Access to the vast Supercharger network is one of the biggest reasons to choose a Tesla over other EVs. The proprietary charging port means only Tesla products can use Supercharger stations. Things may soon change, as Electrek reports that Tesla is in actively talking to other automakers about making the network available to anyone.
Tesla CTO JB Straubel made a comment at the Midwest Renewable Energy Association's 28th Annual Energy Fair in Wisconsin that said the automaker has continued to investigate sharing Superchargers. This isn't the first time the idea has come up. In late 2015, Tesla CEO Elon Musk made comments very similar to Staubel's. It seems like more of a "when" and not an "if."
While this may be good news for new Bolt EV or Nissan Leaf owners, there are already issues with lines at Supercharger stations. Adding more vehicles only makes the problem worse. That said, Tesla has plans to double the size of the worldwide Supercharger network this year, but that's partially to balance out the expected influx of new Model 3s.
Until charge times can be reduced, congestion will remain an issue in major metro areas. Most EVs can't take advantage of the Supercharger's high-speed charging, though that will soon change. Porsche, Mercedes, Audi, and BMW are all working on vehicles that can take advantage of high-speed charging. Access to Tesla's network would be a huge boon.
It's unclear how this might benefit Tesla owners. Tesla's costs will be reduced if it can charge other automakers to use its network, so some of that may be passed on to customers. Right now, this is all still up in the air.
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Tesla CTO JB Straubel made a comment at the Midwest Renewable Energy Association's 28th Annual Energy Fair in Wisconsin that said the automaker has continued to investigate sharing Superchargers. This isn't the first time the idea has come up. In late 2015, Tesla CEO Elon Musk made comments very similar to Staubel's. It seems like more of a "when" and not an "if."
While this may be good news for new Bolt EV or Nissan Leaf owners, there are already issues with lines at Supercharger stations. Adding more vehicles only makes the problem worse. That said, Tesla has plans to double the size of the worldwide Supercharger network this year, but that's partially to balance out the expected influx of new Model 3s.
Until charge times can be reduced, congestion will remain an issue in major metro areas. Most EVs can't take advantage of the Supercharger's high-speed charging, though that will soon change. Porsche, Mercedes, Audi, and BMW are all working on vehicles that can take advantage of high-speed charging. Access to Tesla's network would be a huge boon.
It's unclear how this might benefit Tesla owners. Tesla's costs will be reduced if it can charge other automakers to use its network, so some of that may be passed on to customers. Right now, this is all still up in the air.
Related Video:
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