Tesla is expanding third-party access to Superchargers

After Tesla opened Superchargers to third parties in the Netherlands three months ago, it looks like the time has come for EV drivers in other European countries as well.

Please note, we have just updated this article to include new information emerging. Since publishing the first draft, Tesla has followed suit to include information on which Superchargers are now open on its website.

However, when the news broke this morning, our coverage first relied on videos and images emerging in local media showing electric cars from other brands utilising the Tesla chargers across Norway.

Most notably, a video shot by the local portal elbil24 captured an Audi e-tron charging at a Supercharger near Oslo. Nebbenes is the largest Supercharger hub in Europe, with 44 stations. A close-up of the status LED at the charging port of the e-tron in Nebbenes indicates that the vehicle has indeed charged. However, it is not clear from the video what power the Audi received from the V2 Supercharger.

At the time of reporting, Tesla had yet to comment or confirm. However, the newly updated web page shows not only Superchargers in the Netherlands and Norway but also France coming online to allow non-Tesla drivers access to charge fast.

When opening the Superchargers in the Netherlands in November 2021, Tesla had officially announced the testing. At the time, Tesla also announced that its app would play a central role, as the electric cars of other manufacturers cannot communicate with the Supercharger like the Teslas.

Plans about opening up Tesla’s proprietary Supercharger network have, of course, been around for a long time and is easily enough done in Europe. Tesla uses CCS cables here at retrofitted V2 and V3 Superchargers but had limited charging to Tesla vehicles.

Tesla relies on its own charging port in the USA rather than the CCS1 layout. Still, the company intends to open up its network and, in turn, widen the network beyond Superchargers for Tesla drivers as well. An adapter will come available this year to allow Teslas to charge at CCS stations across the US; conversely, an adapter known as the Magic Dock will also enable other brands to charge at Tesla Superchargers in the States. The Magic Dock pilot programme is set to start in Q3 2022.

elbil24.no (video, in Norwegian), tesla.com (update, map)