Elon Musk has stated that the Tesla Supercharger network will be open to non-Tesla vehicles this year
Elon Musk has stated that the Tesla Supercharger network will be open to non-Tesla vehicles this year
Elon Musk, Tesla's CEO, announced Tuesday that the company's network of direct current fast charging stations for its electric vehicles, dubbed the Tesla Supercharger network, will open to other types of electric vehicles in 2021.
Responding to a Tesla fan on Twitter, where Musk has a 58.3 million-follower following, Musk stated explicitly: "We're opening our Supercharger network to other EVs later this year."
Musk did not specify where Tesla's DC fast-charging stations would be available for use with other electric vehicles in 2021, or which makes and models would be compatible with Tesla's on-road chargers.
He did state that Tesla intends to eventually make Superchargers available to all electric vehicles in all countries.
Previously, Tesla marketed its vehicles as having a significant advantage — in comparison to other brands of battery electric vehicles — due to the company's exclusive network of roadside charging stations.
Tesla drivers are not required to join the Tesla charging network. Tesla charges drivers by the minute or by the kilowatt hour for "supercharging," depending on local regulations.
While Teslas can be charged at virtually any electric vehicle charging station via adaptor cables, Tesla owners currently have exclusive access to the company's level 3 and newer Supercharger stations.
The connectors they use to connect to and charge their vehicles on the road at newer Superchargers render Tesla's stations incompatible with those of other EV manufacturers, which should theoretically result in shorter lines and more chargers available to Tesla drivers.
Musk's promise on Tuesday is more specific than one he made in December 2020 to YouTuber MKBHD, Marques Brownlee. Musk stated at the time that other automakers were "quietly" requesting access to Tesla Superchargers and that the equipment was already "being made accessible to other electric cars."
According to previous reports by Reuters and others, Tesla has been in talks to establish fast-charging stations in Germany, Sweden, and Norway that would be open to electric vehicles from other manufacturers.
In the United States, competitors have long focused on charging stations that serve a diverse range of battery electric vehicles from a variety of automakers. Aerovironment, ChargePoint, Electrify America, Volta, eVgo, and Sema are just a few examples. (In China and some parts of Europe, charging infrastructure deployment has been even faster than in the United States.)
Tesla now operates more than 25,000 charging stations worldwide
If Tesla establishes a significant number of charging stations in the United States — particularly if it can power cars there using renewable energy — it may be eligible for new government funding in the form of grants, tax credits, rebates, or green energy credits that it can sell to businesses seeking to offset their own environmental impact.
The specific credit types would be determined by the various state and federal agencies that administer environmental programs and green credit regimes.
Tesla reported $518 million in revenue from regulatory credit sales in the first quarter of 2021. On Monday, July 26, the company is expected to release its second-quarter earnings update, which will include new Supercharger numbers and revenue from regulatory credit sales.
