- Volkswagen EV house owners in North America will acquire entry to the Tesla Supercharger this summer season.
- The German automaker mentioned it is on monitor to get entry in June or July.
- An official charging adapter will likely be accessible, however we do not know if it is going to be provided without spending a dime.
Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.Buzz house owners in North America will acquire entry to the expansive Tesla Supercharger community of DC quick chargers this summer season, marking a brand new entry on the record of automakers which have struck offers with Tesla.
“We get entry to the community in June/July, when we’ve an official VW adapter,” Mark Gillies, director of public relations at VW Group of America, advised PC Magazine at this yr’s CES. A earlier model of the PC Magazine story acknowledged that Volkswagen EV house owners in North America would get entry to Tesla’s charging community in March, however the article was up to date with a brand new timeline.
Ford, Rivian, Normal Motors, Volvo, Polestar and Nissan EV drivers can already use over 15,000 Tesla Supercharger stalls throughout North America to top-up their automobiles’ batteries. Extra automakers, together with Volkswagen Group’s Audi, Porsche and Scout Motors, are set to achieve entry to Tesla’s DC charging stations later this yr, however a timeline has not but been disclosed. That mentioned, all firms which have offers for Supercharger entry will get it by the tip of this yr. Some firms, like Hyundai and Kia, will quickly begin delivery EVs with an NACS port from the manufacturing unit, eradicating the necessity for an adapter.
Within the case of Volkswagen, it’s at the moment engaged on sourcing and approving suppliers to fabricate the NACS to CCS charging adapter that’s wanted for the overwhelming majority of non-Tesla EVs that got here from the manufacturing unit with a distinct charging port than the one discovered on Tesla fashions. Gillies mentioned for PC Magazine that Volkswagen would “desire” its driver use the official Volkswagen-supplied adapter however is aware of “there are adapters available on the market” that some house owners may go for as a substitute.
Formally, all non-Tesla automakers which have entry to the Supercharger community say their EVs’ guarantee will likely be voided if one thing goes mistaken whereas charging at a Supercharger with an adapter that’s not manufacturer-approved. That mentioned, all of those carmakers have outsourced their NACS to CCS adapter provide to different firms, together with Tesla and Lectron. There are different names available on the market, too, equivalent to A2Z.
Volkswagen not too long ago resumed manufacturing of the ID.4 crossover in the US following a widespread recall for digital door locks that would unlatch whereas driving.
Cheaper alternate options are additionally accessible. Nevertheless, house owners ought to remember that whereas there isn’t any energetic communication passing via the adapter throughout charging periods, the temperature sensor inside some knockoff adapters is simply dangling within the enclosure and is nowhere close to the DC pins, as a teardown from Auto Consumers Information revealed late final yr.
If the charging adapter will get too sizzling, the sensors inside will finish the charging session–but when the sensors aren’t subsequent to the warmth supply, the adapter case may soften.
