Will the reliability of Tesla Superchargers apply to other brands’ electric vehicles?

A transition to Tesla’s NACS connector in incoming electric vehicles, and even faster compatibility with Tesla Superchargers, has now been implemented by a sufficient number of automakers for the latter to be declared the predominate charging standard for electric vehicles in North America for the foreseeable long term. And despite the fact that the majority of carmaker press releases and remarks have focused on the amount of cost information that the Tesla community adds, there is a subtext to all of this that is, in all likelihood, significantly more important: reliability.

This reliability, which the federal government is starting to keep an eye on, is not a given, and it will serve as a litmus test for whatever Tesla has produced, regardless of whether it will be able to make the translation. The Tesla Supercharging network has, up until now, essentially been an exclusive closed system. It’s a gamble because no other automaker’s electric vehicles are yet capable of charging on Tesla’s network or of officially being able to function with Tesla’s NACS connector in any way, natively or otherwise.

Tesla Supercharger

The wager is very certainly motivated by extremely outstanding trustworthiness evaluations that continue to outperform EVs and networks that make use of the CCS connector. According to the most recent E-Vision Intelligence Report from J.D. Power, which was published on Friday and looked at data for the first quarter of 2023, a much smaller percentage of Tesla drivers find that they are unable to charge at a Supercharger stop. This rating was given by an industry leader in customer satisfaction surveys for automobiles, J.D. Power. Only 3.9% of respondents indicated that they were now “unable to charge” on the Tesla Supercharger community, whereas 21.6% of respondents on all other networks, excluding Tesla Location chargers, reported having this issue.

On Power’s 1,000-point scale, Tesla owners report a satisfaction level of 734 with public charging networks, whereas owners of vehicles produced by all other manufacturers report a level of 558. This directly translates to significantly higher satisfaction levels with public charging networks as a component of the electric vehicle ownership experience.

Electrical power summed up the situation by saying that when it comes to dependability, no other provider comes close to Tesla.

gratification by brand name provided by J.D. Energy for public charging

Regardless of whether it is the connector by itself, as some have said, or whether it can be the hardware, the regular, or the EVs by themselves, it means a great deal for the acceptance of EVs at a time when GM, Ford, and a large number of other legacy manufacturers are planning to increase their production of electric vehicles. According to the findings of Ability, the lack of a public charging infrastructure has been the most significant impediment to customer adoption of electric vehicles over the course of the past year. It is then followed by variety anxiety, charge time, and a lack of charge time at work or at home.

In the first three months of this year, Tesla added 1,292 new Supercharger ports, bringing the total number of ports across the US to roughly 19,500 at that point. As of this moment, Tesla offers a total of 2,025 station sites and 21,713 ports, as stated by the United States Section of Strength. Although the Supercharger network may be slower in some areas as compared to CCS—which will continue to be maintained by means of adapters—it is dependable and quick, and this makes a difference for owners.

There are still a few significant issues to be resolved. When it comes to reliability, would a switch to the Tesla standard, which would be run by other demand community operators, lead to a measurable improvement in comparison to CCS?

GM EVs receive Tesla Supercharger entrance in 2024

That is almost probably something that has crossed the minds of automakers who are adopting the Tesla NACS connector to such an extensive degree. Together with Ford, General Motors, Rivian, Volvo, and Polestar—all of which have announced compatibility (by using an adaptor) with the Tesla rapid-charging format beginning in 2024, this will suddenly make a lot more than 70 percent of the new electric vehicle market NACS-appropriate. Considering that Hyundai, Stellantis, and the Volkswagen Group of brands are all currently examining the concept, and that the SAE is making it a legitimate standard for interoperability and production, it is difficult to imagine EVs with the CCS port being more than a small percentage of the market.

Another question that arises in this context is whether or not the level of satisfaction in the Tesla Supercharger community will remain high even when it is utilised by drivers of electric vehicles manufactured by other companies. In addition, what impact, if any, would increasing the Supercharger network volume have, either positively or negatively, for Tesla proprietors?

In front of a Tesla Supercharger station is a Ford Mustang Mach-E.

According to Ability, “It is much less clear whether or not generating Tesla’s community offered to other models will negatively or positively impact Tesla thought.” There is a possibility that it will lead to longer wait times at Supercharger stations on busy weekends. On the other hand, it could have quite the opposite impact and lead to an even speedier buildout of the brand’s excellent V4 hardware. This hardware is necessary for GM products such as the GMC Hummer EV and Chevy Silverado EV, as well as the Tesla Cybertruck.