All EVs (bar one) can now use Tesla’s superchargers

Tesla has opened up almost half of its network of superchargers in Australia, which means that drivers of almost all other makes of EVs can charge them across 30 of the manufacturer’s 63 sites.

The move mirrors deals in other countries. Volvo in June reached agreement with Tesla to use its charging network in the US, Canada and Mexico.

Given Australia’s charging infrastructure build-out requires significant investment and expansion, opening up existing fast charging assets will make life easier for drivers as EV adoption continues to accelerate. Nationwide, EV sales are up 292 per cent for the year to date.

Increasing the number of fast chargers available to drivers is key to the next phase of growth for electric vehicles, according to Volvo Cars Global CEO, Jim Rowan.

“It is not about the number of chargers per se, it’s about the number of fast chargers,” he recently told investors.

“It’s fine if you have a big installation of AC chargers, but in many cases that takes too long to charge for the consumer. So you need to now build out an infrastructure of DC chargers, 50kW to 150kW preferably.”

Australia currently has almost 500 DC charging stations but only around a hundred of these are ‘ultra fast’ chargers capable of delivering more than 100kW/h.

Almost all EVs bar the Nissan Leaf, which does not have a CCS2 fast charging socket, will be able to use the Tesla superchargers.