Which Brands Can Access Tesla’s Charging Network?
As the end of 2024 rapidly approaches, and roughly a month after GM EV owners were finally given access to the Tesla Supercharger network, it seems like a good time to go over the status of which companies now have access to the gold-standard DC quick charger network – and which other companies will be able to access it when.
As of this writing, there are three non-Tesla auto companies which now have authorized access to Superchargers, which until earlier this year, were exclusive to Tesla drivers: Ford, Rivian, and General Motors, which includes Chevrolet (Equinox, Blazer, Silverado), Cadillac (Lyriq, the super-luxe Celestiq and Escalade iQ),and GMC (Hummer and Sierra EVs).
Can the Chevy Bolt Access Tesla Charging?
Importantly, GM has also extended Supercharger access to all years of its 2017-2023 Bolt and Bolt EUVs, which GM no longer produces. The Bolt was an inexpensive and relatively high-volume EV, and doesn’t use GM’s Ultium platform that underpins its current BEV lineup.
Including the Bolt, which charges at a leisurely 55 kW, in the Supercharger deal, filled many Tesla owners with trepidation, often voiced online, who had already seen lineups at some sites in high-traffic areas, either at rush hours or on long weekends and holidays.
It’s relatively early days after GM’s onboarding onto the Tesla network, but early indications suggest for the most part neither the Bolt nor other GM EVs have overly inundated Tesla’s impressive quick-charge network.
Which GM EVs Will Have Supercharger Access?
Consider now that GM’s varied EV lineup will bring 10 vehicles to market by the end of this year to market: the above-mentioned models, plus the incoming Cadillac Optiq, which is set to launch by the end of 2024. In comparison, Ford (Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning) and Rivian (R1T pickup and R1S SUV) both offer two retail models, plus five models from Tesla itself: the Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, and Cybertruck.
That means the addition of GM and its many BEV models has effectively doubled the number of vehicle nameplates that can now DC quick charge on the Tesla network.
But there’s no doubt other OEMs will be added to the mix soon, with at least one of them stating that they expect access to Tesla’s network by the end of 2024 – or re-stating, more accurately.
Which Car Brands Will Offer Supercharger Access Soon?
The Tesla consumer site’s NACS (North American Charging Standard) page has listed which automakers now receive Supercharger access. Ford was the first automaker listed on February 29, 2024, with GM’s brands following. There are now a few companies in the “coming soon” category.
Right now, those brands are Nissan, Volvo, Polestar, and Mercedes-Benz, in that order. All of these brands have committed to offering vehicles in 2025 with a native NACS (North American Charging Standard, now officially called J3400) port. Almost all auto OEMs in North America have committed to adopting the port in the next few years.
The actual rollout of Supercharger access doesn’t always follow the order listed on Tesla’s site, since GM leap-frogged Nissan in September.
Nissan Will Include Tesla Charging Soon
Nissan announced officially in October the launch of the Nissan Energy Charge Network, which promises a major upgrade to the Ariya’s long-criticized EV route-planning abilities. Within that announcement, and previously after a separate inquiry, Nissan confirmed that it still plans to provide Ariya drivers with Supercharger access by the end of 2024, as previously announced.
The point of this new “network” is that it brings the ability to start and pay for charging on multiple existing EV charging networks all with the MyNissan app, starting in November this year. Nissan says it will incorporate over 90,000 chargers into the app, including those from Electrify America, Shell Recharge, ChargePoint and EVgo networks, with others – like Tesla’s – to be incorporated in the future.
Sadly, the aging soldier Nissan Leaf doesn’t offer any of these functions, nor a MyNissan app, relying on an older and less capable NissanConnect EV app.
Volvo and Polestar Tesla Charging Access
Volvo and Polestar are both in a topsy-turvy time right now, thanks to tariffs implemented recently for Chinese-built EVs that threw wrenches into the distribution plans for the planned Volvo EX30 and Polestar 2 sedan.
The planned EX30 launch this summer in the U.S. has now been delayed to roughly the middle of next year, once Volvo can ramp up production of the eye-catching subcompact SUV at its plant in Ghent, Belgium. (Volvo’s plans are slightly different in Canada for the EX30, as its tariffs weren’t implemented until October 1; Canadians can buy the EX30 now.)
There’s been nothing committal from Volvo on timing for Supercharger access, or the adapters to access them, before future Volvo EVs move to a native NACS port.
When Can Mercedes-Benz EVs Access Tesla Chargers?
Mercedes-Benz access to Superchargers timing is also not exactly confirmed, but Mercedes-Benz USA product communications manager Cathleen Decker did confirm it’s coming, and likely in the next couple of months.
“As part of a phased transition, Mercedes-Benz will initially offer an adapter that enables the company’s existing CCS BEVs to charge seamlessly on the NACS network from 2024 onwards,” confirmed Decker. “More details will be shared later in 2024.”
Some Manufacturers Experiencing Delays
Other companies have publicly admitted delays to when they originally announced they expected Supercharger access. BMW stated last year that its EVs (including Mini and Rolls-Royce models) would gain Supercharger access in early 2025, but an October 2024 bulletin to dealers reportedly suggested that Supercharger access and BMW-approved adapters were coming “later in 2025.”
Hyundai has actually started producing 2025 Ioniq 5 EVs with the NACS port native already at their plant in Georgia – even though they announced in October 2023 that its current EVs with a CCS port would only be able to access the Supercharger network in Q1 of 2025.
Hyundai Delivering EVs with Native Tesla Port
“In the United States, all-new or refreshed Hyundai EVs will come exclusively with a NACS port, beginning in Q4 2024,” confirmed Miles Johnson, technology communication manager for Hyundai North America. “Owners of existing and future Hyundai EVs with the current CCS [port] will have access to the Tesla Supercharging Network starting in Q1 2025.”
Technically, that means Hyundai is on track with the timing it announced in fall 2023. But Hyundai also says that once it begins delivering 2025 model year Ioniq 5s with the native NACS port, likely in November, it expects those owners will be able to charge on the Tesla Supercharger network “from day one of ownership.”
Johnson also confirmed that these 2025 Ioniq 5 buyers with the native NACS port will also receive the opposite adapter, allowing their EVs to be charged at any CCS DC quick charge station.
Conclusion: Charging Is Getting Easier
So Hyundai and Nissan at this point appear to be next in line for Tesla Supercharger access in the next couple months, while the waiting game remains for other electric vehicle owners and brands. Surprises are of course still possible, and all these plans are still subject to a host of factors and potential delays, including mass firings, unforeseen CEO meltdowns or even run-of-the-mill supply snafus.
