If you lived in Europe and owned a non-Tesla EV then your life had been much easier for quite some time as compared to a person living in the US who also owns a non-Tesla EV. For a long time, there was no answer to the question of how to charge your non-Tesla EV at a Tesla Supercharger. This is because if you asked the question can I charge non Tesla at a supercharger in the US then the answer would be no until recently. Now not only can non-Tesla EV owners use the Tesla charge network but also Tesla is developing new Supercharger stations with non-Tesla EVs in mind.
Can I Charge Non Tesla at a Supercharger?
The first Tesla Supercharger station was built back in 2012 and since then more than 39,999 such stations have been built in various countries to take the total to over 40,000 Tesla Superchargers around the world. Their charge stations aren’t just huge, convenient, or reliable but also the best that are around for any EV and they also support fast charging like no one else.
In November 2021 it was the first time that if you asked can I charge non Tesla at a Supercharger the answer to it would be yes. Around this time Tesla started with their pilot program where non-Tesla EV owners would be allowed to bring and charge their vehicles at Tesla Supercharger stations. However, this was started for a select few stations that too in Europe and not in the US.
Tesla Supercharger stations are so far open to people living in countries like
- Australia
- France
- The Netherlands
- Norway
- The UK
- Spain
- Sweden
- Belgium
- Austria
- Denmark
- Finland
- Germany
- Luxembourg
- Switzerland
- Iceland
- Italy
- US
The US happens to be the latest addition to the list after having waited for its turn for too long. However, no official announcements have been made as to which stations are running this pilot, instead, Tesla enthusiasts are informing each other about developments by themselves.
Non-Tesla EV owners are understandably being charged more than Tesla EV owners for using the supercharging stations. Also, the charging cords at these stations might not reach the charging port of all EVs. The company is working on this and a few other problems by building new and more advanced stations. For now, only CSS-enabled non-Tesla vehicles can get charged at Tesla charge stations.
How to Charge Your Non-Tesla EV at a Tesla Supercharger?
Now that we know that non-Tesla EV owners can charge their vehicles at Tesla charge stations, the next obvious question that you might have is how to charge your non-EV at a Tesla Supercharger. And to put, your task is almost similar to a Tesla EV owner, and for proceeding, you would need the Tesla app.
- Download the Tesla app on your Android or iOS device (version 4.2.3 or above). Next up, create an account.
- Then proceed to select the Charge your Non-Tesla option and find a site that supports non-Tesla EVs.
- Now you need to choose a payment method after which you can plug in your vehicle. Select a stall and hit the Start Charging option.
- Fill up the battery as much as you want then select the Stop Charging option to complete the session.
If you also own a Tesla car then you can simply go to your existing profile in the Tesla app and simply swipe to Charge your Non-Tesla option.
Also Read: Teslas 350kW V4 Stations are the Key to Diagonal Supercharger Parking of Other EVs
How Often Can Non Tesla Cars Use Tesla Charging Stations?
It was 2022 May when the UK got 15 supercharging sites where non-Tesla EVs could also be charged. These 15 stations brought with them a total of 158 individual superchargers. Currently, people in the UK have the option of using a V2 unit charger or a V3 unit charger. And now that we know how to charge your non-Tesla EV at a Tesla Supercharger station the next question we have is how often can these charging stations be used by non-Tesla EV owners.
To understand how often can non-Tesla cars use Tesla charging stations we need to understand the payment structure for both parties involved. A person who gets a monthly subscription at 10.99 pounds will save 10 to 20p per kWh, however, a person who does not get the membership might have to shell out an average of 60p per kWh. And if you take up a charging booth after your car has been charged fully then you might be charged an ideal fee which might be 1 pound per minute.
So if you still haven’t understood it then let us spell it out for you. There is no limit on how many times a Tesla user or a non-Tesla user can use the charge station. Since you pay every time you use the charging station you can use the station daily or even multiple times a day it does not matter as you will be paying for what you get.
However, it is better to pay attention to the battery levels because if it replenishes and you don’t disconnect immediately then you may end up paying a high fee. For this reason, it also makes sense only to use the charging station when you are running very low on battery.
So now you know how to charge your non-Tesla EV at a Tesla Supercharger station and it is not much different from how a Tesla owner would do it. Also, we now know how often can non Tesla cars use Tesla charging stations and so for that reason it would be great to use the station only when necessary to avoid being hit with an ideal fee. Lastly, it is better to check out the rates at charge stations near you to see the difference in charging prices and if you think you might need to use the charging network frequently then you better get a membership to avoid paying higher fees each time out.
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