The Hawthorne station close to Tesla's Design Studio in California may soon host the first CCS-compatible Tesla Supercharger with a Magic Dock slot. Leaked subscription plan costs in the past suggested a sizable monthly fee as well as a PAYG option for non-Tesla owners who want to access the Supercharger network without carrying an adaptor.
Tesla is getting ready to allow those same manufacturers to use the global CCS standard on Supercharger stalls in the US directly after open-sourcing its proprietary charging equipment for other EV makers under the name of the North American Charging System (NACS). The cleverly designed NACS/CCS Supercharger stations with integrated stalls are known as "Magic Docks," and they appear to include a detachable CCS converter on the standard socket to allow charging of both Tesla and non-Tesla electric vehicles.
Despite the fact that the launch of the combined Magic Dock Superchargers was anticipated to occur last year, January is still rather close to that predetermined date. Tesla's Supercharger network may soon be officially opened to all other electric vehicles, as CCS-compatible stalls have already received their first in-app filter placement.
Users noted that a Supercharger station nearby in Hawthorne, California, is described as having "CCS compatibility" when they activated the "Charge your Non-Tesla" option in the mobile app. Additionally, navigating to the stall selection options displayed a picture of a Magic Dock. In contrast to Europe, where Tesla sells its vehicles and charging infrastructure with CCS connectors and adapters and charges different pricing or maintains separate subscription plans for owners of non-Tesla vehicles, this is a first for the US.
Given that Tesla's Design Studio is directly next to the Hawthorne charging station in California, it makes it plausible that the manufacturer may be fitting it with a Magic Dock first to observe how it appears and functions and to track its usage trends. That should only be the beginning, though, since Tesla is competing with other automakers for a share of the US government's US$7.5 billion budget set out for the construction of a nationwide EV charging network.
Tesla stated that it shouldn't be obligated to refit all of its chargers with CCS adapters in order to retain station compatibility and instead should be allowed to keep a ratio of rebated and conventional stalls at each Supercharger location. At Hawthorne, where there was only one pilot stall listed with CCS compatibility and a Magic Dock image, both of which have since been removed as mentions in the app, that is exactly what it appears to be doing.
A Tesla Supercharger Station
Additionally, Tesla revealed the prices of its subscription plans for non-Tesla vehicle owners who might want to use its Supercharger network last year. This one was also swiftly deleted, but not before revealing that Tesla intends to provide a discounted option if the owner signs up for a monthly Supercharger plan at US$0.99 as well as a pay-as-you-go option with higher rates per kWh.
EV Charging Connectors and Speeds
Electric automobiles can be charged at four different rates: slow, fast, rapid, and ultra-rapid. These reflect the available power outputs in kilowatts (kW) and, consequently, the EV charging speeds. Each type of charger has a corresponding set of connectors that can be used for AC or DC charging and can handle low or high power.
The quickest way to charge an EV is with an ultra-rapid charger, which is frequently available at highway rest stops or areas near major thoroughfares. To charge an electric vehicle as quickly as possible, rapid devices deliver high-power direct or alternating current (DC or AC). An electric car can be charged to 80% depending on the model in as little as 10-15 minutes, although a typical new EV would take about an hour on a normal 50 kW rapid charge point.
Power output from ultra-rapid DC chargers is 100 kW or higher. Although additional maximum EV charging speeds between these values are feasible, these are often 100 kW, 150 kW, or 350 kW. Rapid and ultra-rapid chargers use the CHAdeMO or CCS charging connectors and deliver power at 50 kW (125A).
Rapid DC charging is also offered by Tesla's Supercharger network, however, depending on the model, it uses either a Tesla Type 2 connector or a Tesla CCS connector. These have a charging capacity of 150 kW. While CCS and CHAdeMO adaptors are available, many Tesla owners use them to use public quick charging stations even though all Tesla models are intended for use with Supercharger units.
