Tesla opening up its large Supercharger community to vehicles from different manufacturers is possibly the most effective factor to occur to electrical automobiles in America for the reason that federal $7,500 tax credit score. Heck, possibly even the lithium-ion battery itself.
It may very well be a sport changer for 1000’s or, sometime, hundreds of thousands of drivers mulling over a change to an EV. And I can personally attest to the truth that Supercharger entry saved my ass once I was touring in a Chevrolet Blazer EV SS.
Up till that time, I hadn’t visited a Supercharger in a non-Tesla for the reason that early days of the Magic Dock, an early answer for enabling non-Tesla vehicles to work with some Superchargers. Loads has occurred since then.
Just about the whole automobile business has introduced a gradual change to Tesla’s plug design, generally known as the North American Charging Normal, or NACS. In latest months, over a dozen manufacturers have introduced entry to properly over 15,000 Supercharger stalls throughout North America, primarily by way of adapters that convert the NACS plug to the prevailing non-Tesla port design, CCS.
I understood in concept how revolutionary widespread Supercharger entry will be for drivers of Chevys, Rivians and the like who’re uninterested in crummy, hard-to-find public charging infrastructure. However I’d by no means skilled it firsthand. Now I’m bought.
2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV at a Tesla Supercharger
Picture by: Tim Levin/InsideEVs
I spent the lengthy weekend up in Nevada Metropolis, California, a captivating mining city a couple of 150-mile drive from my residence within the Bay Space. After seeing the sights for the weekend, the Blazer I used to be testing was all the way down to round a 30% state of cost. I knew I’d should cease and cost on the drive residence sooner or later. Or, ideally, earlier than setting out. As a result of I’d moderately simply crush the three-hour drive in a single go.
Once I looked for close by charging stations, I discovered that the fast neighborhood round Nevada Metropolis is just about a ghost city so far as EV charging is anxious. With one exception: There was a 12-stall Supercharger—one open to non-Teslas—lower than a 10-minute drive away.
Plus, this oasis in a charging desert was in the appropriate course, and the Tesla app confirmed eight stalls accessible as I set out.
Huzzah. I plotted a route within the Blazer and set off.
2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV at a Tesla Supercharger
Picture by: Tim Levin/InsideEVs
Don’t get me incorrect. There have been different choices on the route residence, too. Primarily, a seven-stall Electrify America station that I’d’ve hit about an hour into my journey. However this being Memorial Day in Northern California, I used to be frightened about charging stations being backed up with different street trippers. And it was already lunchtime, so it was the appropriate time to hit the day’s charging cease. An enormous, reliable Tesla station situated a mere six miles away was an enormous rating.
Tesla homeowners have all the time loved the most effective and best charging expertise in America, and now others are getting a style of that magic.
For one, there are merely a lot of stations all over. That’s what occurs when you might have an EV firm that wanted to construct out infrastructure for its earliest adopters and continued doing so for properly over a decade. The opposite edge Superchargers have is the variety of plugs per station. Whereas different charging stations typically have two, or 4, or six plugs, Superchargers typically have 12 or much more. And so they’re identified to be extra dependable than the often-broken and glitchy chargers that each EV driver has seen greater than as soon as.
Superchargers are additionally straightforward to make use of, even for outsiders, as I discovered once I arrived on the Grass Valley station. I had already loaded my billing information into the Tesla app. So once I confirmed up, all I needed to do was discover an open stall, plug it in utilizing the Chevy-approved adapter that got here with my loaner and provoke a cost by way of the app. The juice began flowing inside seconds and shortly peaked at 183 kilowatts.
2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV at a Tesla Supercharger
Picture by: Tim Levin/InsideEVs
Let me give a fast shout-out to the Tesla app right here, too. It was tremendous glossy and intuitive. And, very similar to Tesla’s in-car interface, it felt like know-how made by a tech firm, not an automaker. In spite of everything was stated and executed, the Blazer had recharged from 30% to 76% in 25 minutes, giving me greater than sufficient vary—242 miles—to get on my manner.
Once I acquired to the station, I thanked my fortunate stars that it had a few pull-through stalls, the place the charging put up itself is located on the road between two parking spots. That meant I may simply plug within the Blazer, regardless of its charging port being in the “incorrect” spot for many Superchargers. You see, Superchargers had been designed with quick cords that solely attain a automobile’s again left nook—as a result of that’s the place the charging door is on each Tesla.
2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV at a Tesla Supercharger
Picture by: Tim Levin/InsideEVs
That orientation poses an issue for many non-Teslas, and it means typically it’s essential to block two Supercharging spots, like a jerk. The man in an F-150 Lightning subsequent to me and I had been spared that embarrassment. And in that manner, this was type of a great non-Tesla Supercharging expertise.
I used to be so enamored by the entire thing that I made a decision I’d begin utilizing Superchargers every time doable—beginning with the following time I wanted to cost the Blazer. I felt like a complete world of considerable, reliable chargers had been unlocked. That glee didn’t final lengthy.
Chevy Blazer EV proprietor Mack Hogan illustrates the parking situation.
Picture by: Mack Hogan/InsideEVs
Again residence in Berkeley, there are a number of Superchargers, together with just a few open to non-Teslas. However the entire double-parking situation nuked my enthusiasm. I acquired fortunate that the Grass Valley station had a number of spots pleasant to non-Teslas, however that’s not all the time the case. I discovered one in my metropolis the place about half of the 12 stalls had been accessible, however each different plug was taken.
Within the Blazer, I’d want two spots aspect by aspect. And even then, I didn’t need to be that man. I hit up my native EVgo station as a substitute.
Tesla is engaged on this, deploying each pull-through spots and next-generation posts with longer cords.
Supercharger entry for non-Teslas is an enormous, large deal—as evidenced by the 2 Rivians and F-150 I noticed charging in Grass Valley. When it’s good, it’s actually good. However that doesn’t imply there aren’t some kinks to iron out.
Contact the creator: Tim.Levin@InsideEVs.com
