Tesla will open its Supercharger network to all other brands by the end of this year in a major win for EV drivers.
So far, just two brands can power up at select stations: Ford and Rivian. This spring, General Motors, Volvo, and Polestar EVs will get access. The rest of the major automakers will follow by the end of the year.
Keep in mind, not the entire Supercharger network is eligible for other brands. Tesla has restricted access on some stations, particularly in dense areas such as major cities, and any stations that lack the software or hardware to support other brands. Also, Tesla may inflate charging prices for other brands, but with a $12.99/month Supercharger membership it promises the same rates.
Still, over 15,000 V3 Superchargers, the best and most powerful type of charger in the network, are available. Drivers must use an adapter, which both Ford and Rivian are providing drivers for free at this time (until June 30 for Ford drivers). Starting in 2025, all brands will build the NACS port directly into their vehicles, removing the need for an adapter and effectively creating a new industry standard.
Tesla's Battle For NACS Dominance
Tesla has been working to make its in-house connector the national standard since November 2022, when it published the manufacturing specs for the port, dubbed it the North American Charging Standard (NACS), and invited other automakers to adopt it.
Tesla argued its in-house connector is smaller, easier to handle, and more reliable than the port all non-Tesla EVs are currently built with, the Combined Charging System (CCS). Plus, Superchargers already make up nearly half the US's 39,000 fast charging stations, and the majority of EVs on the road are Teslas.
No brands immediately jumped at the opportunity to switch to NACS. At CES 2023, Mercedes told PCMag it would "never" adopt NACS, but after Ford took the plunge, Mercedes and all other automakers followed suit to give their drivers more charging options on the road. There are currently over 40,000 public fast chargers in the US, according to the US Department of Energy.
The Society of Automotive Engineers is working on certifying Tesla's NACS port as the national standard, under the new name of SAE J3400. Other charging companies like Blink, Chargepoint, and Electrify America plan to offer both CCS and NACS plug-ins on new stations.
Not So Fast: Retrofitting, Software Updates Required
The move is a major win for Tesla as well as consumers who won't need to keep track of charge port types anymore, but there are still lots of unanswered questions about what this Supercharger-filled future of EV driving looks like.
Will Supercharger stations experience longer lines with the influx of new brands? Will Tesla implement a special reservation system to give its own customers priority access? Will budget-conscious drivers choose to pay the $12.99/month Supercharger membership, or forego it and keep powering up at stations from other brands?
(Credit: Emily Dreibelbis)Tesla would also have to retrofit older stations to accomodate other brands. For example, the cables that run from the Supercharger to the car are too short to reach the ports on non-Teslas. "You're not going to be able to use the legacy network unless Tesla decides to invest a lot of capital in upgrading cables," Brendan Jones, President of Blink Charging, said at CES 2024. "The cables are too short to connect to all kinds of vehicles, they're only designed for Teslas."
On vehicles like the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y, the charge port is located above the rear wheel on the driver's side. On other EVs, it might be above the front wheel, or on the other side of the vehicle. This means non-Tesla drivers may have to play with the positioning of their vehicles in order to reach the Supercharger cord, blocking other charging spots.
"Let's say you're driving a Mustang Mach-E," Jones says. "The cable can't connect unless you park parallel to it."
Software is also an issue. Many stations "are running different software that is not based on CCS communications, so newer EVs with CCS cannot use them," says Matt Teske, CEO of Chargeway. Teske also notes that some stations have land agreements that require signoff from the owner to make changes to the lease agreement. "Too much red tape to open up the location at this time," he says.
Rather than retrofititng the software and hardware at old stations, Tesla is more likely to open up future Superchargers to other brand sfrom the get-go. These are stations Ford refers to as "upgraded," and therefore eligible for non-Teslas.
List of EVs With Supercharging Access Now
The full list EV makers that have announced the switch to NACS includes Ford, General Motors, Rivian, Volvo, Polestar, Mercedes, Nissan, Honda, Jaguar, Kia, Hyundai, Genesis, BMW, Mini, Rolls-Royce, Toyota, Lexus, Subaru, Lucid, Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, and—as of this week—Stellantis, which owns Dodge, Ram, Jeep, Peugeot, Chrysler, Alfa Romeo, and a smattering of other brands.
However, at this time on Ford and Rivian vehicles have access. The entire Tesla lineup will also still be available, of course. Base model pricing and range shown.
