Tesla Model 3. Here is a time-lapse video of the transition.
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First thing I thought of when reading the announcement is that Tesla will likely sell an adapter.
They may charge more $ for non-Tesla charging too.
They can and I'm sure will make a very positive PR splash when they do allow all brands.
Win-Win-Win
They may charge more $ for non-Tesla charging too.
They can and I'm sure will make a very positive PR splash when they do allow all brands.
Win-Win-Win
That seems legit.
One odd thing among Tesla owners is they have users who still get free for life charging status. Would they offer different levels of accounts, free, standard, and premium (with priority reservations and perhaps a monthly fee in exchange for lower rates)? Possible. They might even offer premium to third party EV owners with priority privileges for the right price.
And EA could give Pass+ and select manufacturers with strategic agreements a similar reservation capability.
Whatever the networks do, I would hope the reservations are time or distance restricted so they don't end up with idle units and lines of EVs waiting for unreserved units to become free. How infuriating would that be?
Logistically though, how would this be implemented? Attendants?
I did an EV club road trip earlier this year with ~9 Teslas, I charged across the street from the SC at an EA site, and hung out with the Tesla owners, had lunch. The 6 SC units were occupied the whole time with both my friends, and several other Teslas that were passing though. One of the guys parked his Tesla in the line that had formed, went in to grab a burger at the nearby fast food joint. When he came out, several Teslas had jumped the line because a few slots opened and there was a gap in front of his parked Tesla. So, he lost his priority.
The problem is logistically challenging. Adding EVSEs to meet the few high demand periods isn't wise. Idle time the rest of the year results in low average utilization stats. Queues are eventually inevitable, so there will have to be some methods to manage this.
Only because they stand to make more money in the long run by making charging more accessible. Requiring an adapter is a barrier to widespread adoption. Guess it really depends on Tesla's intention: do the bare minimum to achieve compliance on paper, or truly open the network to all comers. It also wouldn't shock me to see Tesla change to a CCS standard in the US. The writing is on the wall that Tesla is pigeon-holing their users into a proprietary charging ecosystem in a rapidly expanding CCS world.
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This is my thought also, I'd bet that Tesla does this to get their hands in some of the "Biden infrastructure money".
Acknowleging the obvious, of course, that this is "OUR" infrastructure funded "OUR" money (collectively, if anything needs to be put inside quotation marks), not belonging to any particular political party, administration, or individual, just in a feeble attempt to try to separate to politics from the topic at hand, but in actuality probably sticking my foot in it.
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My intention wasn't to make it political, just saying that the agenda here by Tesla is to get their hands on some of that money. I believe the only way to do this is to install public charging stations, therefore open up the Supercharger network.
In the great scheme of things, this would probably be a good way to accelerate construction of additional charging stations. My concern would be whether there's enough business to support so many locations in the short- to mid-term. Eventually (next 10 years? maybe less?) there'll be enough EV owners on the road. But I'd hate for incentives to be there to build, but no support to maintain, and to see a patchwork of dilapidated charging stops creating an unreliable mess for everyone needing one. I'm sure the EVGos and EAs have this concern as well and would bring the request for short-term operational support to the negotiation.
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If you build it, they will come! If there was adequate fast charging every 50 miles on national highways, that in itself would do wonders for EV sales.
A stigma that many ICE drivers currently hold onto is that they won't be able to charge wherever they want. A massive build out wout quell that way of thinking.
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As a Tesla owner, I’d welcome any non-Teslas at the chargers. I just hope they can expand them somewhat.
I am engaged in conversations with my state EV advocacy folks who influence the grant programs for EV infrastructure. The last I saw of DC proposals was to have state Energy Offices distribute the DC money, so these seem to be the right people to contact. While not currently, and maybe never a Tesla owner, I do have concerns for the benefit of EV owners as a whole that public money should benefit all of us EV owners.
One of the ways is forcing Tesla to make changes, but not necessarily changing their EV socket or SC plugs. If grant money was used to prepare sites with site acquisition, physical mods, utility hookups, and perhaps co-located battery storage and solar\wind generation provided the site will have Tesla and CCS\CHAdeMO plugs, the operators would stand to make more money by avoiding demand charges and reducing site development costs. It could be Tesla (exclusive) and EA at a given site for example, sharing the infrastructure. All EV owners would be served by the public infrastructure grants, have access to native charging ports and preferred networks, and so it serves all EV owners. Heck, I wouldn't even object if Tesla Energy was a key player in the infrastructure pieces for these jointly operated sites.
Tesla adding CCS plugs to their sites is another way, but that might only make sense if EA, EVGo, ChargePoint and others also add Tesla plugs to their units.
I am kind of frustrated by the us vs them current state of things. I have a lot of Tesla friends, and a lot of CCS friends. I would like to see improvements for everyone and more common interest thinking going into infrastructure planning. When I travel with Tesla friends as I do several times per year, I would like to stop and charge at the same location, share a meal, and enjoy time with them. I really enjoy pulling their strings, in fun of course. But most importantly, public money should not be used to pick sides if there are ways to accomplish the same result without friction.
If Tesla wants to set the example by adding CCS plugs at their sites in order to get public assistance, I say great. But, it might also be wise to open source the protocols so the CCS equipment makers can implement native Tesla plugs on their units side by side with CCS and CHAdeMO. No adapters, no sacrifices, no bull. Equal access and equal assistance for all. That would be incredibly welcoming to the confused ICE population who are already overwhelmed by the differences between ICE and EV.
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