Tesla is currently discussing the possibility of sharing its Supercharger with the electric vehicles of other automotive manufacturers, which helps to popularize electric vehicles of other brands, as well as create additional profits for Tesla.
The Supercharger network of Tesla is undoubtedly the most mainstream fast charging system in the world right now. According to the announced statistics, there are 2,700 Supercharger stations in the world, and a total of 25,000 DC chargers; the significant level of resources is the reason for Tesla's dominance in several countries, and the reason behind the other manufacturers’ trailing progress.
The establishment of the Supercharger network is not easy since it is exclusively operated by Tesla, and is only available for Tesla models, which explains the higher investment; the other automotive manufacturers are pretty much all working with third-party charging services or energy equipment suppliers, such as the Taiwan-based EValue and YES!, as well as the US-based ChargePoint and Electrify America.
Tesla has never really rejected the idea of sharing its charging network; instead, it welcomes all automotive manufacturers to discuss about potential partnerships under the premise that both parties are to share the derived costs. However, as most traditional manufacturers have a tendency to work with charging service providers who are not competitors, no one has actually signed a cooperation agreement with Tesla yet.
Andreas Scheuer, Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, disclosed during an interview on the 17th that he has made contact with Tesla and other automotive manufacturers on ensuring that the Supercharger network can be accessed by other manufacturers. “There are currently some technologies that need to be resolved, but our goal is clear, which is to allow all electric vehicles to use all charging equipment and adopt an identical payment method,”commented Scheuer, who is confident that a consensus and solution would be reached very soon.
This matter would be achieved relatively more easily for the European market since the EU regulates that the Supercharger station of Tesla has to adopt the CCS adapter, which is different compared to the distinctive adapters used in Taiwan and the US, and only requires a software upgrade before the adoption by other manufacturers.
Musk said last year that other automotive manufacturers are currently using the Supercharger stations of Tesla on the down low, though he did not specify which one. A particular bug, which allows electric vehicles of other manufacturers to use the Supercharger station of Tesla for free, occurred in 2020. The bug was repaired swiftly, but it indicates just how much everyone wants to get their hands on the charging network of the company.
Is this beneficial to Tesla? Despite absorbing additional profits from other automotive manufacturers, it remains to be seen if the particular implementation is going to frustrate Tesla owners, or even deteriorate the company’s selling points. Nonetheless, Taiwanese owners wouldn’t have to worry about a thing since our officials have yet to realize the importance of this infrastructure war, and are not interested in being involved in the matter. The Supercharger stations of Tesla in Taiwan are most likely to remain exclusive to Tesla models.
(Cover photo source: Tesla)
