This year, Tesla opened up its Supercharger network to other brands. That’s awesome news for non-Tesla electric vehicle owners since the public charging network isn’t always the greatest. For Tesla owners? Things aren’t so peachy.
Tesla’s agreement to allow more carmakers to use the Supercharger network is great in theory. Superchargers are the best public chargers, often located in ideal places, and have strong uptime stats. But Tesla designed the stations to serve Teslas and nothing else, which is where the problems begin.
Tesla specificity is creating issues for non-Tesla owners and that, in turn, is leading to issues with Tesla owners. While they sometimes have good reason to be upset, it’s a little hypocritical for some Tesla owners to be complaining if they’re the same owners who have been behaving badly at CCS chargers.
Supercharger Cords Are Not Designed For Non-Teslas
Supercharger stations almost all have a relatively short charging cord which, unsurprisingly, was designed for Tesla vehicles where the charging port is uniformly placed at the rear driver’s side of the car. Other manufacturers don’t necessarily follow that same pattern.
And so, in order to get its charging port within plugging distance, a non-Tesla may need to be positioned outside the space a Tesla requires, thus preventing an adjacent Supercharger from being accessed. Imagine the frustration of rolling up and realizing that one or more otherwise available chargers are blocked by someone.
That’s the reality that countless Tesla owners are facing right now as brands like General Motors, Rivian, and Ford gain access to the Supercharger network.
Is there a possibilty not to allow other car brands for Tesla #Supercharger when their charging is on the left side (other than Tesla)? One VW ID3 blocked 2 Stations for 45 minutes on a very busy time! What do you think? @elonmusk and @Tesla pic.twitter.com/slR5l9JwcG
— Michelga1971 (@michelga1971) July 28, 2024
One Tesla owner who recognized the reality of the situation expressed their feelings this way. “Is it expected? Yeah, kinda, on some vehicles, due to the charging port location. Is it blocking other spots? YEAH, AND IT’S INFURIATING.”
I saw a Ford Lightening parked across the spots at a Tesla supercharger station a bit back and thought the guy was being a knob and taking 2 spots.
As it shows in this picture the Super Charger cords are long enough for Tesla's rear charge port, but Ford put the charging port… pic.twitter.com/bdpT8l9iUH
— RobotPete of Selwyn! (@RobotPete) September 4, 2024
Of course, when the parking lot and several charging stations are wide open, it shouldn’t be a big deal but that’s not what some have found. According to one F-150 Lightning owner, a Tesla owner left them a horrific note despite several charging stations being wide open.
Tesla owners are an angry bunch
byu/poolmoney1 inF150Lightning
Here’s the craziest part, double or even perhaps triple parking is Tesla’s official solution for cars that don’t have a port in a location that enables the car to take up only one space.
Most Supercharger cables at NACS Supercharger sites should be able to reach your EV charge port, however, in some cases you might have to park over the line in order to charge comfortably. Avoid parking diagonally to reach the cable and try to obstruct as few charge posts as possible. Charge port locations vary by EV model, which requires cable sharing between adjacent stalls at many sites. Tesla is rapidly deploying our latest V4 Supercharger post which reaches all EVs in the same Supercharger stall. Additionally, we encourage all vehicle manufacturers to standardize charge port locations to the rear driver side or front passenger side.
The issue isn’t one that only includes double parking either. Due to the port location on some vehicles, a car like a Ford Mustang Mach-E can take up only one spot but ultimately block the use of a charger. Take for example the one in the photo below. The Mach-E is in a single space but the charger ahead of it and to the right is left idle and out of reach for anyone else.
First time a supercharger for some electrons
byu/datim2010 inMachE
In a somewhat cool turn of events, some of these EV owners are coming up with creative solutions to the issue. Jim Augat, a realtor in the North East simply drove over some landscaping to not only access the Supercharger but to ensure he didn’t inconvenience other drivers.
A Ford F-150 Lightning owner did something similar to avoid blocking more than a single stall. In this case they pulled up directly onto the curb itself which allowed the cable to reach the truck without issue.
Tesla Supercharger – Cheaper and better
byu/elgato123 inF150Lightning
Somewhat hilariously, this problem isn’t one only created by non-Tesla drivers. Sometimes, they do it to themselves says at least one person on Reddit.
