Tesla has released the shackles on some of its DC public fast charging network, opening it up to all electric vehicle owners.
Five locations (each of which has multiple plugs) in New South Wales are now listed under “Superchargers Open to Non-Tesla” on the brand’s website, which represents a fraction of the 47-location network currently on offer Down Under.
The five stations listed as open to non-Tesla owners are Tamworth, Dubbo, Hollydene, Bathurst, and Narooma. It’s not clear if the NSW locations will be joined by more around Australia over the coming month.
The move will give EV owners in those parts of New South Wales more choice if NRMA, ChargeFox, or Evie public fast chargers are occupied, or not available.
According to shots of the Tesla application posted on Twitter by Ludicrous Feed, it’ll cost non-Tesla owners $0.79 per kWh to charge using a Supercharger – or $0.66 per kWh if you pay $9.99 per month for a ‘membership’ to the network.
The move in Australia follows in the wheel tracks of a November 2021 pilot in The Netherlands, France, and Norway, which was expanded in May 2022 to include Sweden, Spain, Belgium, and the UK.
“Access to an extensive, convenient and reliable fast-charging network is critical for large-scale EV adoption. That’s why, since opening our first Superchargers in 2012, we have been committed to rapid expansion of the network,” Tesla said at the time in a media release.
“It’s always been our ambition to open the Supercharger network to Non-Tesla EVs, and by doing so, encourage more drivers to go electric. More customers using the Supercharger network enables faster expansion,” it said.
“Our goal is to learn and iterate quickly, while continuing to aggressively expand the network, so we can eventually welcome both Tesla and Non-Tesla drivers at every Supercharger worldwide.”
Tesla currently dominates the electric vehicle market in Australia. The Model 3 (10,877 sales) and Y (8717) were the two best-selling EVs locally in 2022, followed by the BYD Atto 3 (2113) and Polestar 2 (1524).
A total of 33,416 electric cars were sold in Australia last year, representing around 3.0 per cent of the total market.
MORE: Polestar says life would be easier for EV owners if Tesla opened up its Supercharger network
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