Source: Tesla
Tesla has further opened up its Supercharging network to owners of other electric vehicles in Europe, continuing its mission to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles. And, in the US rental car giant Hertz has been spotted charging up Tesla Model 3s in its new EV fleet after ordering some 100,000 in October.
Tesla’s non-Tesla Supercharging pilot commenced in November 2021 in the Netherlands, and has now expanded to include France and Norway.
Owners of electric vehicles made by other carmakers that are fitted with a CCS2 plug can now use the Tesla smartphone app to access Superchargers, the EV maker said on Twitter today, making charging more equitable for Tesla and non-Tesla owners alike.
EV drivers from five countries – the Netherlands, France, Norway as well as Germany and Belgium – can participate in the pilot.
For drivers who don’t own a Tesla vehicle that want to use a Supercharger, they must first create a Tesla account and download the smartphone app and add a payment method. After plugging in at a Supercharger, they must then use the app to activate charging.
Tesla says in a post about its non-Tesla Supercharging pilot that other EV drivers will pay an increased rate compared to Tesla owners that “reflects additional costs incurred to support charging a broad range of vehicles and adjustments to our sites to accommodate these vehicles.”
“Rates vary by site, and you can view charging prices in the Tesla app. The per kWh price to charge can be lowered with a charging membership,” it says.
The ability for non-Teslas to use the Supercharging networks means that as Tesla has 30,000 Superchargers worldwide, opening up the network enables more choice and locations for charging for all EV owners.
Tesla has not said when it will open up the Supercharging network in other countries or regions (including Australia – although one Mini spotted at a Supercharger in Sydney sparked debate it could be testing here already).
But, it posted that, “We’re starting with a select number of sites so that we can review the experience, monitor congestion and assess feedback before expanding. Future sites will only be opened to Non-Tesla vehicles if there is available capacity.”
Meanwhile in the US, a recent influx of Model 3s onto the fleet of Hertz has seen a number of these spotted charging at a bank of 250kW Superchargers at Hawthorne, California.
The rental car giant ordered 100,000 EVs from Tesla in October. The images were shared on Twitter by the account holder called @iLuvAmp, who says they own a Model X, and show three Hertz employees with the new EVs charging up so they will be ready to go for customer bookings.
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.
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