We just got a new gen 4 super charger locally so I went over with 5 spots supposedly open. Got there, it was a full super charger because a handicap driver was double parked across two charging spots, neither of which was the dedicated handicap charger spot that nobody else but them could use, so the took up 3 spots and then another genius decided to try out the longer cables by using the cable from the next spot over instead of their own blocking of another 2.
2 teslas blocked 5 of 8 spots with no trailers. Must be a new record.
Here’s a Cybertruck with a trailer (audible gasp) blocking at least three different Superchargers.
Looks like the “Non-Teslas at Superchargers“ charging approach is catching on…
byu/roccthecasbah inChargerDrama
Tesla Owners Do This At Non-Supercharger Stations
Long before non-Tesla owners got access to Tesla stations, Tesla owners could access basically any non-Tesla supercharger with an adapter. Now the adapter is on the other cord.
Unsurprisingly, Tesla owners sometimes block or take up chargers that aren’t Superchargers. Here’s an example of a Tesla owner and a Volvo owner both parked in front of Electrify America chargers while not charging at all. Again, imagine the frustration of expecting to pull up to open functional chargers before finding this.
Tesla owners are as bad as BMW owners
byu/Bobbyj59 inVWiD4Owners
Here’s another Tesla owner just parked in an EV charging space for no apparent reason since the charging cord certainly won’t reach all the way to the back of the car.
I’ll add this one because it’s not one but several Tesla owners blocking charging spaces at an apartment complex while almost comically, none of them are plugged in and using the charging spaces.
Just moved into a new apartment. Typical
byu/kevinxb inChargerDrama
This is especially galling because, for a long time, non-Tesla owners could only charge at CCS stations whereas Tesla owners had their own dedicated charger network.
Could This Hurt Tesla?
Finally, there is one more interesting turn in all of this. The situation could lead some buyers away from Tesla and into the arms of other brands. The Supercharger network is one of Tesla’s key selling points. It works so much better than most of the public charging infrastructure. Until recently, the only way to benefit from it was to buy a Tesla. Now, that’s not the case, and some owners report that they might ditch their Tesla over it.
The supercharger situation is the solitary reason I’m considering selling my MYLR, having had it for only a year. I love this thing, but the charging situation has no indication of getting any better. Nothing stopping people from doing this garbage. But worse yet is the lawlessness of a charger with a line. In my experience, It’s dog-eat-dog, apocalyptic guerrilla mayhem. A year ago it wasn’t like this.
Another person complained, “I’m about to make a longer trip around Thanksgiving, and I’m a bit concerned about how many other companies they’ve opened up superchargers to.” That kind of sentiment could indeed lead buyers away from Tesla in the coming months and years.
For now, the automaker currently keeps some of its Supercharger stations exclusive to Tesla owners so it appears as though it recognizes the need for such a move. Additionally, the switch to NACS charging might eventually lead automakers to move charging parts to a more universal location.
And, finally, there’s an easy potential solution to this: An extension cord like this one from Amazon. Not only is it a small price a pay to get easy access when other cars are there, it’s a nice way to avoid conflict with your fellow electric car owners.
[Full disclosure: We put an Amazon affiliate link on that extension cord and might make a commission if you buy one.]
Except that that extension cord is J1772, or level 2 charging like you might have in your garage. CCS and Supercharging DC fast chargers have liquid-cooled cables to handle well over 20x the amount of power of the J1772 cable.
A Supercharger “extension cord” would need its own liquid cooler, monitoring system, and CANBUS communications with both the charger and the car. Best case that sounds like a really annoying apparatus to shlep around, worse case that’s a fire waiting to happen.
OOOORRRRR… Tesla can just include longer cables on their V4 Superchargers, which is exactly what they’re doing.
I’m a Tesla owner and the only people I blame are Tesla for not installing longer cords or upgrading to V4 dispensers faster. Sure its annoying but I would rather people be able to charge.
Electric-charging-hissy-fit-slap-fight. The newest event for the 2028 Olympics.
I’ve long (before EVs) been tempted to carry a jack and a set of car dollies so I could move cars that are in the way. This sort of thing long predates charging stations. Try driving a van with a wheelchair lift in the side door.
