Non-Tesla EVs in Europe can now take advantage of Tesla's Supercharger pilot program. The company has now expanded its extensive charging network.
The pilot was only available in several parts of Europe in select stations, such as The Netherlands, France, and Norway. Now, it is available in Spain, UK, Sweden, Belgium, and Austria.
For non-Tesla owners in Belgium and Germany, they can benefit from Tesla's network when they travel to a country that has open Superchargers. Since Belgium is now part of the program, it is only German residents who need to go out of its borders to use the pilot.
Drivers can use the Tesla app to find stations and charge their EVs. Tesla will also launch a membership model that offers the chance for members to pay monthly to access lower kWh pricing.
A statement from Tesla said, "Access to an extensive, convenient and reliable fast-charging network is critical for large-scale EV adoption. That's why, since opening our first Superchargers in 2012, we have been committed to rapid expansion of the network. Today, we have more than 30,000 Superchargers worldwide."
Not Available To All Modern EVs
However, drivers should be aware that not all modern EVs are compatible with the Superchargers in the pilot program. All the Superchargers in the pilot program are the new V2 and V3 units, which use the CCs charging system.
With this, most modern EVs can use the charging sites except vehicles with CHAdeMO or Type 2 connectors.
The company also warned that the layout of some locations means the charging cables may not be long enough to reach the charge ports on all other models.
Drive to Have More People Switch to Tesla
A recent survey showed that 1,500 UK drivers 81 percent said they would consider making the switch if Tesla were to open up its Supercharger network.
The pilot scheme that is being rolled out is proving to be successful. If this eeps up, it will be rolled out across more locations. However, the company needs to strike the right balance because more locations could potentially upset some Tesla customers who will lose exclusive access to a dedicated charging network.
Superchargers to The US
Elon Musk has been talking about the Superchargers pilot program in the US, but there are no specifics yet on how it will be implemented because of Tesla's proprietary chart port in North America.
Last week, Musk said that the company is planning to add standardized connectors for other EVs to US Supercharger stations.
Currently, the Tesla models and Superchargers in North America don't have CCS2 standard but rely on a proprietary charging plug. Furthermore, most of the EVs in North America are equipped with a CCS1 connector, while EVs such as the Nissan Leaf rely on the CHAdeMO standard.
Using a Tesla Supercharger
Drivers need to have the latest Tesla app and create an account. Set up the payment method and choose "Charge your Non-Tesla" to see a list of available locations.
Using the app, drivers can start and stop charging.
This article is owned by TechTimes
Written by: April Fowell
