Charging Unlocked: Gaining Access to Telsa Supercharging

What do you do when you find your options to fast charge double overnight? Last year, Tesla announced that it would be opening its Supercharger network to additional electric vehicles (EVs), and many EV drivers are now gaining access to more fast charging than ever. Since Tesla chargers use a different plug type than other manufacturers, your initial Supercharge may feel a bit intimidating. Don’t worry.

Below are a few tips to prepare you for your first North American Charging Standard (NACS) charge. (NACS is the name given to Tesla’s charging standard.) This list assumes your vehicle doesn’t have a NACS port, which will be offered by some non-Tesla vehicle models as soon as the end of this year.

1. There are two ways to charge:
   • Accessing stations with “Magic Dock.” Typically, these are Version 4 Superchargers that have the CCS adapter integrated into their hardware (and credit card readers on the side, thanks NEVI!). All EVs, with the exception of Nissan Leafs, can utilize Magic Dock locations. Just keep in mind, there aren’t many of them.
   • Purchasing a NACS-to-CCS adapter. We recommend going through your dealer or vehicle manufacturer for this, but there are also third-party providers. Access with these adapters is currently limited to the following manufacturers (at the time of writing):
     • Ford
     • General Motors (GM)
     • Polestar
     • Rivian
     • Volvo
2. Download the Tesla app and input your vehicle details. The app will ask if you have an adapter. If you select “no,” you’ll see the Magic Dock stations highlighted in a map view (only a small number of Supercharger stations have Magic Dock integrated). If you have the adapter, many Supercharger sites will be available to you.
3. When you arrive at your Supercharger location (and are sure about its compatibility with your vehicle), you can either initiate charging through your vehicle manufacturer’s app or the Tesla one. We recommend the Tesla app.
4. You’ll opt to “Charge Here” in the app, select your station number (found on the unit that you’re using) and either “Unlock CCS Adapter” (with the Magic Dock) or just “Start Charging.”

A few things to keep in mind:

• Many Supercharger stalls are constructed to optimize the experience for Tesla vehicles (obviously). In some cases, depending on where your charging port is located, the short charger cables may require you to use a charger that doesn’t correlate to your space but is actually for the space next to you. That’s OK, but be mindful of your surroundings and see if there’s a place to best position yourself to allow others to charge too — this is especially important if the station is full.
• Pricing is based on location. The app shows pricing and availability per site.
• For the Magic Dock users of Kia, Porsche, Genesis and Hyundai vehicles, you won’t see the charging speeds you’re used to seeing at other fast charging stations. This has to do with the battery architecture of your vehicle (800-volt architecture) vs. the engineering of the Superchargers and how they’re designed to best support Tesla vehicles (400-volt architecture).