Tesla CEO Elon Musk has tweeted that other automakers are using the Tesla Supercharger network.
That said, the eccentric CEO says it’s “low-key” and refused to expand further, so it’s still unclear what is really happening here.
The back story is that in 2015, Elon Musk floated the idea of other automakers using the Tesla Supercharger network of EV chargers. This makes sense since Tesla has been around the longest, and it has a more robust charging infrastructure compared to other modern EV makers.
Since Musk keeps tweeting about this, there has been speculation for years that other manufacturers would take him up on his offer, but so far, nothing has come to light.
Serious question: Why don’t more electric car makers take up Tesla on their offer to use the Supercharging network? Incompatible tech? Hidden fees? Pride? There’s gotta be a good reason.
— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) December 21, 2020
EV publication Electrek notes that in Europe, Tesla cars now ship with CSS charging ports, and as a result, its Superchargers must also feature CSS plugs. This would make it really easy for any EV to roll up and charge using the universally accepted CSS port if Tesla allowed it.
However, the publication has a better idea, but it’s not as impactful to the world of EV owners. The Aptera solar-powered EV that was announced in early December was shown off with a Tesla charging port, suggesting this could be the “low-key” implementation Musk was talking about.
It would make sense for Tesla to allow other cars to use its chargers given it would allow the company to earn extra money. Further, if North American Tesla vehicles also adopt the CSS charger, this would mean the company’s cars could use third-party chargers without an adapter kit.
This would be especially useful since the current EV fast-charger network is so limited in Canada.
Ideally, Musk’s tweet refers to Tesla doing something to support more EVs, but for now, we’ll have to wait.
