I too enjoy the feeling of being in an exclusive club. However I realise that such sentiments are unworthy and I am OK with opening up SCs if and only if the effect is to accelerate the development of new sites to compensate for the additional demand.
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Tesla open up the SuC network [in UK]
- Thread starter kelvin 660
- Start date
Billbrown1982
TM3 LR 2021 | Red | FSD
I sincerely hope not. Almost all reviews i've seen of EV's, where they have taken them on a proper road trip and/or had the car for a few months pretty much always includes some story of woe where they have tried 3 different charging stations and not been able to charge, or queued up for ages at another one.
The super charger network played a HUGE part in my decision to go for Tesla over one of the competitors and I'd like to keep that exclusivity for as long as possible and I think, with the current "range anxiety" that is people's biggest put off with electric cars, Tesla will be missing the trick by opening up the network now.
Possibly in the future when infrastructures are far more established and places like the Gridserve forecourt in Braintree are common place rather than an absoloute novelty, then yes, but right now? No
The super charger network played a HUGE part in my decision to go for Tesla over one of the competitors and I'd like to keep that exclusivity for as long as possible and I think, with the current "range anxiety" that is people's biggest put off with electric cars, Tesla will be missing the trick by opening up the network now.
Possibly in the future when infrastructures are far more established and places like the Gridserve forecourt in Braintree are common place rather than an absoloute novelty, then yes, but right now? No
stopcrazypp
Well-Known Member
Yeah, that's what a lot of people missed. It's a few publicly funded chargers which according to the terms of the public money they got, Tesla should make public. I don't see that to be an issue, nor is it really a big change in Tesla's policy.
Tesla has been consistent that anyone that wants access to the network needs to pay upfront. If the government (rather than an individual automaker) is paying those costs upfront to let most general EVs have access, I don't see an issue with it. Does anyone here really seriously oppose having publicly funded superchargers give access to other EVs?
Also this is in Europe, where there is less of concern about connector compatibility (Tesla use CCS2 also). Here in the USA it's a lot more complicated, where there isn't even an official CCS adapter yet.
I dont see Tesla opening up the existing SUCs, as some have mentioned regards Cable lengths, no means of paying unless an app is developed etc.
I do see Tesla adding additional SUCs to new installation in the future (Maybe add to existing locations?). Such as when they install 8 new SUCs they will tag on 4 additional "open too all" SUCs. Probably coloured/shaped differently, longer cables and maybe tap to pay on the side/front. This would then give both Tesla owners access to "Tesla only" chargers and other EV manufactures to use the others.
One small thing tho is that Tesla did the CCS swap very quickly when the M3 came out on all the existing SUCs so cable swaps could happen if they needed too.
I do see Tesla adding additional SUCs to new installation in the future (Maybe add to existing locations?). Such as when they install 8 new SUCs they will tag on 4 additional "open too all" SUCs. Probably coloured/shaped differently, longer cables and maybe tap to pay on the side/front. This would then give both Tesla owners access to "Tesla only" chargers and other EV manufactures to use the others.
One small thing tho is that Tesla did the CCS swap very quickly when the M3 came out on all the existing SUCs so cable swaps could happen if they needed too.
There are a small number of Tesla public chargers on the continent already. Exactly the same tombstone with a tiny little retro reflective sign.
Not really the model to replicate IMO but I think Tesla are facing regulatory pressure from the EU and are probably doing it before it is or because it will be legislated for.
Not really the model to replicate IMO but I think Tesla are facing regulatory pressure from the EU and are probably doing it before it is or because it will be legislated for.
I think this is all slightly irrelevant. Tesla superchargers are the envy of the EV world today, but that won’t last too much longer. It can’t last unless the whole of the UK is driving Teslas. The wider infrastructure will have to catch up with, and overtake, the supercharger network over the next few years. That’ll be good for us too as we’ll have way more options than we have now.
Jason71
Well-Known Member
I'm not panicking just yet.
Firstly its a tweet from Elon so......
Secondly it says later this year so that means we have at least another 2 years
Also. open up could mean anything? 1 other low volume manufacturer, Overnight/off peak access, He may just be referring to the specific locations we already know about like the ones in Germany and Norway that have had public funding.
If the general SuC network is open to all comers on 31st of December this year I will eat my Tesla short shorts.
