That memo, or fact sheet What is his real name, explains how the US government plans to make EV charging more accessible and affordable for US car owners in the coming years. And that can’t hurt, because the US certainly doesn’t have as many chargers as there are in Europe yet. Of course, Tesla’s Supercharger fast chargers are widely available, so it would be very helpful if drivers of other EVs could use them as well.
Specifically, the plans state: “Later this year, Tesla will begin manufacturing new Supercharger equipment that will make it possible to charge non-Tesla EVs at Tesla Superchargers.” In fact: a physical adjustment is necessary. In the U.S., superchargers are still only equipped with Tesla’s own DC connector, which debuted on the Model S in 2012. The smaller Model 3 and Model Y also have that connection, and in other parts of the world they have the CCS connection used by other brands. Since the arrival of the Model 3, European superchargers have also received a CCS cable, while the latest V3 chargers here now only have such a universal connection.
In Europe, charging non-Teslas with a supercharger with software was sufficient, but in the US it required more. However, as of this year, those changes are apparently underway.
Other manufacturers
The fact sheet isn’t just about Tesla. Other parties interested in contributing to the (fast) charging network in the US will also be discussed. For example, Tennessee-based Tritium can make 30,000 fast chargers annually, and Siemens plans to make a million chargers in the U.S. and the U.S. over the next four years. Electrify America, already the largest supplier of fast chargers after Tesla, is investing an additional $450 million with partners Siemens and Volkswagen. This will lead to 10,000 high-speed chargers in 1,800 different locations. Electrify America is a direct result of Volkswagen’s diesel scandal. Part of the punishment for those wrongdoings in the US is the instigation of electric mobility, and the Germans are doing this with this network of fast chargers, among other things.
Netherlands and Europe
In Europe, Tesla is busy opening superchargers for other brands of EVs. It started in the Netherlands, and among others, chargers are now accessible to everyone. The rest of Europe is not far behind, but the countries around us have already opened the necessary superchargers. However, downloading the Tesla app is required for activation. Also, it is said that super charging is not possible in every car. For example, we’re having some issues online with drivers of EVs that don’t draw power from V3 superchargers, such as Opel, Peugeot and DS, as well as Kia’s EV6 and Hyundai’s Ioniq5.
