YouTuber attempts to charge non-Tesla at Tesla charging point with fascinating results
- Tesla charging points started rolling out to non-Tesla users earlier this year
- Concerns have been raised for non-Tesla EVs
- One video gives a POV of the Tesla charging point experience for a Rivian R1T
Published on Nov 22, 2023 at 9:06 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on May 14, 2025 at 7:49 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Alessandro Renesis
Tesla charging points began opening up to non-Tesla users earlier this year.
But concerns have been raised for both non-Tesla EVs and Cybertrucks using the Tesla charging points.
And this video by Auto Focus gives viewers a real-time review and POV of the Tesla charging point experience.
Marques Brownlee who hosts the video is driving a Rivian R1T in upstate New York.
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This is an area where Tesla were testing the service.
He explains that non-Tesla users are now able to go beyond public chargers.
Public chargers have previously had issues with uptime, reliability and capacity.
At the time of filming, Tesla had opened up a couple of select superchargers to be be used by non-Tesla EVs.
With one nearby, he decided to go and test it out.
First drivers are required to set up an account on the app and scroll across to ‘Charge your non-Tesla’.
The app will then signpost non-Tesla chargers that are available nearby.
Upon arrival at the Brewster, NY Supercharger, the Rivian had 30% battery left.
There were eight charging points and only one other EV there.
A sign with a QR code allowed non-Tesla EV users to access instructions on how to charge.
Unlike a Tesla, he had to let the app know which post he was charging at – but the process seems simple enough.
Time to plug in and Tesla has retrofitted a built-in CCS adaptor on the end of the plug, which is unlocked via the app too.
And it tells him instantly that it’s 34 minutes to full charge at 143 kW charging rate.
There’s more, information is provided by the app and through the car with an option to halt charging at any time.
“It’s the closest thing to a ‘Plug and Play’ experience we’ll have with a Rivian,” he says.
One problem: the charge port for the R1T is at the front left of the vehicle.
Teslas have their charge port on the back left.
That means non-Tesla drivers are using the space over than a Tesla.
Translation: they are effectively blocking a spot.
The cable length and parking grid layout both mean the experience is non-optimised for non-Tesla EV drivers.
What’s more, non-Tesla EV drivers won’t have their battery pre-conditioned and warming up en route to the Tesla charging point.
It’s not the fastest rate of charging to be accepted by non-Tesla EVs – for the Rivian or other fast-charging EVs.
His conclusion: it’s awesome that you now have this choice of a slightly more expensive per unit Tesla supercharger.
However busier Tesla charging points could become an issue for the Tesla user experience.
“I think I would pick it every time,” he says.
As of July there were over 50,000 Superchargers available globally, with roughly 17,000 of them located within the US throughout 6,180 locations.
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All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
