The Government of Canada has provided an update on EV charging infrastructure in the country (nearly 3,000 new chargers will be installed across Ontario), revealing that Tesla is going to open part of its Supercharging network to non-Tesla vehicles in 2023.
According to the press release, the first stations - between Sudbury and Ottawa - will be opened later this year.
"As part of this collaborative effort, Tesla will open a portion of its existing Canadian Supercharger network to non-Tesla electric vehicles, wherever site hosts allow. Later this year, an open Supercharging route will be piloted for EV drivers between Sudbury and Ottawa."
The Non-Tesla Supercharger Pilot program is expected to expand gradually across Canada (including the Trans-Canada Highway from Ottawa to Calgary) and within a few years include hundreds of charging stalls.
The official info is about 750 "charging connectors" (individual stalls), which should be ready for non-Tesla EVs by the end of 2025. At least 350 of those stalls will offer up to 250 kilowatts (kW) of power (V3 level).
The exact number of stations was not provided, but we guess that it will be an order of magnitude lower.
"Then, by the end of 2025, 750 charging connectors in public locations will be made available to non-Tesla EV drivers, through a combination of retrofits and new construction, of which at least 350 will be 250kW Superchargers. The open chargers will be distributed across Canada, and the route will include the Trans-Canada Highway from Ottawa to Calgary."
Interestingly, Tesla remains silent about the project, and all the info comes from the Canadian government.
That's for sure very good news for those who would like to use the Tesla Supercharging network for non-Tesla electric vehicles in Canada.
The pilot in the United States is already underway (initially in New York and California). It was recently launched also in Australia and China. In Europe, the non-Tesla pilot was launched in 2021, and since then expanded to 15 markets.
In Canada (just like in the US), Tesla will have to retrofit its existing Supercharging stalls with the Magic Dock built-in CCS1 adapter, which allows using the Tesla's North American Charging Standard (NACS) plug or the plug with attached CCS1 adapter for non-Tesla EVs.
The Non-Tesla Supercharger Pilot program:
- Europe (15 countries)
[Native compatibility with the CCS2 standard]
Additionally, to handle various EVs, new V4 stations are equipped with a longer cable - Australia
[Native compatibility with the CCS2 standard] - Canada - coming in 2023
[Magic Dock built-in CCS1 adapter] - Mainland China
[Native compatibility with the local GB/T standards] - the United States
[Magic Dock built-in CCS1 adapter]
In the future, Tesla is expected to switch from V3 to V4 Supercharging stalls globally. Installations in Europe are underway. The V4 Superchargers are reportedly coming also to the US and will bring a power boost to 350 kilowatts.
It's worth noting that Ford yesterday announced a major shift in North America to Tesla's NACS standard, starting with new models in 2025. This means that the Magic Dock will not be needed for those new vehicles.
Ford's move, combined with the general opening of the Tesla Supercharging network, might launch an avalanche and bring even more brands on board in North America. Of course, Europe and many other markets will stick with the CCS2.
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Source: Natural Resources Canada