A Tesla executive recently confirmed in a social media post that more than 16,000 Tesla Superchargers are now available to drivers of Ford and Rivian EVs.
Rohan Patel, vice president of public policy and business development for Tesla, made the post in response to questions about how many Supercharger stalls were actually compatible with adapters for Ford and Rivian EVs, after the U.S. Department of Energy released data showing the Supercharger network consists of more than 2,200 locations and nearly 25,000 stalls in the U.S.
Ford and Rivian were among the first automakers to announce in 2023 deals with Tesla to adopt its North American Charging Standard on future EVs, making the Supercharger network available to non-Tesla EVs. The deals also included adapters for vehicles made before the deal.
Patel, said the 25,000 charging stalls in the Supercharger network include a mix of V2, V3 and the newest V4 stations. However, non-Tesla EV owners will primarily access the 16,000 more advanced V3 and V4 Superchargers, which off faster charging. About 11,000 stalls, mostly older V2s, are still exclusive to Teslas, because they would require too much technical work to make them compatible with non-Teslas, Patel said.
Patel also touched on Tesla's plans to increase its Level 2 (L2) charger offerings, emphasizing the importance of these chargers in commercial, workplace and residential settings.
Patel acknowledged the challenges of scaling up such a vast network, particularly the complexities involved in connecting these stations to the electrical grid. The utility interconnection process, he noted, is a critical but time-consuming step that ensures the reliability and sustainability of the charging infrastructure.
