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How to charge your non-Tesla at a Supercharger and what NOT to do!

RSymons “RSEV” Cited 16× on HN, 2022–2025
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tutorial · general · 2022–2025 on HN

A guide to charging a non-Tesla EV, here a BMW i4, at a Tesla Supercharger in the UK, with do's and don'ts. It shows the process in practice now that the network is open to all cars.

HN links it as concrete proof that other brands already charge on Tesla chargers in Europe.

12 comments from Hacker News

@zfg2025-01 · in “BYD just launched the largest car carrier to charge up its global EV ambitions”

> Tesla's charging infrastrucute is a competitive advantage. Tesla's charging network being closed is detrimental to EVs. Closed, incompatible infrastructure is dumb infrastructure. Closed, incompatible infrastructure is backward and primitive. As a self respecting car buyer you should actively select against brands that try to lock you in and brands that try to shut you out. What you want is smart infrastructure. You want to demand that all brands of EV can charge on all brands of charger with no dumb charging accounts. The good news is Tesla chargers work with non-Tesla EVs. They've been open to all EVs in Europe for years. They're open to all EVs in Australia. Tesla has even started to open them to all EVs in North America. It works because Tesla has adopted the CCS charging standard in North America (just like Tesla was already using in Europe and Australia). NACS is CCS charging with the J3400 plug. J3400 is the third plug type CCS supports. Here's a Chevy Bolt charging on a Tesla charger in California. It works because it's CCS: link Here's an MG charging on a Tesla charger in Australia: link Here's a BMW charging on a Tesla charger in England: ▶ this video Here's a Kia charging on a Tesla charger in England. No dumb Tesla account, no idiot Tesla app. Contactless payment just as Nature intended: link

@peutetre2024-05 · in “Tesla conducting more layoffs, including entire Supercharger team”

Tesla's chargers have charged all brands in Europe for a long time now. Here's one charging a BMW: ▶ this video Another BMW: link Here's one charging a 400 volt Kia: link Here's one not doing a good job charging an 800 volt Kia: link Tesla does need to do better on 800 volt charging. If Alpitronic, Kempower, ABB, EvBox, and friends can all do it then Tesla can do it too.

@clouddrover2023-11 · in “”

> We already live in a world where ... other cars can only charge at unreliable expensive non-Tesla chargers. No, that's North America. Europe is different: ▶ this video Although Tesla's V4 chargers still suck for 800 volt cars which is a shame. Tesla must try harder: link link

@clouddrover2023-10 · in “Toyota Adopts the North American Charging Standard”

> Now it's 2023 - the Tesla connector is superior to the European standard, European EV companies still lag behind and the Tesla standard is being adapted by the industry without any government intervention. This is a complete misunderstanding of the situation. The reality is Europe is a long way ahead of North America on EV infrastructure. The European charging networks are compatible with all EVs because of standardization. More investment has gone into charger manufacturing and charging network deployment because of standardization. You've been able to charge other brands on a Tesla chargers for a long time in Europe: ▶ this video You can charge your EV on a 400 kW charger from Alpitronic and FastNed: link Or use a 400 kW charger from Kempower and Shell: link Or whatever EV on whatever charging network you like. Europe has done EV infrastructure right. And they've got a plan to make it even better: link In contrast, North America continues to thrash about trying to arrive at a charging standard. It's still going to be years of fiddling around to get anywhere near where Europe already is. The result North America has ended up with is CCS chargers with Tesla's plug on the end. North America could have and should have got to standardization sooner.

@clouddrover2023-09 · in “Tesla Secures Over €148M to Build 7,200 Chargers in EU”

> why should Europeans fund a foreign proprietary tech They aren't. They are funding CCS chargers with CCS Type 2 Combo plugs that can be used by all EVs. Here's a BMW charging on a Tesla V2 charger: ▶ this video Tesla's new V4 chargers come with displays and card readers thanks to sensible EU (and UK) regulation: link The V4 Tesla chargers still aren't that great compared to other charger manufacturers, but it's an improvement over Tesla's V2 and V3 chargers.