New Tesla Supercharger Access for Volvo and Polestar EVs
Hot on the heels of Ford, Rivian, General Motors, and other manufacturers, Swedish brands Volvo and Polestar are the next car brands whose EVs now have access to Tesla’s high-speed charging network. Drivers of fully-electric Volvo and Polestar models can now access over 17,800 Tesla Superchargers across the U.S. and Canada, taking a lot of the anxiety about charging on road trips.
Access to the Tesla network comes on top of Volvo and Polestar vehicles’ existing access to a huge range of non-Tesla high-speed chargers across North America that use the CCS-style charging port Volvo and Polestar vehicles are currently equipped with.
Volvo and Polestar: Tesla Charging Adapter
Starting with the 2025 model year, Volvo’s EX90 flagship SUV, the EX40 compact SUV, and the EC40 compact SUV-coupe, as well as the Polestar 2 and 3, will ship with a plug adaptor that will allow them to connect to Tesla chargers. All of these vehicles, and future Volvo and Polestar EV models sold in North America, will eventually switch over to a native Tesla-style NACS charging port, like Hyundai has started doing with the Ioniq 5.
NACS (or North American Charging Standard) adapters will also be available to drivers of fully electric Volvo cars already on the road. These adapters can be ordered through Volvo dealers in the U.S. for $230, and for $310 in Canada – about the same as General Motors is charging for their NACS adapters. Adapters will begin shipping to dealers on November 18.
There’s an App for That
Volvo and Polestar’s apps make it easy for its drivers to find tens of thousands of public charging stations – now including Tesla chargers – as well as getting real-time information on whether a charging stall is available. Both apps currently allow drivers to pay for their charging session through a single interface, making charging a Volvo car easy. Charging stations – and directions to them -- can also be found by asking the Google Assistant in the infotainment system of Volvo and Polestar vehicles.
What isn’t clear so far is whether Volvo drivers will have to sign up for a Tesla account to initiate charging and pay for their charging sessions. Ford and General Motors have enabled these functions on the Tesla network through their own native apps, making Tesla charging very convenient. Nevertheless, signing up for a Tesla account is easy, and the company’s app is very easy to use.
Conclusion: Easier and More Convenient Charging
As more and more manufacturers open up access to Tesla Superchargers for their drivers, the barriers for switching to electric continue to disappear. Tesla’s network has a well-deserved reputation for fast charging as well as reliability. Its chargers also represent the majority of high-speed chargers out there, and most are very conveniently located, thanks to Tesla’s early investment in building charging infrastructure.
While most EV owners will charge at home on a Level 2 charger, and depart every morning with a full tank of electrons, the ability to find easy fast charging on longer drives remains a significant psychological barrier to entry for many – so Volvo and Polestar’s latest move should help it, like other brands, put more electric vehicles on the road.
