Tesla has opened Superchargers in the Netherlands to drivers of electric vehicles made by other carmakers, marking a major shift in strategy that could boost the EV maker’s coffers significantly.
A total of 10 chargers are now open to non-Tesla EVs across the country to Dutch EV owners as part of a trial ahead of a wider rollout planned by the company.
Tesla noted in a blog post regarding the new pilot that it believes widespread access to fast-chargers is crucial to large-scale electric vehicle adoption, and that to date it has approximately 25,000 Superchargers available to Tesla owners worldwide.
Non-Tesla owners will be able to access the 10 Dutch Superchargers by downloading the Tesla app, while Tesla says it will monitor congestion at the Superchargers as well as feedback from customers.
The news comes as the carmaker also revealed that in the US, it will now offer a new AC home charger with a J-1772 plug that can also be used for other carmakers, with a top 9.6kW charge rate (as reported by Electrek).
The EV maker says it has always been its intention to open up its fast-charging DC network to all carmakers and as The Driven reported in June, it had started the process of
In July, Tesla boss Elon Musk revealed that Tesla was making moves to open the network in certain countries, including Vestland in Norway where it has applied for funding to make a number of chargers publicly available.
However it is in the Netherlands – where, as in Norway, drivers have enthusiastically taken to electric cars – that non-Tesla owners will be able to access Superchargers first. On Monday (US time) Musk shared a link from Tesla on Twitter, saying “Trial program for opening Tesla Superchargers to other EVs has begun.”
Trial program for opening Tesla Superchargers to other EVs has begun https://t.co/g4HpgRGl7d
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 1, 2021
Some of the main concerns that will no doubt be scrutinised by Tesla in its Netherlands pilot will be whether making its Superchargers to non-Tesla owners will be met with acceptance by Tesla car owners, as well as whether it will result in congestion at the charging sites.
While it is not yet a matter of concern in Australia which has been slow to take up electric vehicles, there are certainly times in locations such as California, Norway, and even this time in Canada when drivers lined up in searing summer heat, when congestion at Superchargers is becoming a real issue.
At Tesla’s Q3 2021 earnings call CFO Zachary Kirkhoen said that Tesla is striving to alleviate the issue by rolling out more Superchargers.
While Tesla had flagged in July that it would consider introducing demand-based charging to deter drivers from charging for too long during peak periods, it would appear that for the Netherlands pilot this will not be implemented for the time being.
However, Tesla’s blog on the pilot states suggests that non-Tesla owners may be charged more than Tesla owners to reflect “additional costs incurred to support charging a broad range of vehicles and adjustments to our sites to accommodate these vehicles.”
Like Tesla owners, non-Tesla owners will also be charged idling fees if a vehicle is left too long at a charger after charging has finished.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.