Tesla has opened more of its Superchargers to electric cars from other manufacturers, this time in the UK. As of 1pm yesterday (18th May), 15 Tesla Supercharger sites in the UK have opened for drivers of other electric vehicle (EV) brands to access.
This latest move follows an initial test in the Netherlands in November 2021, intended to gauge demand. Further Supercharger locations opened up in Norway and France in January this year and, most recently, along Norway’s route to the North Cape. It is the fist time that drivers of third-party EV brands have had access to Tesla Superchargers in the UK.
Non-Tesla EV owners can now use the Tesla app to start a charge, and will pay more per kWh than Tesla owners, unless they pay an additional £10.99 monthly fee to gain access to the lower charge prices.
“Access to an extensive, convenient and reliable fast-charging network is critical for large-scale EV adoption,” a statement from Tesla read. “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.
“Tesla drivers can continue to use these stations as they always have, and we will be closely monitoring each site for congestion and listening to customers about their experiences.”
The Supercharger locations now open to other EV drivers are: Aviemore, Dundee, Adderstone, Manchester Trafford Centre, Flint, Aberystwyth, Banbury, Cardiff, Trumpington, Thetford, Wokingham, Birmingham St Andrews, Cardiff, Uxbridge, and Grays & Folkestone Eurotunnel. The charging locations are marked on the Zap-Map app and desktop map with the note: ‘Site now open to non-Tesla charging’.
According to Tesla and various Tesla owners clubs, owners of other EVs blocking bays – and so causing Tesla owners to wait – has not happened to date across the test sites in Netherlands, France and Norway.
Superchargers open to other drivers display the note ‘Site now open to non-Tesla charging’ on Zap-Map.
Moreover, Tesla has confirmed that the expansion of the Supercharger network is continuing to accelerate in line with the promise of the tripling of the Supercharger network within the next one to two years.
“More customers using the Supercharger network enables faster expansion,” the statement from Tesla continued. “Our goal is to learn and iterate quickly, while continuing to aggressively expand the network, so we can eventually welcome both Tesla and non-Tesla drivers at every Supercharger worldwide.”