Tesla
- Tesla Model 3 (PCMag Editors' Choice): $40,240 (before $3,750 federal tax credit), 272-mile range
- Tesla Model Y (PCMag Editors' Choice): $43,990 (before $7,500 federal tax credit), 279-mile range
- Cybertruck: $79,990, 340-mile range
- Tesla Model S: $88,490, 405-mile range
- Tesla Model X (PCMag Editors' Choice): $98,490, 348-mile range
Ford
- Mustang Mach-E (PCMag Editors' Choice): $42,995 (before $3,750 tax credit), 250-mile range
- F-150 Lightning (PCMag Editors' Choice): $59,974 (before $7,500 tax credit), 240-mile range
Rivian
- Rivian R1T (PCMag Editors' Choice): $69,900 (before $3,750 tax credit), 270-mile range
- Rivian R1S: $78,000 (before $3,750 tax credit), 260-mile range
List of EVs Getting Supercharger Access This Spring
General Motors, Volvo, and Polestar vehicles will get Supercharger access this spring, according to the Tesla website.
Volvo
- Volvo C40 Recharge: $55,300, 226-mile range
- Volvo XC40 Recharge: $53,550, 223-mile range
- 2024 Volvo EX30: $34,950, 275-mile range (pre-order only)
- Upcoming launches: 2024 EX90 7-seat SUV
Polestar
- Polestar 2: $48,000, 270-mile range
- Polestar 3: $84,000, 300-mile range
Chevrolet (GM)
- Chevrolet Bolt EV: $26,500 (before $7,500 tax credit), 259-mile range
- Chevrolet Bolt EUV: $27,800 (before $7,500 tax credit), 247-mile range
- Chevrolet Blazer: $56,715, 270-mile range
- Upcoming launches: 2024 Chevrolet Equinox, 2024 Chevrolet Silverado
Cadillac (GM)
- Cadillac Lyric: $58,590, 314-mile range (waitlist full for 2023)
- Upcoming launches: 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ, 2024 Cadillac Celestiq
GMC (GM)
- Hummer EV Pickup Truck and SUV: Reservations currently closed until further notice.
List of EVs Getting Supercharger Access by 2025
Tesla will continue opening up its Supercharger network to all other brands by the end of 2024 via an adapter. In 2025, these brands will begin manufacturing vehicles with the NACS port, removing the need for an adapter.
Nissan
- Nissan Ariya: $43,190, 216-mile range (up to 304 miles on top trims). Limited availability.
- Note, the Nissan Leaf will not have the NACS port.
Honda
2024 Honda Prologue: $47,400, 296-mile range
Mercedes
- EQB SUV: $52,750, 240-mile range
- EQE Sedan: $74,900, 305-mile range
- EQE SUV: $77,900, 279-mile range
- EQS Sedan: $104,400, 350-mile range
- EQS SUV: $104,400, 305-mile range
- Upcoming Launches: 2024 Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV
Jaguar
- Jaguar I-PACE: $72,000, 246-mile range.
Hyundai/Genesis
(Credit: Hyundai)- Hyundai Ioniq 5 (PCMag Editors' Choice): $41,450, 220-mile range
- Hyundai Ioniq 6: $45,500, 240-mile range
- Genesis GV60: $52,000, 294-mile range
- Genesis GV70: $66,450, 236-mile range
- Genesis GV80: $80,400, 282-mile range
- Hyundai Kona Electric: $33,550, 258-mile range
- Upcoming Launches: 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric
- Note, Genesis vehicles are only sold at select retailers in AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, IL, IN, LA, MA, MD, MN, NC, NJ, NV, NY, PA, SC, TX, UT, VA, WA, and WI.
Kia
BMW
- i4: $52,000, 256-mile range
- iX: $87,100, 307-mile range
- i7: $119,300, 318-mile range
- Upcoming Launches: 2025 BMW i5, BMW iX2
Mini Cooper
- 2023 Mini Cooper SE: $30,900, 114-mile range
- Upcoming Launches: Refreshed Mini Cooper SE
Rolls-Royce
- 2024 Spectre: $420,000, 320-mile range (estimated)
Toyota
- 2024 Toyota bZ4X: $42,000, 252-mile range
- Upcoming launches: 2025 3-row electric SUV, details unannounced.
Lexus
- Lexus RZ: $59,650, 220-mile range
Subaru
(Credit: Subaru)- Solterra: $44,995, 222-mile range
Lucid
- Air: $82,400, 410-mile range
- Upcoming Launches: Gravity SUV
Volkswagen
- ID.4: $38,995, 209-275-mile range
- Upcoming Launches: 2024 ID.7, 2024 ID.Buzz
Audi
- Q4 e-Tron: $48,900, 265-mile range
- Q8 e-Tron: $74,400, 285-mile range
- SQ8 e-Tron: $89,000, 253-mile range
- eTron GT: $106,500, 249-mile range
- Upcoming launches: 2024 Q6 e-Tron quattro, SQ6 e-Tron
Porsche
- Taycan: $90,900, 208-mile range
- Upcoming Launches: 2025 Macan EV
Fiat
(Credit: Stellantis, Fiat)- Fiat 500e: $34,095, 162-mile range