Excellent thinking adding the extension cord and purchase link to the story. I hope you thought to get a percentage from buyers. This is electronic media at its best. The original idea was to pair pertinent ads to pertinent stories with less clicks but more purchases. However, big money was allowed to buy sponsored ad spots so the best search results are 3 to 4 pages in. NOT HERE MIND YOU but on any Google search with the mind numbing 3 million hits and you can’t find a good one. I think if I hit the lottery I will hire some geeks and create an app only shows pertinent results. And then allow my heirs to sell it for billions
Except that extension cord is useless for DC fast charging of any kind, and most level 2 chargers like that extension cord is for have ample cable length for all EVs already.
The garage with all the non-charging Teslas taking all the charging spots? It’s nothing a few minutes with a valve stem core tool couldn’t solve. They won’t repeat that mistake.
But then they are stuck there for weeks waiting on Tesla repair units and trucks.
Seems like a high income, first worlder problem. The fact that the closest charging stations ( 2 of ’em!) are a 40 mile round trip from here, I’ll stick with a hybrid.
It’s possible to get a $10k EV with 225+ miles of range. This is not high income territory.
I have to think that when the manufacturers start putting the NACS ports on the car they will place it approximately where the Tesla port is at. HAHA just kidding, they won’t do a fucking thing to help anybody.
Maybe the Tesla type plug as a standard wasn’t a good idea after all.
Look at this way, the next time someone cuts all the superchargers cables Tesla can do a smart move and actually replace them with a longer cord if they want other cars then Teslas
Don’t blame Tesla they spent company funds not tax payer dollars to create charging stations for their cars. And when other companies who spent zero money on any chargers asked to be part of the network Tesla said okay. It’s not Tesla’s fault the other manufacturers didn’t design for the Tesla chargers. However it would have been a good idea for Tesla to require it moving forward. Why is this Tesla’s fault at all? Just a bunch of Musk haters. Grow up.
Fully grown, still hate Elmo
I am getting five tonnes of coal delivered tomorrow!
Definitely do not use DC fast charger extension cords. Yes, they exist, but they are massive fire hazards. 100-250++ kW is a massive amount of power, and Supercharger cables are cooled and rated to handle it, unlike whatever you might find on Amazon or Aliexpress.
I wouldn’t use an AC charger extension cable from Amazon either.
My favorite part is when tesla owners complain about something and then @elonmusk as if he gives a shit. It’s so pathetic it’s almost cute.
Tesla owners being insufferable? No fucking way.
In other shocking news, a bmw just failed to signal a lane change and a charger just ran a red light!
Really it’s the Tesla owners being insufferable here? I must be missing something.
Wireless charging anyone?
Boy, that extension cord looks a little thin for DC fast charging. How does the station know that it can’t pump 400A through that?
Ahh, that’s the J1772 extension… This is AC only and won’t work with Tesla or DC fast charging in general. Only Level1/Level2.
People overreacting to everything has gotten so f’ing old. Everyone is just huddled inside their self-created sensory deprivation chambers, cobbled together from echo chambers and self congratulatory social media posts, and interrupting them from that false reality is emotionally jarring
Especially the note hoping someone close to the person dies. Like, I get you are inconvenienced, and may have lost half an hour, but the number of people for whom that half an hour is life altering is pretty low, and I’m not overly inclined to believe the note author is one of them. Usually if time is that critical, you wouldn’t waste any writing a nasty note. So instead you are just a soft, pandered-to, douche bag who can’t deal with the real world wherein you don’t matter.
Some people just have to be so dramatic and flamboyant, it just makes me want to set myself on fire
Amen
I think I’ll stick to just filling up my tank every two weeks a little while longer.
This post reminds me very much of the shitheaded battle for spots at the grocery store gas rewards (Kroger/Safeway/Costco) stations. The worst people exhibiting the worst of human behaviors. Which I can drive right on by and find an easily accessible station, no problem. I would really hate to be stuck without alternatives.
possible solution; cars should have the cable permanently affixed to it, and then plug that into the charger itself?
But then you’re manufacturing 100x the cords. 1 charger (and cable) can serve a lot of cars. Making 1 cable per car is a bit wasteful.
Cars should have not fewer than 8 cables. That way you’re never more than 45 degrees out from however the charger is situated. The fact that you will look like a deranged copper octopus flailing your way down the interstate is just a bonus.