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.