That wouldn't be possible anyway without physical changes to the stalls.. Only a small portion of EVs have the port in the right place Plus it'd be limited to cars with plug&charge because superchargers have no screens.
In the US any third parties would need an adapter as the connector is proprietary there.
He may be talking about specific vendors.. it's always been a thing that if a manufacturer were to fund the supercharger network they'd get access.
In the US any third parties would need an adapter as the connector is proprietary there.
He may be talking about specific vendors.. it's always been a thing that if a manufacturer were to fund the supercharger network they'd get access.
Jason71
Well-Known Member
you don't need plug and charge or a screen just a code on each stall and an app like in the "good" old days but it would not be ideal
The cable is definitely a big problem though.
MrBadger
Badger out
Ergonomics of a longer cable aside, we saw with the additional CCS cables when Model 3 started to be introduced that changing/adding cables en masse is not an issue for Tesla.
This is one of those decisions that feels so utterly dumb that I feel like I must be missing something obvious about the rationale for it.
The only way it makes sense to me is if it's Elon basically continuing the "EV adoption must be prioritised at all costs, including to my own company, existing customers, etc" line of thinking.
In every other way eliminating what is the major USP for their cars, arguably one of the only ones keeping them ahead of certain competitors, just seems insane to me. It'll convert some Model S owners into Taycan owners, and probably a number of potential Model 3 and Y owners to other marques.
Tesla don't have the build quality and service network, etc to compete with manufacturers who can't beat them on the charging side of things.
The only way it makes sense to me is if it's Elon basically continuing the "EV adoption must be prioritised at all costs, including to my own company, existing customers, etc" line of thinking.
In every other way eliminating what is the major USP for their cars, arguably one of the only ones keeping them ahead of certain competitors, just seems insane to me. It'll convert some Model S owners into Taycan owners, and probably a number of potential Model 3 and Y owners to other marques.
Tesla don't have the build quality and service network, etc to compete with manufacturers who can't beat them on the charging side of things.
I imagine it's to do with the money. Just as other marques are improving their EV offerings, other charge networks will do too. Right now it raises eyebrows but mid term e.g. 3-5 years, when other networks are established and more reliable it'd seem strange to restrict your market to a single brand of car.
People are forgetting that Tesla is not just about cars..... There is also energy, software, AI, and eventually FSD...
If you can make solar energy and sell it in your network directly to all EVs, not just your 25% market share and on top of that advertise your own brand... It's a no brainer.
If you can make solar energy and sell it in your network directly to all EVs, not just your 25% market share and on top of that advertise your own brand... It's a no brainer.
Nick77
Deep Blue Model 3 LR (2021 MIC)
I assume other brands will need an adapter in order to use the SC cables.
Tesla could probably make a decent wedge selling them.
Tesla could probably make a decent wedge selling them.
I reckon it will be a new small manufacturer that's done a deal to use the SuC Network, and they will use the same connectors and billing as Tesla. This allows Tesla to then say they are open and it's not an exclusive network, avoiding risk of future regulatory/planning interference.
The conversations about this does make me realise quite how different charging is for us in Europe than Tesla in the US. While I get they can't use CCS but they must also use an adapter for any non Tesla AC charging, I guess this is why nearly every Youtuber I've seen with home charging is using the Mobile adapter plugged into a dryer socket.
It must have been expensive in Europe to double tail all the V2 SuC, and to offer CCS adapters to S/X, but it certainly makes things far simpler. A well executed migration to a standard. It's before my time but interesting that they started in Europe with Type 2 AC and a bespoke way to use that on a SuC. This then created the market for home EV chargers, that's not really the same in the US.
Some regulations are a good thing.
The conversations about this does make me realise quite how different charging is for us in Europe than Tesla in the US. While I get they can't use CCS but they must also use an adapter for any non Tesla AC charging, I guess this is why nearly every Youtuber I've seen with home charging is using the Mobile adapter plugged into a dryer socket.
It must have been expensive in Europe to double tail all the V2 SuC, and to offer CCS adapters to S/X, but it certainly makes things far simpler. A well executed migration to a standard. It's before my time but interesting that they started in Europe with Type 2 AC and a bespoke way to use that on a SuC. This then created the market for home EV chargers, that's not really the same in the US.
Some regulations are a good thing.
Also worth adding that it may also be to do with access to the best locations. If I'm a motorway services operator I want to give access to my available grid capacity to operators that attract the widest range of vehicles.
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