BMW is finally adopting the Tesla NACS plug and will roll out their first NACS-equipped electric cars in 2025. But until then, BMW will work with Tesla to craft a frictionless customer journey, allowing BMW, MINI, and Rolls-Royce drivers to locate and access Superchargers via their vehicle’s display and conduct transactions within their brand-specific apps. The expectations are that an adapter would be able to connect the CCS plug to a NACS charging station.
What is the Magic Dock?
Naturally, many customers are already curious about the possibility of charging their BMW at a Tesla Supercharger today. The response, for the most part, is negative as of now. Tesla has opened a very limited number of superchargers across United States, but that number is still quite small. All processes are managed through the Tesla app. Non-Tesla electric vehicle owners only need to download the Tesla app, set up an account, input their payment information by adding a credit card, and they’re ready to visit specific Supercharger stations that are currently outfitted with a Magic Dock. Afterward, simply need to grasp the handle, from which the CCS adapter extends out of the Magic Dock.
Higher Rates for Non-Tesla Customers
Rates are a bit higher for non-Tesla owners. When a Tesla to CCS adapter is available, the Tesla app shows rates at the Magic Dock at $0.51 / kWh. Therefore, filling up a car like the BMW iX will cost around $54, or $41 for an i4 M50. But despite the higher cost, the availability of these special Superchargers increase the odds of finding a charger during your journey. To provide context, Tesla operates a global network of approximately 40,000 Superchargers, with roughly 17,000 of them situated in the United States.
In 2022, the Biden administration announced its commitment to facilitate the availability of Tesla’s Superchargers to non-Tesla customers by installing 3,500 fast-charging stations along major highway routes by the end of 2024, along with 4,000 slower-charging units at locations such as hotels and restaurants. It’s unclear how many Magic Dock Superchargers are available today in the United States.
So if you live in an area with a Magic Dock, then you’re in luck. Simply follow the steps outlined above and you should be able to charge your BMW. We do expect their availability to increase in the near future after BMW works out the details with Tesla. More to come on this topic!
